Your Nail Salon/Manicure Routine

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Cloak

Cloak

VIP Member
I very occasionally, like 3x a year, have gel manicures, but I'm a huge cuticle and nail biter and I always have to apologise at the salon for the dreadful condition my nails and fingers are in. I just can't seem to stop biting the skin around my nails, have done it forever. My nails always break.

I recently had a set of acrylics, which I LOVE and it's amazing to finally have decent nails that have stayed intact for close to three weeks.

My question, though, is — why do I feel guilty about spending money on nails? Does anyone else have this? For some reason, dropping 30 quid on a meal out doesn't seem bad but regularly spending £30-£40 at the salon feels kinda frivolous and irresponsible.

What's your routine for keeping nails looking good, do you go to the salon all the time or maintain them yourself? Interested to hear!
 
I'm a nail addict. I get mine done every 2-3 weeks and have basically done this for maybe 10 years. I can look hideous in every way but still feel fab if I have nice nails.

My current routine is acrylics with gel on top. I really am not bothered with what my nails are like underneath. If I ever remove them then I keep them short and by the time they have fully grown out they are strong again (did this over Covid).

I change it up a lot in terms of length and shape. Currently mine are short, round and baby blue. I also go through phases with liking bright colours vs neutrals/nudes.

I'm not a fan of design on the nails though unless it's really subtle
 
yankydoo said:
I'm a nail addict. I get mine done every 2-3 weeks and have basically done this for maybe 10 years. I can look hideous in every way but still feel fab if I have nice nails.

My current routine is acrylics with gel on top. I really am not bothered with what my nails are like underneath. If I ever remove them then I keep them short and by the time they have fully grown out they are strong again (did this over Covid).
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I love the idea of doing this. I think I might need to accept that my forté isn't DIY nails, and because of my tendency to damage my cuticles, I need to embrace a salon visit once a month as a medical requirement 😂

But yeah, I totally feel the same about feeling good when your nails are good. It's one less thing to worry about and it does just make you feel generally more polished and put together.
 
I used to have acrylics with gels on and went every 3 weeks.

Over lockdown I started using my own gels at home and now gel them every 2 weeks. They are generally quite long and I chop and change between short and long every few weeks as my nails grow fast.

I have just taken my gels off for the first time in months to let my nails breath and will go back to the in a few weeks.

I push my cuticles back nearly every day and when I do my gels I trim them, I use cuticle oil and hand cream every day too.
 
Cloak said:
@JoeBloggs What kind of gel kit do you have? Is it hard to master?
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I just have an LED lamp I got off amazon for about £15. You'll also need some wipes and I do like the nail foils for getting it off.

I would say that premium gels are better, I use either OPI or Mylee base and top and then I use the Shelac Luxe Gels as they take hardly any time to remove. No easy to buy now but I get them on ebay.

My first two or so attempts were average but I would say I am quite good now. You need to prep your nails well, I have oily skin so I use a dehydrating set and primer which is great. Do not wash your hand with soap before applying and when removing I have an electric nail file with attachments which is ancient but it works a treat.

I would say take you time, it takes me about an hour to do mine. Do not rush and try to go thinly on your nails, also capping is a must. For me it was all about trial an error, I gave up when I first got the lamp because they peeled but I now put that down to oily nails and cheap gels.
 
I have BIAB (build in a bottle - not as thick as acrylic but stronger than just shellac) every 2 weeks. I can’t bare not having my nails done. It’s £25 a time. Tried doing my own shellac in lockdown and although I did it well, I just prefer the salon experience.
Never feel guilty, if it’s what you want then why not? You’re not harming anyone.
Also, I could get three weeks out of them but I hate when you can see growth
 
I do my own gels. I bought a kit from Amazon but any led light over 36 watts is good. I always used polish before but was seduced by the high shine of gels. I take them off every fortnight with a gel remover liquid. Other than that I don't really do anything to maintain my nails but it does stop me from biting the skin around them as much as I used to
 
I do my own gel and BIAB at home. I actually did a gel nail 1 day course so I’m qualified to do gel varnish but it’s easy to do at home. There’s loads of YouTube videos and even Instagram videos these days too. When I got mine done though I didn’t mind the cost, I feel hideous with ugly hands tbh so it’s worth it. Plus you think about it nails are generally the cheapest treatment compared to stuff like hair colouring, lashes, facials etc.
 
I get acrylics every 3 weeks and then gel on top. I have quite small stumpy hands and always feel like they are more ladylike when I get them done. Over lockdown I bought the full kit and learnt to do them myself however it isn't the same so I just use the kit for an emergency, if one breaks or something like that. I love getting my nails done.
 
I had acrylics for 5 months but couldn’t justify the price and the length it took for them to be re-done every couple of weeks. They also got too long too quickly so I stopped and now only occasionally will get gel for special occasions like a vacation or holiday.
If you can afford to spend that amount and it makes you feel good definitely keep them though!
 
I have practically a salon’s-worth of nail equipments, tools and materials at home! My method of choice is gel polish (and I just did a lovely French tip just yesterday actually) but I also have poly gel, acrylic, ready made gel nails (Kiara Sky), builder gel. I also do my own pedicures, but (for me) nothing beats getting that done at a salon.

I went a little OTT during lockdown and purchased loads of colors and glitters and all that, but when it comes down to it I always prefer French tip, I just never get bored of it!
 
I get hard gels done every 3 weeks for £32 and I love it! Makes me feel glamorous (as a kid I was desperate for long nails but wasn’t allowed them). I love going and having an hour to myself with no looking at my phone.
 
Does anyone know of good press on nail companies? I’ve really wanted to get nails delivered to me and get good at putting them on xx
 
I work for a gel polish brand so get cheap products and do my own, although they are never as good as going to a professional!

I get acrylics when I'm going on holiday or for special occasions :)
 
Do most nail salons accept men? I have only had my nails tidied up once in a nail salon but they looked at me like I had two heads. So I feel awkward going in but my nails and cuticles really could do with some tidying.
 
I only get acrylics done for special occasions like holiday or graduation or sometimes a special birthday. I don’t have the money to get mine done regularly unfortunately.

I do my own nails just with polish and a topper. I have lots of colours and glitter toppers, as well as a clear coat. Of course they don’t always last that long so I try and make it a weekly thing for me to sit and paint my nails (usually a Sunday) as a bit of self care.
 
RalphEBeans said:
Do most nail salons accept men? I have only had my nails tidied up once in a nail salon but they looked at me like I had two heads. So I feel awkward going in but my nails and cuticles really could do with some tidying.
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I see men in my nail salon a lot. Sorry you got stared at! Just ignore them all. I think it's great for a man to look after his nails
 
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