This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at GWU chapter.
I spent so long going to different nail salons and inevitably spending at least $60 plus tip on acrylics every couple of weeks. I was always too nervous to get the designs I really wanted and when I finally did build up the courage to ask for them, the outcome was never quite what I was looking for. Plus the cost!! What college student has that much money lying around?! I finally came to the conclusion that I could teach myself how to do my own nails and finally get the results I was looking for. Here are my top three easy (and cheap) ways to do your nails at home:
- Press-On-Nails
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- These are by far the easiest nails to do by yourself. Several brands make them but my favorites have always been Kiss Nails. They have a huge selection of designs, colors, and lengths for all occasions! Press on nails come with a little nail file, glue, and the nails and they only take 10 minutes to do. Just filing your nails, cleaning them with acetone, and gluing on the nails result in the perfect manicure.
- Press-on nails cost around $6-$10 per set.
- These nails stay on for about 1 week.
- Gel Tips
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- Gel tips take a little bit more effort than the press on nails, but they give you so much freedom with designs and colors! Gel tips are clear plastic nails (similar to press on) that you apply with poly gel and cure under a UV light. Then, you’re able to file and shape these nails how you wish and then paint them like your natural nails! I love to use gel nail polish for these because it’s super convenient to have dry nails as soon as you’re done, but anything works! Everything you need for these can be found on Amazon (a brand called Beetles sells everything you need in one kit!) and there are some great Tiktoks and youtube videos to learn how to apply them!
- The starter cost is around $20 but provides enough product for about 25 sets of nails.
- These nails last around 2 weeks.
- Poly Gel Nails
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- Poly gel nails are similar to the gel tips, however, instead of curing a plastic preformed nail on, you build one out of poly gel (which is like a thicker version of gel nail polish). To do this, you use nail forms to build up layers of poly gel and then cure this onto your nails with a UV light. After you’ve cured the poly gel nail, you can file, shape, and paint as usual. These nails are probably the most challenging to master, but they give complete freedom on length and shape! The other benefit of poly gel nails is that you can fill them in yourself, as opposed to gel tips and press ons. Everything for these nails can also be purchased on Amazon!
- The starter cost is around $40 but provides enough product for about 25 sets of nails.
- These nails last around 2 weeks before needing a fill.