Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

One of my favourite things is to do my nails. Be it simply painting them or full-on making them with polygel, I adore doing my nails. It’s a hobby I picked up near the beginning of quarantine, and I’m still playing around with various methods.

I’d always been interested in doing my nails but getting them done professionally was too expensive and I worried about not knowing what to ask for. Besides, if you can do something yourself, why not try it?

I started with gel nails. They only required a few extra materials, like a UV lamp and the actual polish, so it wouldn’t be much more difficult than regular nail polish. I would later try dip nails, which had a steeper learning curve and were a lot messier. I got dip powder everywhere. My most recent adventure is polygel, which is probably the hardest as I have to actually sculpt a fake nail. My attempts have been wonky at best but immensely satisfying.

Of course, my experiences are only my own and others may simply shrug them off as something I do. So, why should you do your own nails?

It’s cheaper in the long run.

Similar to most things, there’s going to be a base cost for materials. Luckily, the cost can be fairly low and after doing your own nails a few times, you’ve all but have made up for it. Most gel kits that include everything you need range from $50 to $70, while polygel can be as low as $40. These kits last a while and will ultimately be cheaper than getting your nails professionally done the more you use them.

It’s fun and a good way to pamper yourself.

You can give yourself the spa treatment at home whenever you want. Feeling a little down? Time to do your nails! It’s a great form of self-care and as long as you don’t stress too much about being perfect, it’s incredibly relaxing.

You have full control.

You get to decide the exact colour and type of nails you do. Your only constrictions are your supplies, which you can easily find more of. If there’s a specific colour you like, it’s on you to make sure you have it. If you like a specific finish, you don’t have to worry about asking for it and potentially miscommunicating, instead you have full control.

It’s COVID friendly.

Nail places are closed with the current lockdown, so doing your nails at home is the next best option.

Ultimately, I’m a little biased when it comes to doing your nails at home. I like having full control and I feel awkward in actual nail salons. For me, it’s a no-brainer to do them myself. But, if you’re ever on the fence about it, you should give it a try. Learning a new skill is always great and who knows, you just might like it better.

Kathryn Morton

Wilfrid Laurier '24

Kathryn is a third year language student who spent her first year stumbling through Laurier's financial mathematics program before ultimately changing her major. Yes, she's aware those two have no overlap, we don't talk about that. This is her third year writing for Her Campus Laurier.
Chelsea Bradley

Wilfrid Laurier '21

Chelsea finished her undergrad with a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Criminology. She loves dogs way too much and has an unhealthy obsession with notebooks and sushi. You can find her quoting memes and listening to throwbacks in her spare - okay basically all - her time. She joined Her Campus in the Fall of 2019 as an editor, acted as one of two senior editors for the Winter 2020 semester and worked alongside Rebecca as one of the Campus Correspondents for the 2020-2021 year!