Natural Nail Care For Luxury Press-Ons
Did you know luxury press-on nails can improve the overall health of your natural nails while at the same time making sure they last? Contrary to popular belief, press-ons can actually stay on for weeks at a time, multiple times.
There are several things that go into making sure your press-ons stay on for weeks without accidentally losing one during the course of your day. Everything from the quality of the press-ons you buy to the underlying health of your natural nails will affect how long you can wear your nail tips.
If your natural nails are not where you want them to be, press-on nails can actually be an excellent option for you! Perhaps you bite your nails or worse - you’re like me and find it almost impossible to resist peeling the nail polish as soon as it begins to lift or chip and damage the nail bed in the process.
Have you ever gotten too deep into the peeling and find yourself breaking the nail just a little too close to the fleshy part under your nail – ya know, like super, super short. Ouch.
If your nails are especially fragile, sticky tabs are a great place to start because you’ll literally peel them off with no damage and using just your fingers. If you prefer a stronger hold and opt to use glue, all you need are a gentle soap and some moisturizing cuticle oil (included with all Bella Luna Nails sets) to easily take them off with no damage.
As mentioned above, it’s really tough for me not to pick at the nail when the polish begins to lift, there’s something really satisfying about getting a huge chunk of polish intact – almost a challenge. Fellow nail techs: I am very sorry.
HOWEVER! This is why I love press-ons so much - they prevent me from being able to peel any polish because none of it is *actually* on my natural nail. And because I love to change my nails almost weekly, the risk of peeling goes away entirely.
Before transitioning to press-ons, I used this exact prep method to achieve a gel manicure that wouldn’t fall off my nails for over a month. Although the removal process of a salon manicure can be more damaging to your natural nail, this method allowed me to keep the strength of my nails so it could withstand the removal process.
The best thing about this technique is that it is incredibly gentle on the natural nail plate so you don’t have to worry about damage and in fact strengthen your nails!
Why is prep important?
Just like anything else, you want to set yourself up for success before jumping in and applying your press-ons. The same way you wouldn’t try a recipe without at least glancing at the steps, you want to make sure you know the foundations on what to do for proper application.
Not only will this allow you to wear your nails for longer than two weeks, if you wish, but if your nails are on the thinner side, this process will help heal your nails and make them a lot stronger and thicker.
What tools are needed?
The great thing here is that if you’ve already purchased your own Bella Luna Nails set, your prep kit already has a lot of the items you need! Although there are some things that you might have to search for or buy, they will prove invaluable in your natural nail journey.
There are various tools you can use and I’ll cover some more advanced techniques in later posts, such as using an e-file, but for now we’ll keep it simple. As a nail enthusiast you’ll hopefully have most of what you need to give yourself a thorough and detailed manicure but if you don’t, I’ll share some of my personal favorites!
Quickly, though, you’ll need some form of cuticle pusher, a cuticle softener (optional), cuticle nippers, nail buffer, nail file, nail clipper, alcohol, and cuticle oil. And then, we’ll finish off the look by applying your most recent set of press-ons.
The Bella Luna Nails Technique
I’ll start by saying you’re welcome to switch some of the steps around if you find something works better for you. I just follow this regimen and know it’s given me great results.
I like to begin my routine with a cuticle softener. I personally love Leafgel’s Cuticle Remover but a more DIY-friendly approach is to soak your nails in a bowl of warm water with gentle soap and luxury cuticle oil.
I let the product soak into my eponychium (another word for the cuticle area) for about 1 minute. If you’re soaking your nails in water, soak them for about 5 minutes. This way the cuticle will soften and make it a lot easier to push it back. For this you can use the orangewood stick that comes with Bella Luna Nails sets.
It’s actually really satisfying to watch all the old skin pile up and fall off. A bonus of doing this is that your actual nail plate (i.e. the part you paint) increases because you’re pushing the skin back.
The next thing I do is cut the cuticle. You’ll need some really sharp nippers and I also recommend having something to stabilize your arm on.
I’m not going to lie, I find it very difficult to get a clean cut without the annoying rough edges so having an e-file with a round diamond bit can help you reach the smoothness you want but it is not necessary. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of chasing perfection.
So you might disagree with where I place this step and you might want to do this first but in any case, the next step for me is to buff the natural nail plate. In my case, I did this because I wanted the cuticle softener itself to loosen up the leftover glue to minimize the buffing I have to do. After you’re done buffing, use an alcohol wipe to remove all the dust.
The Final Step
Did you know your hand is one of the most overlooked parts of your body when it comes to skincare?
Take a moment to assess your skincare fridge - how many bottles in there are dedicated to your face versus your hands? If you’re like most people you might have a single hand lotion. This is truly unfortunate because your hands are always working and deserve to be pampered.
The health of the skin on your hands can reveal a lot about what your hands have been through and be a big tell of your age. I’m not trying to push the idea that we must always chase youth but there’s nothing wrong with taking care of your skin.
Imagine having access to an elixir that can help you achieve the skin of your dreams? Our luxurious Argan Cuticle Oil is full of vitamin E and rich in antioxidants that will help maintain your skin looking its best.
Our argan oil comes from Morocco where it has been used for centuries as part of a daily beauty routine. Don’t miss your opportunity to turn back the clock and begin healing any damage your hands have already endured. In the process, you’ll be healing your cuticles and setting a strong foundation for stronger nails in the weeks to come.
