For flawless nail polish application, follow our 13 step process. Your nails will look like you visited a nail salon.

Step 1. Roll it

Always thoroughly toll the polish bottle between your palms a few minutes prior to each use. 

Step 2. Base Coat

Apply a base coat to all 10 nails. 

Begin by painting inward starting from your pinky and ending at your thumb for each hand.

A base coat will help anchor the nail colour to your nails making your manicure last longer. 

Step 3. Less is more

Roll your polish between your palms to mix the colour. 

As you draw out the brush from the nail polish, remove excess polish by wiping one side of the brush against the rim/neck of the bottle.

Working with less helps the polish go on more evenly and there will be less mess to clean up around the nail later.

Step 4. Light Even Strokes

With a semi-loaded brush, cap the very edge of your nail followed by apply a light stroke from the top to the tip in the centre of the nail. 

Without re-dipping your brush, apply a light stroke down the left side of the nail and then apply a light stroke down the right side of the nail. 

Then repaint lightly down the centre of the nail to smooth the painted surface.

Step 5. Paint for full coverage

Dip the brush back into the bottle and wipe the excess polish on the rim of the bottle then repeat the process for all nails with even full coverage.

Step 6. Re-Shake 

Close the bottle and give the polish another good shake and wait 5 minutes for polish to settle.

Step 7. First coat on second hand

Repeat the entire process for the other hand. Wait 5 minutes for the first coat to be touch dry.

Step 8. Second coat on second hand

Repeat the entire polish process for the second coat, applying to all 5 nails. Wait 5 minutes for colour to be touch dry.

Step 9. Apply Top Coat

To help protect the colour during every day wear we recommend applying a quick drying Top Coat in the same manner to all 10 nails. 

Don’t forget to cap the nail edges.

Step 10. Wait 20 minutes

For every coat applied to your nails you let them air dry for 5 minutes between coats. 

Wait a minimum of 20 minutes before you go about your day.

Step 11. Clean Up

Once your polish is dry, take a Dual Cosmetic Cotton Tip dipped in polish remover to clean up any excess nail polish that was left on your skin.

Step 12. Apply Cuticle Oil

Once your nails are completely dry, apply a drop of cuticle oil to each finger and gently massage in to your cuticles. 

Cuticle oil is a necessary step in nail care especially now that regular use of hand sanitiser is drying them out.

Step 13. Reapply Top Coat Weekly

To keep your polish looking salon perfect reapply a layer of Top Coat once a week. This will keep them looking shiny and prevent the colour from wearing.

You can choose your nail colour to express your mood, stand out in a crowd or match your outfit. 

Whether you go for a bright red, glitter or a nearly nude polish, different shades can pose different kinds of problems. 

Check out some of our professional secrets.

If Nude shades are your preference

• When applying nude nail colours always apply an opaque base coat in a neutral beige-pink that is close to your own natural nail colour.

• To make sheer nude polishes streak proof, wait until the first coat is totally dry before applying the second coat.

If your nails are turning yellow

• Keep dark colours from staining your own nails by always applying a base coat prior to polish application.

• Try alternating between a dark and light colour each time you repaint your nails – variety is the spice of life.

If your polish chips after a few days

• Always apply a top coat over your nail polish to help prevent colour chipping remember to cap the edge of each nail.

• If you’ve chipped your polish after it’s dry and don’t have time to repaint, try putting a little polish remover on your fingertip and run your fingertip around the chip. This will help soften the polish around the chipped edges. 

• Put a drop of polish directly on the chip; allow the drop to dry, then polish over the entire nail, then add one coat of top coat.

• Once dry, the chip should be less visible, if not invisible.

If your nail polish is too thick

As nail polish gets older it gets thicker. 

Old nail polish will not paint on smoothly nor will it dry evenly if its too thick.

A variety of reasons will cause your polish to thicken over time…

• Humidity: storing polishes in your bathroom is a no no. Store them in a cool, dry place away from heat or direct light.

• The neck of the bottle has some crusty dried polish around it not allowing the lid to seal properly. Regularly clean the neck of your polish bottles.

• Not storing your polishes in an upright position may cause the polish to get into the lid and cause clumps in the formula.

• Never shake the bottle, this will cause air bubbles which can in turn thicken the formula before its time.

• Always roll your nail polish bottle between your palms to thoroughly mix the polish before you apply it.

• If its a favourite colour and used often as the polish get half empty containing more air so the polish thickens.

• To bring your favourite colour back to life, add 2-3 drops of polish thinner to the bottle (do not use polish remover as this will change the colour and consistency of the polish).

• Shake well and then leave aside for 1 hours for the bubbles to settle.

Roll bottle between your palms prior to polish application.

If glitter polishes are your favourite

• Always apply a base coat and at least 1 coat of another colour prior to glitter polish application as the glitter will stick to the first coat of polish and not your nails making it easier to remove when you need to.

If your nail polish is full of bubbles

• Stop air bubbles by starting with oil-free nails.

•Apply an oil-free cleanser and clean carefully around your cuticles with a nail brush or old toothbrush.

• Shaking your polish too vigorously will cause bubbles and that will cause your polish to chip so roll your polish bottles between your palms instead.

If you smudge your nail polish whilst its drying

• Smooth wet smudges down with a fingertip dobbed in polish remover and gently pat the smudge until smooth, then apply another coat of colour over the area which should paint on smoothly eliminating the smudge.

Always use Acetone-free polish remover

• Acetone-free nail polish remover isn’t just for acrylic nails. It is excellent for natural nails as it won’t dehydrate your nails causing peeling and breakage.

To help stimulate nail growth

• Your naked nails can benefit from a weekly exfoliation with the same scrub you use on your hands, which will smooth the surface and encourage regeneration of new cell growth. 

Dead cells often accumulate around the base of the nail, so concentrate your efforts there, but obviously on unpolished nails.

In order to maintain your Nail Enhancements for long-term wear ability, please read and follow these simple guidelines:

How often do I need to have my nails refilled?

Once your new set has been applied Refills should be done every 3-4 weeks (depending on your natural nail growth) which is usually 1/8 of an inch per month.

What about the growth in between Refills?

• A regular Buff and Polish in between visits (done at home yourself or by your nail technician) is recommended to help maintain the look of your nails, as this will increase the life of your acrylic nails.

• If nails become too long repetitive or severe pressure on the nail extension can lead to cracks that will eventually result in a breakage. It is highly recommended that the nail length be shortened on a semi-regular basis.

How do I keep my cuticles looking neat and tidy?

Your cuticle is there for a reason; it’s the skin barrier that prevents bacteria from entering your body.

• Applying a Cuticle Cream on a regular basis will keep cuticles from becoming overgrown and suffocating future nail growth.

• Rubbing CND Solar Oil once a day into cuticles and over the nails is recommended to keep cuticles healthy and help maintain acrylic flexibility. If the acrylic becomes brittle it will crack and eventually break.

Now that my nails look good, how do I keep my hands looking nice?

• Using a gentle hand exfoliant twice a week will remove any dry, dead skin cells and give your hands a youthful appearance then apply hand cream to Moisturise! Moisturise! Moisturise!

Moisturising your hands and nails every day with a hand cream is important to maintaining soft, younger-looking hands!

• For intense hydration you may wish to treat your hands (or feet) to a Paraffin Treatment a perfect addition to your next Manicure or Pedicure.

How often should I change my nail polish?

• Nail polish will not peel or chip off acrylic as it does on natural nails.

It is advisable not to change your nail polish more than once a week, using a Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover.

• Using Polish Remover too often will weaken the bonding of the acrylic and may result in service breakdown.

When I paint my nails at home, how do I keep my polish looking Salon perfect?

In order to keep your polish looking as good as the day it was applied, it is highly recommended that you use a Base Coat before you apply your colour and finish with a coat of Top Coat when you apply nail colour.

• Base Coat should always be applied to the nail before applying nail polish as this will protect the acrylic from discolouration.

• To keep your nail polish shiny, apply one coat of Top Coat each week between salon visits.

Not only will your nail polish be shiny, but it will also help prevent the ends of the polish from wearing away.

What else do I need to know about taking care of my Acrylic Nails?

• It is recommended to wear rubber gloves when performing household chores, gardening and especially when using harmful detergents such as Exit Mould, Domestos, White King and household bleaches. 

Most cleaning solutions contain chemicals that will affect the acrylic bonding and eventually result in service breakdown.

• Nails that are too long for your lifestyle may result in service breakdown. If your nails become too long between appointments, shorten the length with a 150 grit nail file.

• Some medications, antibiotics and Anaesthetics may result in the acrylic lifting from your own nails. Please advise your nail technician if you are on medication so extra precautions can be taken during your Acrylic Refill.

• If your natural nails (underneath) become discoloured due to the use of make-up (foundation) or handling foods such as mushrooms, pumpkin or carrots, the use of an old toothbrush and some toothpaste will bleach them back to white in a matter of minutes!

Try bleaching your nails once or twice a month. Toothpaste is gentle enough to use on both natural nails and acrylic nails.

Here is a quick guide to some of the common types of natural nail problems and how to avoid them with a little common sense and a bit of TLC!

Brittle Nails

Brittle nails can be caused by sun exposure, a poor diet or dehydration.

• Avoid the use of Nail Polishes and Hardeners containing Formaldehyde, not only causes numerous health problems, but has a drying and damaging effect on your nails.

• The B-vitamin biotin has been shown to help weak, brittle nails.

• Try using a nail strengthener such as Revitanail or CND Rescue Rxx (available in-salon). 

Also apply a small amount of CND Solar Oil (available in-salon) daily into the nail plate will keep natural nails hydrated.

• Consider having regular Paraffin Treatments for intense hydration.

Hangnails

The cuticle around your nail is like the grout around your bathtub so picking at your cuticles is a definite no no!

It prevents water from seeping in and is an important protective structure. 

If your cuticles are out of control don’t pick and tear at them, instead book in to have a Manicure and get a professional to properly treat your overgrown cuticles.

Nail Ridges

Ridges on the nail are unfortunately, mostly genetic. Though you can’t change heredity, you can smooth the ridged surface with a buffing block or by applying ridge filler before applying nail polish.

• Ridges may also be caused by dehydration so be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water each day! More in the hot weather or if you are physically active.

• When grooming your nails, always be gentle with them. Applying too much pressure during filing may damage the nail, resulting in further ridges.

If you don’t like the ridges in your nails RidgeFx™ will instantly make your natural nails look and feel smoother.

Weak Nails

If you have weak nails, avoid overexposure to water.

Constantly submerging your nails in water can, paradoxically, dry out your nails so try to wear gloves where possible.

• Weak, bendable nails can be a sign of Silica deficiency. Best sources of Silica are peppers, cucumbers and bean sprouts.

You can also invest in a Hair, Skin Nails formula from your local Health Food Shop.

• File your nails gently. Sawing your nails back and forth with a nail file causes damage to the nails.

When you’re shaping, only file in one direction and don’t use too much pressure.

• Weak nails require extra TLC, we recommend using a strengthening formula like CND Rescue Rxx, its keratin formulation will help to strengthen your nails from the inside out.

White Spots

The old saying that a lack of calcium causes White Spots is just a wives tale.

White spots on the nail are actually a sign of Zinc deficiency.

The best sources of Zinc are lean red meats, soy, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, brazil nuts, pecan nuts, green peas, turnips and wheatgerm.

White spots can also be caused by damage to the nail or applying too much pressure during nail filing.

Yellow Nails

Yellowing of the nails could be caused by not using a base coat underneath your nail polish, or it could be a more serious nail infection that needs to be treated by your local GP.

Try bleaching discoloured nails with a whitening scrub containing a mild abrasive like toothpaste, or try soaking them in good old fashioned lemon juice to bleach out the yellow stains, if stains persist see your Doctor.

Important Information:

When purchasing nail polishes and nail hardeners please read your labels to make sure that they DO NOT contain any of these 3 toxins:

• Dibytyl phthalate (DBP):which keeps polish from becoming brittle, also can cause reproductive harm.

Known to trigger asthma attacks, as well as linked to breast cancer, birth defects and disruptive to the Endocrine system causes changes in hormone levels.

• Formaldehyde: a nail hardener also used in a wide variety of products including air fresheners and some hair straightening products.

Considered a human carcinogen by U.S. health agencies, it is an irritating chemical that causes people to have allergic reactions. Don’t be fooled if it’s listed as formalin on the label.

• Toluene: the aromatic solvent can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs. Known to cause dizziness and short term intoxication as well as damage the nervous system and potentially harm an unborn child. It is a solvent that is found in petrol.

Extra tips:

• Antibiotics, such as tetracycline, affect the health of the nails and should be taken into consideration as a possible source of problems.

• Surgery,  a virus or illness from a few months ago can still affect the nails as they grow out, and the effects won’t show up until months later.

• Use hand care and nail care products right after showering or washing your hands. Do it as often as possible to prevent them drying out.

• Wear gloves when gardening or exposing hands to water for extended periods of time.

If all else fails invest in a bottle of CND Rescue RXx & Solar Oil (both available in-salon) which are both designed for problematic nails. 

Always treat your nails with care. Treat them as jewels not tools!