Being a college student can be hectic, leaving us with very little time to pamper ourselves. Having time to get our nails done may seem impossible because it can take up a lot of our time during the day and it can get kind of pricey, especially if you are on a budget. Also, if you do not have a car in college, it’s even harder to coordinate going with friends or riding the bus. However, you can get around these obstacles by using these tricks to do your own nails at home by saving time by not having to go to nail salons and staying within your budget. What kind of nails you are going for will determine what products will be the best for you when trying to do your nails from home.
Nail polish
If you are just looking to paint your own nails with regular nail polish, there are plenty of nail polish brands that have pretty colors that are long lasting. Some are pricier than others, so the amount of money you want to spend and the kind of color that you want will determine what nail polish will be a perfect match for you. O.P.I. is a well-known nail polish brand that has gorgeous colors and is used at a lot of nails salons because it is long-lasting. If you’re looking for a pretty color, but also something that would fit more within a budget, I would suggest Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish. This nail polish also has a variety of pretty colors, but it is cheaper.
Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish ($1.99 at Target)
O.P.I. Nail Lacquer ($8.69 at Target)
Gel nail kit
The gel nail kit takes a little bit more effort and is pricier than just painting your nails with regular nail polish, but gel nail polish usually lasts longer. It also is cheaper than constantly having to go to the nail salon to get gel manicures. If you learn how to use this kit, it will definitely save you time and money that you spend on nails. You can buy the full kit at places like Target and there are also some sold on Amazon.
Sensational Polish to Gel Transformer Kit ($25.49 at Target)
Press-on nails
This is probably the easiest method for doing your nails at home. There are press-on nails that you can buy that already have glue applied to them and are already painted. All you have to do is find what kind of color or design that you want. You can choose from a variety of colors, as well as nails with fun designs. This can be on the pricier side if you change up your nails a lot, but it definitely is less time and money spent on nails if you usually go to a nail salon.
KISS imPRESS Gel Manicure ($7.99 at CVS)
Glue-on nails with color
Glue-on nails are pretty similar to press-on nails, however, there is one extra step, which is you have to apply glue to the nails in order to keep them to stay in place. Even though there is an extra step to this method, the glue usually lasts longer than the press-on nails. This will allow you to get more wear out of these nails. There is usually glue sold in the package when you buy glue-on nails, so you don’t have to worry about buying an extra item.
One trick to using glue-on nails if you want them to stay on for longer periods of time would be to buy a separate nail glue from the one sold in the package. If you are willing to spend this extra money on the glue, your nails will most likely last longer.
KISS Glam Fantasy Special FX Nails ($8.99 at CVS)
KISS Maximum Speed Nail Glue ($3.19 at CVS)
Glue-on nails without color
The press-on and glue-on nails usually have colors and designs to them. However, if you want to design your own nails, but want to add extensions to your nails to make them look like acrylic nails, you can buy glue-on nails without color. You can buy a pack of 100 nails that resemble acrylics with glue included in the package if this is the kind of nails you are trying to do. There are also different lengths that you can choose from to find the perfect nail style for you. This allows for you to be able to design your own nails at home that resemble acrylics without having to pay the expensive prices to get acrylics at a nail salon.
KISS 100 Nails ($8.59 at CVS)
You should definitely try these great tricks if you are looking to do your own nails at home! Your wallet will thank you for this DIY project.