yes, they're fake . . .

I have been biting my nails for as long as I can remember.

It's a horrible habit that I've always hated and been embarrassed about, however I've never been able to quit.  My way of getting around it for a long time has been doing my own artificial nails.  I used to get my nails done in high school at a nail salon but with how badly I bite them, the nail techs always made my cuticles bleed and I would leave in pretty immense pain.  After taking cosmetology in high school and being taught to apply acrylic nails, I decided I was fully capable of doing my own nails.  Acrylic isn't really something that you can easily do to yourself with your non-dominant hand so I decided to go the "glue and go" route.  I believe I've mastered this application after so many years so trying to explain it in detail is weird because I just do it all on auto-pilot.

Most people who meet me think my nails are my own and are shocked to hear that they're fake.  I'm constantly being asked if I just got my nails done and I'm always super honest and admit that they're fakes that I did at home.  I've gotten quite a few people in my personal life to give it a try including my Mom.  She finally stopped going to get her nails done at a salon after getting a fungus and has been doing these on and off, when she needs pretty nails for an occasion.

I, however, wear them pretty much everyday of my life.  I hate being seen without "nails" and when one comes off I immediately glue it back on.  When it's time to re-do them, I try my hardest to get them painted and applied as quickly as I can since I know I'll bite my nails in the meantime.

This would be the reason that after all these years I still have nasty, short nails.  They never grow enough in between sets for me to leave them alone and think that I've finally getting somewhere with my own nails.

So until the day when I finally stop biting my nails, I will continue to use this technique to have pretty, presentable nails.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Supplies: nails, glue, polish, nail clippers, emery board

my favorite nail kit is this one from Kiss in short square and my glue of preference is Nailene Ultra Quick
I keep the Kiss glue on hand in case I run out of the Nailene brand but hardly use it because I feel like the Nailene brand holds better - personal preferences

Step one: Sort through each size and find the right fit for each finger

I knew I was changing my nails so I had fun with my two new Zoya polishes the night before I took these photos

Step two: hold each nail by the tip and paint polish from tip to cuticle end

Step three: After each nail is painted, let dry.  Paint additional coats if needed, let dry.

*One of the most important things I can tell you is to step back and let the polish fully dry.  I will usually paint the nails right before bed, go to sleep then wake up in the morning and finish the remaining steps.  The reason this is so important is because you will be applying pressure to these nails after polishing and if they aren't dry enough then you will have fingerprints or smudges. 

Step four: Apply one to two drops of glue near the cuticle end of the nail and apply them immediately to your nail.  Use pressure to release any bubbles that may form in the glue.  Hold for a few seconds then repeat with each additional nail

*Another important tip is not to apply too much glue; a little goes farther than you think.  If you apply too much then you run the chance of having excess seep out from underneath the nail and the possibility of it getting on your other fingers, them getting stuck or glue getting everywhere.  Peeling nail glue off your fingers is not really fun so use the glue sparingly.

Step five: Once each nail is set with glue, clip them to your desired length.

Step six: File each nail to finish the edges

And there you go!

This is how I do my nails almost every week.  I can go longer than one week but sometimes I get tired of the polish I'm wearing and want to apply a fresh set.  I am known to change just my polish during the week and I have a very steady left (non-dominant) hand so I do that pretty often as well so that one kit of nails lasts me longer.  I do buy this french nail kit when I need natural looking nails and apply them the same way sans polish.  I used those exact french nails for my bridal portraits and my wedding.

One of these kits has 100 nails and not all of them fit my fingers, so some go unused.  Those are the ones that I test new polishes on before using them and try out new looks.  I like to see what colors look best with which glitters this way before I commit to actually doing them on the nails I apply.

I hope this answers any and all questions I've gotten ever since I first told everyone that I wore fake nails.  I really just apply these without much thought so I may have missed something that you have a question about.

Let me know if you try it and how you like it!