Nail Art Tools That You May Need

Nail Art Tools You May Need :)

Some basic nail art tools are essential. It can make you become an educated manicurist and start DIY your own nail.

1. Brushes

Striping Brush

This long, thin brush is used for painting skinny lines or any time you want to have a long, smooth line. It doesn't offer as much intricacy and control as a detail brush but it makes painting flawless lines a breeze. This brush is perfect for doing snowflake nails, American flag nails, zebra nails, or crystal nails.

Detail Brush

Nail Art BrushesPossibly the most important nail art brush you need is a small detail brush. This brush offers a lot of control and precision for when you're doing complex painting. You can use this brush to do leopard nails, neon pattern nails, cartoon nails and tribal nails.

Clean Up Brush

It is very important tool to clean up after you done nail art. It doesn't hold much liquid, so you don't flood your cuticles with acetone when you're trying to do a quick swipe to remove a mistake.

2. Nail Filer

Obviously choosing the right nail filer is important. I would avoid metal files as they just seem to tear your nails, create peeling and cause more damage than they fix. Glass files are best if you're willing to splash the cash for them, but they're not a must-have. Nail files are categorized by their grit, or how rough the file is. Lower numbers are rougher grits, the higher the number the softer the grit. Go for something between 180 and 220 for natural nails. If you have thin or weak nails, go higher.

How to file your nails

Make sure your nails are clean, and more importantly...dry! Start by holding your file at a 45 degree angle to the nail. This protects the hard protective surface of the nail. Always file from the outside in, not in a "sawing" motion. Filing should mainly be for shaping, if you want to remove length (ie: More than 1cm) you should be clipping first. File with polish on so you get a clear look at the shape you're making and protect your nail from ripping if you get a bit too enthusiastic.

There is five basic shapes of nail :

They are, from left to right: Round, Squoval (squared off oval), Square, Oval and Pointed.

3. Dotting Tool

A Dotting Tool, or ideally a set of different sizes, is so convenient to have, but you can make do without them. Some other things that work are bobby pins (which I used in the Floral Nails Tutorial), pin heads, dried out pens, the ends of brushes or toothpicks. Soon you'll find yourself looking around the house for tiny round things you can stick in nail polish!

Example nail design by using dotting tool :