Nail Art

Nail art on one short French manicured nail. Many manicures with nail art are on long nails (more nail length gives you more canvas to paint on), and each nail has art affixed to or painted on it. But this photo of bridal nails shows you that could can wear nail art on short nails, and keep it simple with just one enhanced nail. Good place to start if you're new to nail art. You can experiment with one nail before you get a full set of decorated fingernails.

Round pink nail tips with a silver glitter line and small flower stickers. This type of line at the end of the nail bed is a popular alternative French Manicure style. It is also fairly easy to do yourself because you can do it freehand without a guide. Nail art stickers in a lot of nail art designs are applied to each nail but alternating fingernails looks fine, too.

Perfect French pedicure

Isn't it time you treated yourself to a spa visit that leaves you with immaculate toenails? This foot model has perfectly manicured toenails for a very healthy clean look. Her cuticles were professionally removed and beautifully rounded. Her toenails were painted with a soft light pink polish and modestly decorated with thin pretty white tips. It is a very simple style but it looks so nice. This new pedicure is a perfect summer beauty idea.

Q. Where can I find a nail art salon?

A. If you usually do your own nails, or get basic manicures in one block color, you may be surprised to know the vast majority of nail salons in America offer nail art. According to poll results in an industry magazine, in fact, nail technicians in 92.2% of salons can enhance your nails (Nails mag, March 2007). Call ahead or check nail salon websites to see if art is included in their list of available services. Be specific in your inquiries.

More specific survey results showed a wide range in the types of nail art available. Over 75% of salons say they can do mixed media, but only 15.7% of manicurists are skilled in free-hand airbrushing. That number drops in half if you want photos on your nails. Fortunately, though, 68.3% offer one of the most popular nail art looks: custom French manicures.

Bride wearing gold nail art over
French Manicure with 3D flower

Brides getting married this summer may like to enhance the classic wedding look of French nails with a little nail art design. You can dress up one fingernail with 3D nail art and lightly paint it and your other nails. Wearing a gold wedding ring? How about a light dusting of gold on your French Manicure? Try something old (French) with something new (art).

Diagonal French wedding manicure
with gold glitter and one rhinestone

Nail Tools

Kupa Inc. makes electric nail files which are very powerful. The speed can be adjusted by a dial from slow to super fast and the direction switched from forward to backward.

They are best used by trained manicure professionals and only on acrylic or gel nails beyond the nail bed. Otherwise cuticles can be nicked or too much filing on the nail bed can damage it. (It's not easy to see how thin a nail is especially when there's acrylic dust flying around.)

Some salons won't even let their technicians use electric files because of the risks. Very good pros don't need to use them because appropriate application of gels, etc., greatly reduces the need for filing. Use of a regular nail file with optimal grit can save a lot of time and produce a perfect finish.

Clear Top Coat

After going to the trouble of getting a special manicure with art, you will want to protect it. Seche Vite is tough stuff! It must be one of the toughest top coats anywhere. In fact when it dries it has similar durability to nail gel! You can even file it the same way you can file gel. But it is beautifully self leveling, so no filing should be necessary.

Seche Vite gets much thicker with time (over a year), and can even get a bit "stringy" like old glue. Yet the price is fair and the plus side of the extra thickness with age is additional durability. If you usually apply one coat of Seche Vite for a standard manicure, apply two coats on a nail art manicure which is typically more difficult to "touch up" if it chips.

Chocolates with metallic red wrapping. This set shows you the art of matching nail colors with your environment.