So as you may have noticed I've been doing my nails for a while. It's not a gendery thing for me, it's more of an art thing, a "my body generates 20 tiny canvases and I can make them colors without pain" thing.
I don't grow them very long, maybe a millimeter past the tips of my fingers is as far as is comfortable, if that. Otherwise typing and shit get uncomfy.
Things I've learned over the past bit, for me:
1. Getting manicures at a shop is overwhelming and unpleasant for me from a sensory perspective. Lots of people enjoy this, I didn't.
2. Doing my own nails is 100% a learned skill that I've gotten better at in the 3-4 years I've been consistent about this.
3. The right polish combination and cuticle oil can keep my med-fragile EDS weird nails from splintering and breaking.
4. There is no polish that I can do at home that will stay for longer than a few days. Not falsies, not gel, not lacquer. Nevertheless, my nails do better with lacquer on them.
5. Watching tutorials on Youtube has improved my technique. Simply Nailogical and Kelli Marissa both do a lot of amazing tutorials and funny stuff and have a wealth of information that doesn't feel as gendery as a lot of nail stuff does.
6. Little things: E.L.F. concealer brushes allow fast and easy touchup dipped in a bit of 100% acetone. Everyone gets nail polish on their cuticules at least part of the time. Cleaning it off the cuticle makes the polish stay longer. Target has these for $2, and the 100% acetone. "nail polish remover" that isn't 100% acetone usually smells worse and gives me a headache. YMMV.
7. Sally Beauty has wedge foundation sponges (ultra, bag of 80) that can be cut up and used to make gradients. If you have a touch up brush, or use a very narrow sponge, you don't even have to clean it up much. Gradients make for pretty rainbows. Sally Beauty also carries nail polish thinner, which you add when the polish thickens up or stops b···::eing smooth.
8. Gel builder, gel polish and glue-on nails really damaged my nail base.
9. On the other hand, since I've started using HoloTaco, my nails stay pretty strong.
10. Base coats have different purposes but the hardeners make nails break. I use a ridge filler. Other people like peely or bonding base coats.
11. Good quality polish makes the manicure easier to do, especially on the dominant hand.
12. Everyone has a harder time painting nails with their off hand. But it's a learned skill. If you can type with your non-dominant hand or drive a car, you can probably learn to apply nail polish. Remember the clean up brush. It's okay to have shorter nails on one hand than the other, many people do. There are, ahem, many reasons to have a finger or two with shorter nails.
13. A good quality rapid dry top coat is a life-changer. I'll use one in the middle of a manicure sometimes to set things faster.
14. Better to leave a little gap between the cuticle and the polish than run up against it, as when it grows out there will be a sharp ridge that wants to lift.
15. Use a glass file--my nails break less with the glass file as it leaves a smoother edge.
Tiny canvasses, and the pale rainbow gradients were from today, on a manicure that's been on since last Sunday, because at least on my non-dominant hand, enough good technqiue does seem to help longevity. Nothing's going to save my right hand thumb and pointer polish from early death, but this week I made it to Thursday before significant wear showed up.
I think all of these are holo taco, a lot of both rainbow collections (regular and pastel), as well as some unicorn skin toppers and holographic toppers. The black is One-coat black.
