Manicure Tips & Tricks

So you've bought some nail polish. Now what? It's time for a manicure!

Nail prep is key! Remove any/all old polish from nails. I use 100% acetone as remover, but some people may find this to be too harsh on their nails. Please wash your hands after using polish remover
Water, polish remover, oil or anything else left on the nails that remains under the polish can shorten the life of your mani. I recommend using nail plate dehydrator (Polish remover or isopropyl alcohol work too) Put some on a cotton ball and swipe it over your nails
Start with a good foundation! Base coat helps create a smooth surface for color & helps your mani last longer. I find base coat preference comes down to each individual's nails and body chemistry, so my experience may or may not be the same as yours for a particular product. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Dip the brush into the bottle and swirl it around the inside of the neck to remove excess product. Wipe one side of the brush against the neck so there is only polish on one side of the brush. I find that's enough polish for my nails and it is easier to control than a brush that's loaded with polish. If I don't wipe the brush my mani gets messy & requires extra clean up at the end
Let the polish touch the nail! I use a sort of 3 stroke W motion to paint my nails. Start in the middle of the nail close to the proximal nail fold/finger. Bring the polish to the tip of the nail. Go back to your starting point but shift left or right just enough to be able to brush along the sidewall of the nail to the tip. Back to starting point and repeat along the other sidewall of the nail to complete the W motion
If the base coat is smooth in 1 coat, move on to color. If the base isn't smooth yet, wait 1-2 minutes or until polish is touch dry & apply the next coat
1-2 minutes later, repeat the motions from step 5 using a thin coat of your color. Most polishes need 2-3 coats to achieve intended opacity so if the first coat is patchy or weird that's common. Simply apply another coat after waiting 1-2 minutes. If the opacity after 2 coats floats your boat move on to step 9
Polish still sheer, patchy or streaky? Apply a 3rd thin coat 1-2 minutes after 2nd coat. Repeat until desired opacity is reached. All Feline Feisty Lacquer aims to be opaque in 2-3 coats using this application method
Top it off: Grab your favorite top coat and prep the brush like step 4 but with one small change: don't wipe either side of the brush off. Top coat applies best in slightly thicker coats so it can glide over the color without pulling or smudging.
Before moving on to the clean up portion, wait at least 10 minutes for the top coat to set. Longer if you can or if the polish needs it. If you have polish drying drops or spray now is the time to utilize them. Follow the directions for whatever product you've chosen
Time for "perfection": No matter how hard I try I always paint outside the lines. Which makes clean up something I never skip. I recommend waiting 10-20 minutes before you start to clean up just to be sure your polish is well set and less likely to be smudged or dented. Take a small cleanup brush (I use a flat eye liner brush I got for like $1), dip it in polish remover or acetone and clean up any stray bits of polish on the cuticles and/or surrounding skin. I also use this time to shape the polish on my nails so it looks pristine and professional. You can also clean up on the sidewalls onto the nail itself to create an optical illusion that makes fingers look longer and slimmer