Some of the ladies of Ladies and Gentlemen Salon and Spa visited the Mentor Public Library Thursday to offer some nail arts tips and tricks to our patrons.
Here is some of the advice they shared. (Some of these techniques and ideas are illustrated in the photos attached to this blog.)
1. Always try to use a base coat before polishing your nails. This prevents them from yellowing.
2. Never pull at or tear hangnails. Use nail clippers instead.
3. Are you a nail biter and can't seem to break the habit? Always keep a coat of polish on your nails. That will make you less likely to take a bite.
4. Just like with any other beauty treatment -- so much of nail art is taking care of your body (in this instance, your nails and hands, specifically.) Try to keep your hands moisturized to prevent them from looking dry and cracked.
5. Along the same lines as Tip 4, keep the underneath of your nails clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and germs.
Additionally, here are instructions on how to do a few of the cool and unique tricks the nail technicians demonstrated Thursday.
Polka Dot Nails
1. First, prepare your nails by cleaning them off. Then paint each nail with a base coat and one to two coats of nail polish.
2. Once your nails are dry, take the flat end of a lip gloss applicator (the end without foam) and lightly dip it in the polish. You only need a small amount of polish on the applicator. (If you don't have an applicator, other circular objects can be substituted.)
3. Next, take the applicator and dab it on your nail to create polka dots. Dot as many circles on your nails as you want. (Pretty much everything in nail art comes down to lines and dots. The more you practice both, the better and more elaborate designs you'll be able to create.)
4. Allow your dots to dry.
5. Apply a top coat to your nails to prevent them from chipping.
Newspaper Nails
1. Once again, apply a base coat and one to two coats of polish.
2. Allow the nails to dry. Then, pour some rubbing alcohol into a small cup.
3. Once your nails are dry, dip them into the small cup.
4. Place the newspaper (or comic book, print book or any other type of paper that has ink on it) on to your nail. Be sure that the nail is still wet with alcohol.
5. Lightly press on the nail to make sure that the ink transfers on to it.
6. After about a minute, peel back the corner of the paper to see if the ink is on your nail. If so, you can remove the paper.
7. Finish your nail design with a layer of clear topcoat.
Thank you to both Ladies and Gentleman Salon and Spa and all the patrons who came to the program Thursday. For more information on events and programs at the Mentor Public Library, visitwww.mentorpl.org.