did my nails for 10cents — HOW??

hi zesties 🍋 im back w another money saving tip !!

ive explored various options: doing nails at salon, homebased, press ons, stickers, peel-off, waterbased, gel uv… u name it 😒

but i wanted to find an option that was affordable and lasting 🤯 so here’s my reviews of each option and what i finally settled on that allowed me to get lasting nails for only 10 cents ! 🥳

1. doing nails at salon

needless to say, this option is super pricey 💸 and ull have to deal with hard-selling and trial and error (the first one i got was super bumpy, cuticle job not well done)

2. homebased salon

this is my go-to for a treat ! @CHUBBICHUB 💅🏻 is an amazing option for me and i LOVED how she did my nails ❤️ the only qualm for me was the price ill have to pay every 2 mths if i wanted pretty nails all the time ☹️

3. press ons

if ure looking to have pretty nails for a one day event, this is it. 👍🏻 press ons cant really last longer than 2-3 days (i use nail jellies) BUT it will solve the hassle of having long nails if u cant work with extensions etc. 🤟🏻

4. sticker nails (eg. nodspark)

based on my exp, sticker nails tend to be pretty lasting and theyre also quite cheap 🙂‍↔️ however, ull have to be prepared for the stickiness of it when removed, and the obvious look of it being stickers up close 😔

5. peel-off/ waterbased

this is a good option if u want to start doing ur own nails bcos it can be easily removed using nail polish remover 🤩 altho ofc it doesnt last v long bcos it is meant to be easily removed 😜

6. gel uv

this leads me to what i finally settled on — diy gel uv nails 💅 this is what salons/ homebased are using, so uk theyll last 💪🏻 beware of accidentally painting the sides of ur nails which will cause lifting (practice is needed)

below are my tips for gel uv nails: 🟢

- go for glittery options (eg. cateye) if ure not confident — this will help to cover up any flaws in ur painting

- buy charms !! if u do ur nails outside, experienced nail techs will be able to do cute pretty designs. but at home, u can attach charms (eg. little flowers) to pull off a similar look

- avoid jelly nails — yes they look pretty, but if u apply unevenly it will show very obviously. ull also need to do multiple layers to achieve a translucent effect (= painting accurately manyyyy times)

breakdown of costs: 💰

- each nail color costs me about $1 per 7-8ml bottle — lasts me many times > 20(?)

- nail charms vary in prices, depending on how intricate designs are. the ribbon in the pic is way cheaper than the sakura flowers for that reason — costs $1-3 for around 30-50pcs of charms (= 15-25 uses)

- this turns out to be about 10 cents per set of nails, topping at about < 20 cents

give doing nails urself a try, and ull be surprised how good they can turn out ! 😍 comment down below any other ways i can try to keep my nails pretty all day and week !! 🤭