Now for the fun part: If I’m not doing a solid color, I plan out my accent nail(s) accordingly and start with my left hand (I’m right-handed), beginning with the pinkies and working my way to the thumb. Doing it in this order helps avoid sticking nails together since the strips are longer than my natural length. After making sure each strip is evenly adhered, it’s time to finesse the shape. I like to follow a general rule of clipping 90% of the excess length and filing 10%, using downward strokes across the free edge to help it seal. I used my trusty SUNUV UV3 lamp and cured my nails for two minutes. (I tried 60 seconds for the first time and it wasn’t enough.) Repeat the same steps on your other hand, and voilà, your mani is done!Now this last step is optional, but I highly recommend sealing your work with a gel top coat (I use this one from Amazon) for that hyper-glossy shine and extra protection against wear and tear. To give you a peek behind the curtain, I did this mani on Wednesday, I’m writing this article on a Monday, and my nails still look perfect. As in, not-a-single-chip perfect. And mind you, I’m gearing up for a cross-country move and spent the weekend packing boxes and cleaning every inch of my apartment. I did dishes, laundry, cooked, worked out… and they’ve held up impressively well. If that’s not a stress test, I’m not sure what is.
