Equipment

In order to do your own nails and do them well these are the things you will need:

Emery Board

An emery board is used for filing and shaping the end of the nail and the sides after applying acrylics.  You can get these from Boots and Superdrug as well as the larger supermarkets and even Poundland.  Expect to pay about £1.

 

Nail Buffer

 

 A nail buffer is used just before applying colour. It creates a smooth base so that no dents or scuffs are visible. Remember to brush away the powder that it creates as this will leaves bumps once polish has been applied. You can get these at Sally’s or an eBay for about £1.

 

Electric Nail Drill

 An electric nail drill is essential for filing any uneven acrylic. Most have various speeds to use and come with drill bits specifically for nails. They each do different things. Some are for natural nails and some for acrylics. You can also use the file for hard skin on hands and feet. The foot pedal can be used so that you haven’t got to keep changing the speed with your hands. I bought mine online for £32 including delivery.

 

Nail Polish Dryer

A nail polish dryer will reduce the drying time of your polish dramatically. Depending on the type you get you will be able to dry both hands or feet at the same time. This will prevent smudging. It also means you will be able to change your colour as much as you like as you wont have to wait long. 5 minutes usually does the trick. You can pick these up on eBay for about £43 including delivery.

Please be careful if using a UV nail dryer as it can cause age spots and cancer and can burn the skin.

 

Selection of Nail Polishes

 

You can get these almost anywhere and they can be very cheap or very expensive. Poundland do branded polishes like Sally Hensen and Maybelline which would normally set you back about £5. Tesco do their own range for 99p and Asda do their own range for about £1.79 Collection 2000 and Miss Sporty do polishes for about £1.99. Barry M are brilliant for different colours and for the crackle top. If you shop at Boots they regularly do No.7 vouchers with £5 off so nail polishes with this voucher will only cost you £2. Maxfactor and Bourjour do mini’s so that you can try out their range without forking out for a full bottle.

 

Nail Polish Holder

These little things are ideal as they hold the bottle for you without it slipping. Costs about £1 from eBay and any discount shop like Poundland.

 

Nail Polish Display Unit

This isn’t essential but handy to see what colours you have. It makes choosing a lot easier without having to rummage. These can be bought online for about £22 depending on the size.

 

Acetone

Acetone is used to remove acrylics from the nails. It does this by melting the plastic. All you have to do is fill a bowl of warm/hot water. Put acetone in a metal dish and place in the bowl of water. Put your nails in the acetone for a couple of minutes, wipe with tissue and file with electric nail drill until removed. You will need to do this a couple of times. Acetone is added to some polish removers but these won’t be strong enough to remove acrylics. Pure acetone is needed. Can be bought online and sallys although supermarkets tend not to sell pure acetone and only sell the polish remover with it in. It’s  about £3 depending on what size you get.

 

Cuticle Oil

This is to moisturise, protect and soften the nail bed. It should be used daily. Cuticle oils can vary in price depending where you get them from. Many places sell it including supermarkets, Avon, chemists and eBay. Expect to pay about £3.

 

Acrylic Powder

 

Use this with Acrylic Liquid to put on the nails. It dries quickly and goes hard so it’s important to get it right. Costs about £1 and can be bought online from Sallys and in larger supermarkets.

 

Acrylic Liquid

This is used with acrylic powder. Costs about £1 and can be bought online and at Sallys and some of the larger supermarkets.

 

Acrylic Brushes

Use these to put acrylic onto the nails. You can get these in different sizes and can be used for nail art. These can be bought on eBay. It depends what type you get depends on the price. I picked up a set for £1.99 on eBay.  

 

Nail Primer

 This is used after filing and buffing but before applying acrylic to the nail. It removes any oil and creates an essential base. These are about £2.

 

Dappen Dish

 This is used to put acrylic liquid into and should be cleaned after each use. These are about £1.

 

Quick Dry Nail Spray

 This stuff is amazing. It literally freezes your nail polish so that they dry instantly. You should use the nail dryer first and use this after to finish them off to prevent smudging. You can get this from larger supermarkets, eBay and Sallys. Expect to pay about £2.50

 

Brush Cleaner

 

 You need to make sure the brushes you use for applying acrylic are cleaned after every use, otherwise acrylic will build up on the brush and you won’t be able to use them anymore. Can be bought for about £2 depending on the size.

 

Nail Tips

 To be used before acrylics are applied. They come in various sizes and colours and can be clipped and filed to the right size. These are easy to get hold of. I paid £2 for a set of 500 on eBay.

 

Nail Glue

 

To be used to apply false nails or nail tips. Can also be used to fix cracks in acrylics. Nail glue is really cheap and can be bought almost anywhere. I got 4 for £1 on eBay.

 

Nail Clippers

These are an essential piece of kit. Can be bought anywhere for about £1. To be used on natural nails.

 

   

 These are used to clip the straggly little bits of skin on the sides of the nail. These can be bought for about £3.

 

     

These are used to clip false nails and nail tips to size and are about £1.