Being a lover of all things manicure, I’ve found a few essential nail products I couldn’t cope without.
These firm favourites that I’ve fallen in love with makeup a kit that I believe is vital in creating the perfect manicure.
Of course, things like nail painting technique and products (always Cally Cosmetics please) play a part in the end result, but I consider these nail products non-negotiable.
You just can’t get an awesome manicure without them!
File Those Nails
Before painting your nails you need to prep them. This includes cleaning your hands and nails, as well as shaping them.
The best way to shape your nails is filing them down by dragging a nail file across your nail’s edge. Always using strokes of the same direction as this reduces the chance your nails will flake or split.
My favourite nail file for nail prep is the file and buffer. It allows you to smooth the surface of the nail as well as shaping the nail. The perfect two-in-one tool!
Get the Lighting Right
The Cally Curve Light illuminates your nails to give you a clear picture of what you’re working on. Having light in an arc means you won’t miss any mistakes and you can concentrate on creating.
If you love to dream up fun and intricate nail art designs, then a regular lamp simply won’t cut it.
Not only is it amazing for seeing what you’re doing, it’s even better for showing off your end result. To get the perfect photo for your socials simply
Not only is it amazing for seeing what you’re doing, it’s even better for showing off your end result. To get the perfect photo for your socials simply pop the manicured hands under the lamp and snap away.
A great feature is that you can change the colour of the light from a warm golden shade to a bright white and a cool white. This enables you to take your photos under the most flattering lighting.
The 11mm Nail Art Brush is Vital to Do Your Designs Justice
Once you’ve got the lighting sorted, you’ve created the ideal conditions for great nail art.
Allow your creativity to flow with this ultra-fine nail art brush. Its 11m long soft bristles allow you to make sweeping motions and neat lines.
The lines come out great whether they’re straight or curved, so it allows you to experiment.
If you’re after some more precision work that doesn’t involve sweeping lines, then the 5mm fine liner nail art brush might be more up your street.
Every Nail Art Kit Needs a Mixing Palette
If you love to get inventive with your manicures, then a mixing palette is a must.
A mixing palette allows you create new shades of gel polish by mixing gel polish colour before applying and curing them.
Not many people know you can mix the same types of gel colour to create whole new shades. Providing you don’t combine brands or types of polish, mixing gels before applying them is safe.
A UV/LED Nail Lamp is Essential
You can’t really do a gel manicure without a UV lamp. IF you’re using gel nail polish, it won’t set unless you cure it with UV.
I’m obsessed with this UV LED lamp. It fits a hand or a row of toes in without any trouble, which sounds like a standard feature but not all lamps on the market manage to.
It also has a motion sensor. This is so helpful because you can just put a hand (or foot) in the lighting chamber and it turns on to cure the gel polish.
The sensor function saves so much time, as other lamps on the market need to be turned on every time you use them.
Once the motion sensor has been triggered, it stays on for 120 seconds to cure the gel. It also counts down on a digital display so you know just how long you’ve got left before you can pull your hand out again.
Good Quality Base and Topcoats Make the Manicure
While the gel nail polish that you choose is very important, your base coat and topcoat need to be spot on too.
The base coat holds everything together while the topcoat finishes and fixes the manicure. Get those products wrong, and you won’t be happy with your end result.
The Cally Gel base coat is smooth and strong. It’s a great starting point for a gel manicure and will help create a perfect foundation.
When it comes to topcoats, I love to get a little adventurous.
A clear topcoat is a classic way to finish a manicure, but I prefer to add a twist. For a beautiful lightly pearlescent finish, the Cosmo Cally Top Coat is exactly what you need. It adds depth and intrigue to any gel under layer.