Okay, so let’s talk about acrylic nails. It feels like ages ago when I first dipped my toes into this whole world, but I remember it pretty clearly. I saw some women with these really nice, long, sturdy-looking nails and thought, “I want that!” My own nails were always a bit rubbish, breaking easily, you know how it is.
My First Try
So, I booked an appointment. Didn’t really know what I was asking for, just said I wanted acrylics. I went into the salon, sat down, and watched the whole process. They cleaned up my natural nails first, pushed back the cuticles, roughed up the surface a bit. Then came the interesting part. They stuck these plastic tips on the end of my nails to make them longer. After cutting and shaping those tips, they started with the acrylic itself – dipping a brush into some liquid, then into a powder, and patting this blob onto my nail and the tip. It smelled pretty strong, I gotta admit.
They built up the nail, shaped it (I think I just went for a simple square shape back then), filed it smooth, and then painted it. It took a while, maybe an hour or more? Walking out, my nails felt super hard, kinda thick, but they looked great! I kept tapping them on things, just because I could.
Experimenting with Different Kinds
After having that first set for a few weeks, I went back for a fill. That’s when I started noticing other people’s nails more. Some had different shapes, some seemed like they were done differently. I got curious about the types of nails acrylic could offer.
So, next time, I asked about shapes. I tried almond for a bit, which was nice, felt a bit more elegant. Then I saw someone with really pointy ones – stiletto, they called them. Gave those a go once, but wow, they were tricky! Couldn’t easily pick up coins, and kept poking myself. Not for me, really.
I also noticed sometimes they didn’t use those plastic tips. Instead, they put these sticky paper things under my nail edge, like a form, and built the acrylic extension right over that. Seemed like a different way to get the length. I tried that too. Felt a bit different during the application, maybe blended more naturally at the base? Hard to say for sure, but it was another option.
- Tips: Faster maybe? Good for adding a lot of length quickly.
- Forms: Maybe better for shaping? Seemed more sculpted.
Then there was this other thing I saw, dip powder. Some places group it with acrylics because it’s similar stuff, just applied differently. You paint on a base coat, dip your nail in colored powder, paint again, dip again. Layer it up like that. I tried that for a while. It felt strong too, maybe a bit thinner than the traditional acrylics I had first? The removal seemed a bit easier sometimes. But I kind of missed the sculpting part of the regular acrylic process.
What I Learned and Stuck With
Over time, doing fills, trying different shapes, and seeing the different application methods, I learned what I liked. For me, the traditional liquid and powder acrylic, often done over tips because I like a bit of length, just works best. I found a technician I liked who really knew how to shape them well – not too thick, not too thin.
I settled on an oval or almond shape usually. It looks good, and it’s practical enough for daily stuff. Getting them filled every 2-3 weeks became routine. Taking them off completely? Yeah, that’s a process too, usually involving soaking them in acetone. Did that a few times when I wanted a break.
So yeah, that’s been my journey with acrylics. Started simple, got curious about the different types of nails acrylic styles and methods, tried a few things out, and eventually found what suited me. It’s all about trying it yourself and seeing what you prefer, really.
