Nail Art "Micaela Schaefer"

How To Use Nail Art Accessories to Create Unique Designs

Many people may think of beauty accessories as being makeup and hair styles; however nail art accessories can be added to this list as well for complementing your whole look with some added sparkle and style to your hands.

And it doesn't matter how long or short your nails are, adding a touch of sparkle or style to plain nail polish may just draw attention to your other accessories like rings and bangle bracelets.

Having a variety of nail art accessories on hand has become a hit trend among many women to update their everyday French manicure with some French manicure designs, for example, using nail wraps only on the tips of the nails.

All over the country nail studios are opening their doors offering beautiful and unique manicures. And fashion blogs have been touting celebrities with some of their outrageous nail designs too, like Lady Gaga's lace nails in her videos.

But you don't have to be a professional technician or even have a natural talent at doing salon manicures to have beautiful nails. You can actually create salon perfect nails in your own home with a few inexpensive nail art accessories that mirror the quality of the professional freehand designs at the salons, but at a mere fraction of the cost.

A perfect manicure will definitely make your hands look and feel great but if you add even the simplest designs to your nails, you'll stand out from the basic and boring as someone who really knows and loves style. The right accessories can even add an amazingly stylish touch and complement the colors of the outfits you wear also.

And even if you don't leave the house often, for instance if you work from home, sometimes just watching a tutorial and trying out some different designs with some really inexpensive nail art accessories can make you feel better about your hands, although you may be the only one looking at them.

There are too many design accessories available today to even begin to make a complete list. But some of the more popular and trendy are things like Fimo art, designer nail wraps like foils, 3D nail stickers with fake gems, and designer nail tips. In fact, you can even buy molded designs specifically made just for creating 3D nail art or you can pierce your nails and add dangling jewelry.

Any of these accents will provide you with virtually unlimited choices for create stunning designs yourself or for salon professionals who are looking to offer new ideas to their clients. And since a lot of these techniques are relatively simple, even the do-it-yourself beginner nail artist can have fun creating new designs like a pro.

For example, 3D nail stickers can add sparkle and shine to a classic French manicure. In fact, design stickers come in so many varieties you can mix and match the designs, and create an accent nail on each hand that's subtly different from the others. So you could apply lace 3D stickers to all but the ring finger on each hand and place gemstones on those accent nails.

Stickers are fun and convenient since you can apply them quickly, add a fast-drying top coat and you're out the door with a fresh-looking manicure that's coordinated in color and design to the outfit you're wearing that day. Remove them later and change up the design for an evening out on the town, removing only the top coat and sticker.

Another fun and creative technique in the nail art accessories arena is Fimo art, available in just about every shape you can imagine, from simple abstract designs through complex looking fruits and animals.

But using Fimo art is so simple, just anyone who's into beginners nail art can use Fimo art and give themselves a very unique and interesting manicure that everyone will want to see and talk about.

Nail gems in the way of faux gemstones that adhere to the nail with polish or dangles that require the tip of the nail to be pierced, are also a great options for adding some pizzazz to your manicure. Piercings are becoming popular for nails today too, especially with younger people who want more than just their ears pierced.

If you're not careful in doing your own nail piercing, however, you may split your nail, while although not dangerous at all, it just means you'll either have to cut your nail and allow it to regrow or replace it with an artificial tip until your natural nail grows out again.

Nail techs can also offer their clients time-saving colorful French manicures by using pre-polished, pre-designed artificial nail tips. Artificial nails today are so natural looking that even the do-it-yourself artist can apply them from home and walk out with gorgeous, natural looking nails. The best faux nails and nail tips are applied with a special formulation of "super glue" and when applied correctly, can last for weeks.

If you're looking for designs for beginners, try out a few of these fun and easy to use nail art accessories during your spare time. Check out YouTube and subscribe to the popular nail artists to keep up with trendy designs and the hottest fashion manicure colors and you'll always have great looking nails anytime for any occasion.

About the Author: Karen Musselman blogs about nail art accessories and designs on her site Beginner's Nail Art - All Nail Art, All In One Place, offering tips, tutorials and nail art videos for the beginner nail artist. Stop by for the latest nail art tutorials and how to give your nails a salon perfect manicure without going to a salon.

UV Gel Nails for Nail Enhancement

UV gel nails are becoming more common and are getting more popular currently. These are fake nails that resemble and can look a lot like natural nails. UV gel nails are a type of artificial nails that are also great for nail art. Women may have them put onto their fingernails as an alternative to acrylic extensions if they want their nails to appear stronger and longer. Gels are also durable. The UV gel is made of a special odorless gel that is cured under UV light for few minutes. This is why they are called UV gel nails. Some other types of gels are cured with the use of chemicals instead of UV light.

Gels are very popular in Europe especially. Almost 90% of nail salons are using them. It is one of the hottest items there for nail technician. UV gel has advantages over their acrylic counterparts. It is lightweight, flexible, clear, odorless and most especially, it has a much more natural-look. Acrylics can yellow over time, but gels will maintain their color because they are not as reactive to other chemicals in the environment. Gel can be applied whether a full overlay or just tip overlays are desired. They can also be formed and shaped to make extensions. Similarly, they can be used to protect the damaged and broken edges of a nail as it grows out.

Having gel enhancements can make nails beautiful and attractive. Yet, it is not an easy thing to do. However, proper knowledge and practice can make the application much easier. Applying gel enhancements or extensions can be learned easily when the proper techniques are used.

First, prepare the nails, and apply tips if you desire to do so. Then, apply a thin coat of gel over the nails, and then cure it. Apply another or second coat of gel, but this time, add the arches this will help to give the nail a natural curve; cure it once more under the UV light. Apply the third coat of gel, adding more arches, then cure again under the light. Now, clean, and shape them accordingly to your preferences, then rub them until they are smooth enough. You can add polish to them or you can apply a gloss coat over them. Achieving a perfect set of nails can be difficult to achieve and maintain, but with gel nails, one can have attractive, beautiful, natural-looking nails in any way they want.

To have find out more about how to apply and maintain UV gel nails you probably better check out this UV gel nails and nail technician blog to get some more information and learn about classes.

Long Nails - Back in Vogue

Long nails are back in vogue. Nails are like fashion accessories they change in length along with hem lines.

Styles

At times throughout fashion history fingernail length has varied. There are some favorite lengths to include athletic (short), natural (shorter), long nails and every size in between.

Fingernails are often used to make a statement by painting them unusual colors and allowing them to grow extremely long. A favorite style that never goes out of style is the short red fingernails. These types have been popular with celebrities for a long time.

Trends

A trend that has been popular since the nineteen eighties is to lengthen the natural nails by applying artificial ones. Initially this trend was started by applying artificial nails that covered the entirety from the bed to the tip. Over time the methods improved and today just a tip is added to the natural fingernail and then covered with acrylic to keep it from breaking off. These acrylic nails are adorned with rhinestones and other trim, even piercing has enjoyed its share in the spotlight.

Perfectly manicured nails have also been a huge trend since the nineteen forties. The trend has changed over time as to what is the "in" color which has varied over the ages. The color range runs the gamut of the rainbow from the palest pinks to midnight black.

Nail shape also seems to follow a trend. In some generations the way to go is with long nails that are filed to almost a point, than the next generation it may be short square fingernails. Rounded ones have also seen their time.

Currently the trend is to have long nails either naturally or artificially and to wear the popular French manicure with either a tan or a pink base and white tips.

Airbrushed nails are also very popular and wearing different designs that are air brushed on are also very popular. The tech uses an air brush machine to create designs which are than covered with a top coat of clear polish.

Of all the styles and trends they have gone through it seems that the most popular everlasting style has been long nails that are well groomed on a woman's hand. It just seems to convey a message of well cared for to the world and really puts her best hand forward. There is no better way to pamper yourself.

Long nails blogs [http://naildesigniwik.blogspot.com/] are a great way to find out about fashion styles. Long nails [http://naildesigniwik.blogspot.com/] are making a comeback.

Press on Nails For Young Fashionistas

One of the newest trends that I have seen advertised a lot on TV lately for teen girls is false nails with various styles and designs. These nails are meant to mimic gel or acrylic nails with nail art. The designs are actually less tacky than one would expect, and are quite a good ideas for younger girls as well. These nails can simply be popped on before a party or school event when its time to get dressed up.

One idea that I have for anyone who has proper nail training or is registered and licensed as a nail technician is to buy a couple sets to offer as a products to any of your clients that may have younger daughters. You may find that a mother gives her daughter some fake false nails and the daughter likes having her nails done so much she wants to come back for more. In a matter of weeks you may have a new UV gel client and know exactly what style she is looking for. These pop on nails are nice for a weekend or a party, but they are not custom made to your nails the way a gel manicure can be.

It would also be great for anyone taking online nail technician courses for nail art to see if they can find pictures of these nails to practice the designs. If these nails grow in popularity with the younger crowds, you can find your self with styles that are ahead of the curve when it comes to your nail art.

A few brands that I have seen advertisements for and that are growing in popularity are:

Revlon Runway Press Ons
Nailene Press Ons
Kiss
Broadway

I have seen kiss and Broadway nails advertised a lot recently and i think they have a few lines directed specifically to teens. You should do a little search yourself and see what designs you like and can replicate.

What do you think about the growing trend of pop on or press-ons for young women? Don't let this trend pass you by.

Calin Chase is an author and nail technician. Calin runs a blog that has loads of information on nails, nail technician courses, even false nails tips for those of you interested in tips on how to apply or work with false nails.

Calin has been very interested in the growing trend of false nails for young women, and has been working with nailene false nails for years. For more information on any of these topics, you should check out the blog!

"nail blog"micaela schaefer

Facts on UV Gel Nails

For the working and business women as well as the ladies staying at home, UV gel nails are very handy and practical. The hand doesn't just look attractive if one applies a lot of special treatments; one can apply these in the comforts of their home and achieve these fabulous hands. UV gel nails are getting very popular nowadays. These days, almost all women and even some men are generally quite conscious about the beauty of their hands and even more so about the length of their nails. It is not easy to grow out nails so many suffer from nails that are shorter or more brittle then they would like. It is not always possible to have strong and unbreakable nails. Good thing someone created nail extensions, huh? Most especially for working ladies this is a very nice invention.

Brittle and weak nails do break easily. This can be very distressing. The weak, brittle and fragile nails that are already dead at the end because of using hard material on it often break off very easily and it leaves the finger looking bad and feeling bad if the break affects the nail bed. For this particular reason alone currently most women are finding it very difficult to grow their nails as long as they want. One of the best ways to make this wish come true is to go for artificial nails like acrylics or gel nails. These artificial tips are applied on to the surface or over the already existing natural nails. They are the most resourceful artificial extension that were made specifically in order to stick and stay stuck firmly onto one's own natural and real nails.

One will never have the need to take off the gel nails and spend a large amount of money just for the treatment. These nails have a use time duration and they begin to detach themselves from one's own natural nails after that use time duration is over.

To have a better understanding about the different uv gel nails, you better check out this uv gel nails blog and be aware of the fastest growing profession in town.

Gel Nail Polish: How It Works

Gel nail polishes create a very sturdy protection compared to other polishes and hardly ever chip off. These new gel polishes are not exactly uv gel nails and not exactly nail polish, they are kind of a hybrid between the two. Shellac is one brand name and Geleration is another. Applying a gel polish properly requires using an ultraviolet or UV light to cure every single layer. These hybrid gel polishes are great to ease a client into the idea of uv gel and the benefits provided. If one wants to remove the polish, a polish remover is needed and one must soak it there for quite a few minutes in order to take it off. I believe this is one of the greatest draw backs of the gel polishes, but the benefits are many.

There are a few other disadvantages to gel nail polish. They are high-priced compared to a regular manicure, because the cost of the gel polish and the UV lamp have to be considered. They are not as sturdy as a full gel nail tip, or an acrylic for that matter. they do however last for 2 to 3 weeks without chipping. If your client gets tired of the color, they can also be painted over with regular polish. This really helps to offset the cost of the gel polish manicure, because a manicure is not needed as often. Sometimes, they do fail one's expectations. The application and removal should be done by professionals. One can do it on their own but be sure that one is full of the proper knowledge in applying gel polishes. When the nails split or break, they have the tendency to blow apart. Due to this, one cannot fix it alone. One will be forced to go to a salon and have it fixed there or replaced.

Just like any other artificial nails, most especially the acrylic nails, there is a peril and a chance to develop and catch a fungal infection after and during the application procedures. So, it is important to clean one's cuticles, and the nail bed. Better to use alcohol or disinfectant before the application of the artificial nails. Taking care of the nails is a must. As well as taking care of one's fake nails is extremely vital. Be sure to moisturize the cuticles once in a while and get the nails filed often. Proper maintenance is necessary.

There are also advantages in choosing gel nails from acrylic artificial nails. One of the considerable advantages of having gel nail polish is that they look just like the natural nails. Those gel nails appear to be thin and with a glossy look. The special glue used to let it stick onto the nails is absolutely odorless that's why it is safe for everyone.

To get some more insight into how gel polish works and to learn a little bit more about the different gel nail products that are out there, you should probably check out this gel nail blog and browse around a bit to be more aware of the fastest growing trend in the fashion industry.

3 Easy Tips on Buying Fake Nails

There are a lot of stores both online and in the "real world" that sell fake nails. You can get a ton of fake nail designs from anywhere and it is really cheap too, since a lot of fake nails are made in China and some developing countries.

A tip to buying when it comes to this kind of hobby is to buy in bulk or sets. By doing so you can save a lot on shipping and freight costs. For specific details make sure you always ask the retailer up front of these costs. And if you do buy in sets or bulk and you don't like the other designs just give them away or trade them. I'm sure your friends, family or even children would love to play with them.

Another thing you can do with unwanted fake nails is to strip away the paint that' comes with it. Strip it off with acetone or other paint remover, making sure you don't damage the fake nail structure then paint or even airbrush your own designs. This is actually a whole other hobby as you can actually sell your designs to a niche market. But this is beyond the scope and is best explained in a whole other post.

Going back to buying your nails, remember when buying these, they should come with adhesives included. You don't want to be so excited to get your fake nails and get your bubble burst when you can actually try and wear them on.

And that's basically it. I'm sure you can't wait to go buy your own sets of fake nails now and try 'em on. Just don't forget, go crazy and mix and match them!

Something New in Nail Art and Nail Care

Over the last couple of years the nail cosmetics industry has really evolved and grown in size and variety. The industry nail cosmetics has been around for ages, but during the last couple of years has really expanded into so much more than drugstore nail polish. There are now stores, sites, and blogs, devoted solely to nail art and nail design. Long gone are the days when the options were simply french manicures or plain manicures. There are many new, fun innovative products available on the market to enhance and decorate nails. Nail tattoos, stickers, crackle polish, tips and art pens are just a few. They give there users the ability to create beautiful forms of art on their nails! The world of nail art includes everything from Blogs, and a "How to video pages" which instructs viewers how to create their own designs, polish, nail art pens, trendy printed nail files, to nail tattoos. The market has really evolved into one which offers so much variety to its consumers. Women who prefer a more classic look still have that option, as well as women and younger girls who love trendy, fun and creative now have those options as well.

The industry of nail cosmetics is really becoming as versatile as many other sections of beauty and cosmetics like makeup and hair. More and more brands, products, and innovative services are emerging for women to choose from. It has become evident over the last couple of years just how much women are willing to spend in time and money to be unique, and try new innovative products and services. Women are willing to make a statement and express more of there personal styles through their choices.

After visiting some various nail art blogs, you see the showcased skills, creativity and art that is being demonstrated to massive amounts of subscribers who continue to tune in on a consistent basis. After viewing some of this art it is easy to see that this too can be viewed as a legitimate art form. With simple tools like nail polish and nail art pens you can create unique pieces of art all on your nails! Whether your style is more simple, or more unique and creative there is a design that you can create or choose that is a perfect reflection of your style! Which is why nail art, polish, accessories, or just great nails are quickly becoming the new must have accessory for women of all ages.

OPI Nail Polish

Get Salon Perfect Nails With OPI

There are women who love the salon for pampering. Usually they love the idea of having a beautiful nail color on their hands and feet. Unfortunately the colors get dull after a few days. This is probably the best one sold in the market. This is not only popular among celebrities but also to the international fashion world. The top that they give is the factor that makes the nails so shiny and strong. It is easy to find OPI nail polish. You can purchase them online or specialty stores in the mall.

You can find different colors that can fit every occasion. The top coats makes the polish last longer.

There is a Mexico collection that consists of rich hues like pink and red. Chicago collection is also made from pink, purple and red. If you are looking for summer color, they have brighter shades ranging from green, light blue, yellow, and more. This is probably the best polish that you can find if you are seeking luster and brilliance. Once you have tried the nail polish, you will never be disappointed. It is different compared to other nail polishes sold on the market.

The first thing is add the base coat then top coat. You don't have to worry about chipping and fading. Although this is a bit expensive compared to other polishes, it is worth the additional money. This company has been in business for about 25 years. Their nail polishes are popular because it has funny and unique name like I'm Not Really a Waitress, which is shade of red. It is hard to miss colors like No Autographs Please, Russian Navy and Hollywood Blonde. Other notable colors include Chicago Champagne Toast and Cosmo Not Tonight Honey that you can actually give to a friend.

The nail brush is very smooth and wide making it so easy to apply. Compared to other polish, it is very thick. Every bottle contains about half an ounce of polish. OPI Nail Lacquer is about $8. There are online stores where you have to pay for shipping charges so it is wise to purchase more. The company also has offer to its consumers. One is the blushing bride beauty kit which is perfect for brides. Just before the wedding, they can have manicure that can match the wedding theme.

Another package is the Nail Polish Art Wheel which is perfect for color scheming or plan. There is also the Brights Collection that contains vibrant and wonderful shades for toes and fingers. This is perfect for the summer. There are also Fireflies Paints which is available in nail salons. Celebrate the summer with nice looking nails. OPI is a three-free nail polish that doesn't contain DPB, Toluene, or Formaldehyde which has harmful effects in the body. The next time that you visit a salon, it is best to ask if they are using this nail polish. It is the best thing that you can do for your nails.

The Never Ending Appeal of the OPI Nail Polish

Manicures are cosmetic beauty treatments for the fingernails that are enjoyed by both sexes especially the ladies. A standard manicure procedure would include shaping the nail to its desired shape, filed, and then followed with a nail polish. When this treatment is applied to the feet, the process is called a pedicure. One of the most popular manicure applications is what is referred to as the French Manicure which is best applied using OPI Nail polish. Other methods of manicure include applying treatment, nail painting or nail art, or even sticking long artificial nails on short natural nails.

Basically, the purpose for which manicures are done is to keep the hands and nails in good and healthy condition, not to mention making it look neat and clean. It can also help prevent the formation of odd shaped nails especially when they grow long. Also, nail damage is prevented with the application of nail care treatments. The same purposes also apply to pedicures.

The growing number of women who love going to the salons to have their nails done caused the growth of the nail polish industry. There are lots of nail polishes in the market today, all carrying various shades of colors. They may all seem the same but the difference lies in the quality of the lacquer used in making it and coloring the nails.

If you will notice, nail polishes that are of low quality easily chip only within a few hours after application. One brand however, has stood out. OPI nail polish is one of the best nail polish brands. Lots of celebrities and supermodels have attested to OPI being long lasting while at the same time giving your nails a nice smooth and shiny color. Its luster and brilliance makes it one nail polish worth investing on as well as having. Furthermore, the brand does not use any harmful chemicals that could irritate the skin such as formaldehyde or DPB.

Another qualifying factor that makes the OPI popular is because of its nail brush. Unlike other brushes that flake or lose their threads, the OPI brush is sleek. It has the right kind of ergonomic shape that will be enough to give your nail only one sweep of color, thereby giving you value for your money. This is because you will not need to keep dipping it in the pot of lacquer over and over.

OPI probably has one of the most numbers of colors to choose from and that can fit any occasion. Its popular Mexico collection is full of red and pinks. The Chicago collection has purple, pink and red colors. The summer variety has all vibrant and bright colors. The brand also carries some fancy and eye-catching names such as the Russian Navy, the Hollywood Blonde, the Cosmo Not Tonight Honey, to name a few.

The OPI nail is known to be expensive when compared to all the other kinds of nail polishes out there. However, due to its guarantee of providing a long lasting wear, it is worth the investment.