How to Paint Short Nails

To paint short nails without getting out, we recommend you follow these simple steps that will make it easier for you to polish your nails. Take note!

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1. To make the nail look longer and have a greater base to paint on, push the cuticles back with an orange stick. If you put your nails in a bowl with warm water beforehand, it will be easier for you.
2. To avoid staining the finger or the cuticle area, apply a small drop of polish in the center of the nail. With the brush, drag that drops up towards the cuticle area, avoiding going all the way. In this way, you have greater control over the product so as not to stain the cuticle.
3. When the cuticle area is glazed, slide the brush down to apply makeup to the rest of the nail. By applying the polish in this way, in a single pass, you will have almost the entire nail covered.
4. You only have to pass the brush on each side to complete the nail. To do this, without reloading the product brush, slide on the side, making a curved movement that imitates the line of the edge of the nail.
5. Let the product dry. You must make sure that the first coat is completely dry before starting the application of the second to avoid carry-over of the product.
6. For the second coat of enamel, it is not necessary to perform the same steps as for the first as it is only a color reinforcing coat. Do not go near the cuticle area and sides of the nail to avoid staining.
7. Finally, apply a layer of gloss to protect the nail polish and prolong its duration.

In addition to following these steps, these tips will help you avoid stains or fix your nails if you have stained yourself.

• If you have very short or bitten nails, the area of ​​the free edge is the most difficult to paint, since the skin is practically above the nail. For these cases, use a detail brush like the one used to make decorations on the nails. Being such a fine brush will allow you to paint the most delicate areas, such as the free edge and the sides of the nail, without straining yourself.
• Prepare a few cotton swabs and nail polish remover before starting your manicure. If, after all, you still come off when painting your nails, soak a swab with nail polish remover, wring out the excess and clean, being careful not to touch the polish, the stained area. It is the most delicate way to clean stains without damaging the paint.
• A trick that works very well and helps a lot in the application is to remove or push with the help of the big toe the skin of the lateral area as you go painting each nail. In this way, you will have more space and will not touch the skin when brushing. This finger must be completely dry before helping you with it.
• And if despite all these tricks, you still cannot paint your nails without staining, liquid latex is the perfect product for you. It is a product applied to the skin around the nail and creates a film that prevents paint stains on the skin. When you finish painting your nails, you only have to remove the layer of "glue" made with the latex, and your fingers will look free of stains.

Just like you can get different effects on your face depending on the colors or techniques you use when you put on makeup, with nail painting, get visual effects that make your very short nails appear to have a more significant extension. If your nails are short, these are the best techniques to make your nails look longer.

• Light colors: if you do your manicure in a light color, it will visually appear that you have a nail with a longer base. Dark colors will give the opposite feeling.
• French manicure: if you want your nails to appear longer, without a doubt, this is the technique to achieve it. It is about painting the nail with a clear base in a pink or nude tone and making a white line on the free edge. The finer the line, the longer it will appear. The classic French manicure is done in those shades, but you can do this technique with any color combination. Find out how to do the French manicure on short nails in the video below.
• Glitter colors: we recommend opting for glitter polishes instead of matte ones, as these shades give the nail the appearance of having more volume.
• Nail Shape: Filing also plays an essential role in the effect of the illusion of nail length. An oval or rounded nail will appear longer than one filed into a square or straight shape.

Don't worry if your nails aren't perfect; getting a good manicure is just a matter of practice. Little by little, you will improve your pulse and precision, and you will be able to try different designs for your short nails. To start practicing, here are some straightforward designs for short nails, perfect for beginners, and to give your manicure an original and personal touch.

Vertical Lines

As in clothing, vertical lines always stylize the figure, in this case, the base of your nail. There is a visual elongation effect. To avoid an overly heavy manicure, you can decorate on one finger, decorate with a single fine line, or combine the lines with dots.

Remember that, to achieve the effect, the lines must be vertical or diagonal, never horizontal.

Floral Decoration

One of our favorite nail art techniques for short nails is flower decorations. We are not talking about anything elaborate. It is just a simple floral motif, such as a leaf decorating one or two of your nails. To make it a little more unique, you can paint the nails that do not have decoration in another color and those that do have it in a light or nude color to give prominence to the design.

Decoration with Stickers

If you are a fan of elaborate and detailed decorations, don't think you can't do them on a short nail. The solution to making this type of design on a sharp nail is to use stickers or water-based stickers.

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This way, you will be able to show off a design loaded with details whatever the length of your nail, since these stickers can be adapted to any size and shape.

Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff

Sources: Uncomo