As I continue on my nail journey of trying to achieve beautifully healthy long nails, I've found that applying false nails is helpful with growing them out. Since the nail is completely covered, the free edges are not exposed which in turn will allow the nail to grow out. As long as you properly remove the nail when you are ready to take them off, this method is perfectly safe and non damaging. 

In this tutorial I used these pretty almond shaped full cover nails I purchased on Amazon. You can find these kind of nails everywhere these days like these from Walmart.

You don't need a lot of money or acrylic or gel if you don't want to use those applications. All you need is some really good quality nail glue and some full cover artificial nails. The ones I purchased also come in natural or white just in case you didn't want to use the clear ones like I have. I like the clear ones though because I can see my nails underneath and I can actually keep track of the growth! 

Today I've put together a simple and straight forward little tutorial with some tips and all the things you will need to get it going!

Once you have everything you need and you have filed your own nails to match the artificial ones, look through and size the nails to fit the shape of your own nails. Take your time to make sure the fake nails will fit over your entire nail and fit the shape of your natural cuticle. If you find that a nail is too large but the smaller size is too small, you can just gently file the sides of the nail you want to use to the shape that will fit you perfectly.

Your end goal for this application is that you want the nails to look as natural as possible so if the nails are too big or small for your own nail then the outcome will be awkward looking and just not what you want.  Nobody wants to be walking around with a DIY manicure that LOOKS DIY with ratchet ass nails! Just because you're doing them yourself, doesnt mean it has to look that way...got it? 

Using a medium grit file, gently scrape the inside of the nail as you see me doing here. I have read and watched other tutorials where for this step people usually recommend that you buff the natural nail to create a textured surface but I never buff my own nails since buffing removes the top layers of the nail plate and eventually weakens the nail. Since my nails are already pretty thin and weak I have learned never to do this step on my nails. 

However, lightly scraping the the underside of the artificial nail with the edge of the file creates a textured surface for the glue to adhere to and help create more of a lasting bond between the nail and your natural nail. Gently do this for each of the nails and make sure to remove any dust that may accumulate when you file the fake nails.

I recommend when applying the glue to the nails, apply a small amount to your nail then add a little to the fake nail. Once you touch the nail to your natural nail, work quickly to straighten it and get as close too the cuticle as possible without touching it. Hold the nail in place for a few seconds while applying pressure to the sides of the nail. Quickly clean up any excess glue on your skin with a qtip soaked in non acetone nail polish remover.  

In this image I have applied all the nails, looks good so far right? I tried my hardest to keep from having any air bubbles but sometimes it is unavoidable and also, I'm not a pro ok. This is how I apply my artificial nails.

So step 3 is shaping your nails to whatever shape you want. I personally like Ballerina, Coffin, Almond, and Stiletto shapes though I don't like Stiletto nails that are too sharp or long.  Here are some examples of nail shapes. You can find out more about shaping your nails here.

Having my nails as this length is practical for me, super long nails are not for this chick but whatever lenth you like is up to you. They're definitely not perfect but they look good to me and last me a super long time compared to the type of glue on nails that come polished. They always pop off me so quickly!

Now your nails are ready for polish or whatever you want to put on them. The cover image for this post shows the nails filed into a coffin shape and I think they look pretty natural under polish. I personally like to using my DIY Clear Peel Off Base coat to prevent the nails from staining and provide easy removal of the polish since nail polish remover will degrade the nails and make for a shorter wear time. With proper care, your new set of glue on nails can last 2-3 weeks given you don't use acetone or any harsh chemicals. That's MY personal experience so don't go on a cleaning spree or washing dishes without gloves and complain to me that your nails fell off lol.

Let me know if you found this tutorial helpful!!

XOXO