Off and on and off again ...

I am getting to be a pro at removing acrylic nails, fo' sho'! I got a new job a few months back and was bummed that my natural nails (that I had kept up beautifully for 4 months) weren't holding up to some of my job duties. Ripping and tearing and splitting ... so frustrating and painful when they would peel from below the fingertip line. Bandaids weren't cutting it to protect them from further damage, so I put the solar nails back on.

And now they are off again.

I missed being able to paint my nails each week and the cost for upkeep was getting ridiculous (especially when the acrylic wasn't lasting as long as it should have).
So here is my quick tutorial to help you remove the acrylic without damaging your natural nails to much further:

You will need the following supplies (I purchased these at a local beauty supply store that is open to the public, costing a total of $21 for everything) ... nail clippers, 100% Acetone Remover, multiple nail file blocks in various levels of coarseness, cuticle oil, and a ridge filler (preferably one that also strengthens)

• Cut off any remaining tips and shorten nails to desired length with nail clippers.


• With a very coarse nail block (I used a medium), sand over the tops of your nails to remove any sealants or top coats.


• Soak your nails for about a minute in a bowl of 100% Acetone.

• The first layer of acrylic will start to get gummy ... scrape this layer off (I used my thumb nails to do this - you could also use a wood cuticle stick)


• Soak again and repeat for several more layers.


• Here's how I keep my nails from being absolutely ruined ... leave a thin layer of acrylic on your nails!!


• Take your coarse file block and sand over the tops of your nails to smooth ... then use your finer sanding block ... then your finest block to buff your nails to a naturally smooth surface.


• Your cuticles and fingertips will be very dry from the acetone treatment. Apply your cuticle oil and massage into skin. Push back cuticles at this time if needed.


• Wash your hands with soap and warm water, cleaning your nail surfaces thoroughly.


• Buff nails again if needed and be sure you don't have any snags.


• Apply one to two coats of the ridge filler as your base, and paint nails with desired color. Ridge fillers tend to be a natural color, so you can even get away with using just the filler and a top coat for shine.
  

This process took me about 20 minutes (without painting a color). Each time I give myself a manicure, I will continue to buff off the remaining acrylic until it is gone. This keeps a protective (but very thin) layer of strength over my nails until they have had time to strengthen on their own.

Relapse

Okay girls ... I am slightly embarrassed. I had a very brief moment of weakness after I got a new job a few months ago and I put solar nails back on.
Now I am taking them off again.
I know - what in the world was I thinking?!? I was having so many issues with my natural (and weak) nails breaking and tearing while doing what my job duties required, and I wanted reinforcement. I am so over all the maintenance (and cost!!) of the solar nails, so I went to the local beauty supply store and got the necessary products to remove the acrylic once again. I will post a step-by-step guide within the next 2 days on how I removed my nails with as little damage as possible. Stay tuned!!
In the meantime ... how gorgeous are the colors that Sasha and Smoochiefrog have been posting?!? I am loving the Orly Out Of This World, Essie's Aruba Blue, and Sally Hansen HD in DVD colors!!! The SpaRitual colors are so amazing for this fall and winter seasons and Zoya's Valerie is absolutely stunning!!
xoxo,
April

Here we go again ...

I had my tips taken off ... again. But this time, we did an overlay (which is just a fancy way of saying we left a thin layer of acrylic over the top of my nails). This is keeping them from splitting and tearing while they are in the grow-out phase. Although, I am not quite sure what the difference is having an overlay vs. tips - I still need to have them filled either way. Sigh. The woes of desiring strong nails. Ha ha!
So with the colorful tips being gone, I wanted to keep a natural look with a little girly sparkle. Please forgive me as I totally forgot to check the color name. I will totally look that up next time I am in.

I also got a pedicure while I was there ... tis the season, right? Yay for flip flop weather! I (unintentionally) matched my toe color to my BlackBerry when I mixed 2 colors. OPI's Plugged-In Plum (bottom coat) and China Glaze's Anklets of Amethyst (top coat) created this shimmery color. Sometimes the nail techs look at me like I am crazy, but I have found some pretty great color combos!

Walkin' on the wild side ...

... well, just a little bit! I have started liking zebra print, but only in small doses. I thought I'd be brave and try out these fun tips. I am actually lovin' them ... I had dark pink acrylic put on as the back fill and clear acrylic put over the tips so they would stand out better (the dark pink would have added a sheer pink to the design).

Au Natural

Well, not quite. These are a pearl white tip with Cotton Candy topcoat. I needed to go neutral for a little while ... I love colored tips, but was getting bored with them. The Cotton Candy added just a bit of color, and I like that it muted the tips a bit.

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

April

I am still here!

So sorry I have been MIA, ladies! I won't bore you with excuses. Ha ha! For those of you who are wondering who the heck this random poster is, I am April from dot...dot...dot...! I don't get to post on a weekly basis (and have been slackin' here for the last couple months), because I have solar nails and only get them filled every 2-3 weeks. I always get colored tips, cuz I get bored with the traditional (although so classy!) french tips. I wish the acrylic powders had fun names like OPI's colors - they probably do, but the girls at the salon claim they don't have names - so I just snap a pic of my color of the month. Does anyone else have solar nails? If so, what colors do you like to rock?

Here is my latest set ... these are actual tips, not powder. I just had a new set put on (you gotta do that every now and then to keep 'em fresh lookin'), and the tips are like a glittery fuschia color. I have them shaped square with rounded corners. See ya in a few weeks! :o)

♥

OPI Lincoln Park After Midnight

I am loving this deep purple and it is getting a lot of attention as well! I have had several compliments, and it is perfect for this fall/Halloween time of year!! I heart it so much that I bought a bottle of it from my nail salon!!

Back On

I tried to be strong. I really did. 5 whole weeks. I couldn't handle the splitting and the peeling anymore. The weak nails that couldn't withstand the simple task of buckling my kiddo in his carseat. So I went running back to the nail salon! Again, the acrylics don't have a specific color name, but when I match up my pedi, we can just borrow OPI's names. To get the color on my toes to match, we did the bottom coat in OPI Malaga Wine and a coat of Pompeii Purple on top. Dark pink top coat, added some sparkle, and voila!! One happy girl.

Viva Las Vegas!

It has been a little while since my last post ... I kept the pink tips for a little over a month. Now it is my birthday and hubby and I are heading to Vegas! I decided to go with purple tips (on my nails and my toes!) cuz it's my fave color and would be so fun to rock in Vegas!

Bring on the sunshine!

The latest acrylics ... I went with a soft pink glitter tip this time around. I am so ready for spring!! :o)

Love my salon trips!

I am just hoping I can get back on a regular schedule! Oy! Here is my latest set ... my fave color is purple, so here is what Tawny and I came up with. Acrylic colors don't have fun names like OPI, but I went with a purple pearl tip with dark pink back fill and added a few hearts for the upcoming love month. :o)

Please don't look too close at the picture if you enlarge - apparently, I need to get a good hand lotion! Ha!

Holidays

Finally! My first post on this blog! I am April and I blog over at dot ... dot ... dot ... I am a stay at home mommy and since having my 2 boys, my natural nails just do not hold up. They have never been very strong to begin with, and with my crazy lifestyle always on the go, there is no time to try to take care of my nails. So, my generous mom-in-law treats me to trips to the salon every few weeks to get my acrylic nails done (lucky girl, I know!). We have been going to the same salon, Foxy Nails, for 9 years now, and my nail girl is Tawny. She is so sweet and always has fun new designs on her own nails. We share a favorite color and I love my time outs at the salon!!

Right before Thanksgiving, I was ready to decorate for the holidays ... that included my nails! I was finally able to get to the salon this week to get a fill (it was looong overdue thanks to a freak snowstorm), and loved my tips enough for one more round. I don't think the acrylics have fancy names (I will be sure to ask Tawny when she does my nails next), but I put this little combo together myself! A pretty, sparkly glitter tip with a red sparkly glitter stripe. Very fun for the holidays ... can't wait to see what we'll do next!