Nail Polish Hacks

Last week, I talked about doing little things that can relieve stress. I failed to mention doing one thing that’s probably my favorite: doing my nails. There’s a big box that’s filled with nail polishes and other manicure/pedicure supplies that my roommates and I all share in our apartment. At one point in the semester, my roommates and I would do our nails at least every week, and we’d all come up with different designs and color combinations. There’s definitely some therapy that comes from focusing in on doing something meticulous. Maybe guys feel the same way when they’re shaving, or when they’re trying to fix something. Doing something to get your mind off things, but still having a tangible result is definitely a good stress reliever.

One tip that someone gave me is to put vaseline on the skin around the nail bed and cuticles, so that any polish that gets on the skin can easily be removed. I used a Q-tip to put vaseline on my nails, and sure enough, some polish got on my skin when my roommate did my nails.

I think that using vaseline worked fairly well to help control mess. If I were to use vaseline again, I’d make sure that I put it much closer to the skin, so that the close messes are taken care of. Vaseline is also helpful because it keeps the skin moisturized.

Here are a few additional tips that I’ve learned from my experience of doing nails:

• Glitter nail polish is hard to remove. When removing glitter nail polish, soak the nail in nail polish remover. Soak a piece of cotton ball in nail polish remover and let it sit on a nail for a few minutes. One suggestion that I’ve heard is to wrap the cotton ball-ed nail in foil to keep it in place to help soak for an extended period of time. After a few minutes, the nail polish and glitter should be loosened, making for easy removal.

• Essentially, nail polish is paint, so it can be useful for other purposes besides decorating nails. I’ve used clear nail polish as an adhesive, or as a polish for something. It’s also water resistant, so it could help with small repairs. I’ve also heard of putting clear nail polish on the back ends of earrings to that certain types of earrings can be worn by people who have allergies. I got this picture from Pinterest, and it shows how useful even colored nail polish can be. With so many colors available, it’s totally possible to find the exact shade that will match a special toy or a special item, so that any knicks and scratches can be fixed!
• Even if you’re not a nail artist, there’s still room for creativity. I used crackle nail polish on my nails, and to mix things up, I just changed the direction of my brush stroke. Instead of going straight up and down, I went diagonally in an angle. Another way to have fun with nails is to use different colors. Pick one or two nails to have accent colors so that there’s something extra to look at.

To all you guys out there, don’t think that I didn’t want to leave you out! I’m pretty sure you can find the same exact nail polish shade of your car just in case you get small scratches! But seriously, don’t underestimate the usefulness of a bottle of nail polish. I consider doing nails an  art, especially having the skill to do so much on such a small nail canvas.

Keep finding the usefulness in everything that you see!

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