Best products from r/NailArt

these bundle monster pages have been my ABSOLUTE favorite since i found them. great price for what you get. you won't run out of space as your collection grows and have to constantly upgrade. they fit a ton of different shape plates (i only bought the rectangle slot sheets though) and have so much space. you get to pick whatever standard binder you want so you can personalize more if you so choose. (i even added one of those 3 ring pencil cases so i can hold my brushes and scrapers in there....like this but from the dollar store lol) the pages are made of strong durable plastic and do NOT rip or tear with constant use and the pulling and pushing of plates. they have reinforced holes for the binder so they wont rip out with weight.

edit* (also i can fit ALL different brands of rectangle plates in there except the older born pretty plates that had a bigger white plastic border on the back of the metal rectangle plates. the new BP ones do fit now since they made the plastic smaller like the moyou london ones.)

i also have this little zippered bundle monster book for my circle plates that i have yet to fill (im almost there though lol). i've had it a couple years now and its still in great shape. i think i got it for ten bucks back then though but the price hasnt gone up much.

ive tried a decent amount of different brand organizers and these have been the best i have found so far in terms of quality and price. (and i also hated the ones like the born pretty holders that dont function if you actually fill ALL the slots. lol i wouldnt be able to actually get plates OUT once the other slots were all filled bc it was such tight space!)

Awww, this is so sweet! Nail art doesn't have to be expensive at all, the salon I go to uses a lot of toothpicks and tiny brushes for most of their fancy stuff. The problem is with actually DOING the art. It takes a super steady hand and some serious talent. I'm awful at it which is why I have them done instead. Have you considered getting her a gift card to a salon? If you go that route, make sure to show them some pictures of what you have in mind and ask if they can do it. If they're legit they'll have some pictures or samples to show you.


As far as kits go, $20 on amazon should be just fine. I would recommend getting one with the little bottles, because the little bottles come with little brushes (which is essential for doing art). Maybe some extra tiny brushes for detail. Also dotting pens are a fancy and durable alternative to toothpicks. If she's into bling, nail jewels are cool and fancy as fuck. Lastly (and very important), invest in some serious base coat and top coat. There's nothing worse than spending an hour getting your nails did just to have them chip an hour later. OPI is top shelf.


Here are some links to help get you started. Hope this helps, good luck!


SHANY Nail Art Set (24 Famouse Colors Nail Art Polish, Nail Art Decoration) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005X2F7KI/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_8gaEub1TK3HVR



DragonPad 5pcs 2-ways Acrylic Uv Gel Nail Art Design Tips Dotting Painting Brush Pen Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005Y6F4WO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_AtaEub111WR7A



Nail Art Brushes- Professional Nail Art Brushes- Sable Nail Art Brush Pen, Detailer, Liner **Set of 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BLN17K/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_IyaEub19FMKQ2


1200pcs New Nail Art Rhinestones Glitters Acrylic Tips Decoration Manicure Wheel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RS4LO8/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_1AaEub1NFX4D9



OPI Natural Nail Base Coat & Top Coat COMBO FULL SIZE .5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B3YC9M/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_PBaEub19KD7J8

Ah! I have an answer for this! And I'm pretty sure it's easier/less craft-intensive than the other option I saw linked.

So I used a 3 ring binder and 3 different types of plastic sheet protectors: trading card organizers (Avery 76016), 4x6 photo pages (Avery 13401), and regular 8.5x11 sheet protectors (any ones that aren't too thin along the edge with the holes should do.) The only other thing you need is a roll of shelf grip liner like this, and some reasonably sharp scissors.

Using the shelf grip liner, I held my differently sized plates up to it and figured out about how big they were. It doesn't have to be exact, I tend to err on the slightly smaller side, it shouldn't hang off the edges too much (although I just do squares for the little circle plates because I'm lazy and squares are easier.) The shelf liner makes it easy because it is made of little "squares" that you can count if necessary. Then, I cut the correct size liner for one of every plate at every corresponding size. You could use some kind of spray adhesive to attach them to the back of the plates, but because of the "grip" functionality it's naturally a little sticky, so I just kind of press it onto the back of the plate, carefully slide it into the sheet protector, and close it and let the weight of all the plates in the binder apply pressure over time, so by the next time I open the binder to use the plate, they've sort of been fused together and I don't have to worry about it falling off.

Small circle plates go in the trading card pages, medium square & rectangle plates go in the photo pages, and huge plates like the Cheeky Jumbos go in the full size pages. Be sure not to store it vertically like you normally would with a binder—the weight of the metal pulls on the holes and causes them to break. I store mine flat now (ever since figuring out this design flaw and having to replace a bunch of pages, lolsob) and haven't had any problems.

If you need any pictures to illustrate what I mean, just lmk! I'm dogsitting at a friend's house for the holiday weekend, but can get you pics of mine when I get back home Tuesday :)

ETA: I can't tell if the grip liner link is working properly so here's another one.

So, I’m a ceramic artist, and my hands are in water a lot of the time - and this process usually helps my nails last up to a week :)

First, I don’t apply any lotion or nail oil until after I’ve done my nails. Then, I use an alcohol prep pad (you can get them at the drug store) and wipe each nail.

Then, I apply pH Bond to each nail - it helps dry them so the polish can stick. I use gelish ph bond .

Then for base and top coat I use gel Len base and top coat.

Let me know if those help!

I cant think of any ready kits, but you could put one together for her? Ger her some nail brushes, the really thin ones for decorating, then dotting tools, as well as strips and tape, stickers, aaand some other stuff. These are all the things I have :)

http://www.sallyhansen.com/nails/nail-color/stickers/salon-effects-real-nail-polish-strips
http://www.sallyhansen.com/nails/nail-color/stickers/salon-effects-french-mani
http://www.sallyhansen.com/nails/nail-color/nail-art
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=nail+tape
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=nail+art+brush&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Anail+art+brush
http://www.amazon.com/Dotting-Marbleizing-Manicure-Pedicure-Ounce/dp/B004OHQR1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152335&sr=1-2&keywords=nail+art
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IGZQ5QO?psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/MASH-Nail-Art-Practice-Fingers/dp/B00683JILU/ref=pd_sim_bt_11?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Z58JZWJE6CZHDAXPFA0
http://www.amazon.com/Rhinestones-Piece-Nailart-Manicure-Wheels/dp/B005BF1M10/ref=pd_sim_bt_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Z58JZWJE6CZHDAXPFA0
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Starter-Design-Nail-Basic/dp/B00HPZDMX0/ref=sr_1_12?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152335&sr=1-12&keywords=nail+art
http://www.amazon.com/3d-Pieces-Rhinestone-Nails-Cellphones/dp/B007TL60IE/ref=sr_1_15?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152335&sr=1-15&keywords=nail+art
http://www.amazon.com/SHANY-Cosmetics-Decoration-Bottles-Tweezer/dp/B009LYB2E4/ref=sr_1_14?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152335&sr=1-14&keywords=nail+art
http://www.amazon.com/Designs-French-Chevron-Teardrop-Stickers/dp/B00DHQCJTO/ref=sr_1_11?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152335&sr=1-11&keywords=nail+art
http://www.amazon.com/Painting-Drawing-Brushes-Marbleizing-Dotting/dp/B00A363EPO/ref=sr_1_9?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152335&sr=1-9&keywords=nail+art

a little drier may come in handy too, as nail art is layered and can take a long time to dry http://www.amazon.com/PROMOTION-USpicy-SEASHELL-Portable-Manicure/dp/B005WQB6G4/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152565&sr=1-1&keywords=nail+dryer

As well as one of these quick dry drops or sprays

http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Polish-Quick-Lacquer-0-3oz/dp/B0012LIHUG/ref=sr_1_2?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152601&sr=1-2&keywords=nail+quick+dry
http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Rapidry-Coats-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B000NGH3X8/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1417152601&sr=1-3&keywords=nail+quick+dry

Shop around and you'll find them for lower prices.

If you have time, buy them on eBay, that's where I always get them. They get shipped from Chine or Hong Kong and super low prices. I've bought 5 nail dotting tools for 1-2$, including shipping, and lots and lots more. A 12 wheel of nail decals, stickers and whatnot, for 99 cents.

I stamped them with the Pueen Halloween 01 stamping pad - it took me many tries to get stamping down, and I still can't quite get the hang of lead lighting, but these bats were pretty easy.
The holder is on Amazon, linked here
I also bought a handheld stand for individual nail work, linked here

Will do! I'm searching amazon now and stumbled on these little guys. They have great reviews, thought you might be interested. Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/Salon-Supply-Store-DL-C197-Soakers/dp/B001GEEQ90/ref=sr_1_10?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1395498304&sr=1-10&keywords=gelish