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When you first start getting into doing your own acrylic nails, it’s both exciting and overwhelming. There are techniques to learn, gear to get, and plenty of inspiring pictures and videos of beautiful designs online to motivate you. Acrylic nails are an incredible means of letting your creativity flow and your personality shine. There’s plenty to learn, too, including what the best tools are to get the job done.

In this helpful guide, we’ll cover the key tools and ingredients you’ll need to do your own acrylic nails at home. In addition, you’ll learn how to pick the best acrylic powder, one of the most important components in acrylic nails.

What is Acrylic Powder?

Acrylic powder is a polymer that becomes spreadable when combined with a monomer in the form of acrylic liquid. When the mixture of acrylic powder and liquid is allowed to sit and air dry, it solidifies. This mixture is responsible for giving acrylic nails their structure and shape. Underneath the acrylic mixture sits an artificial tip on each nail, which attaches to your nail and extends it and gives it increased shape and definition. The combination of the tips, liquid, and powder makes your acrylic nails complete. However, you can definitely opt to top them off with some gel polish. Gel polish can give acrylic nails their distinctive look.

How do You Use Acrylic Powder?

Acrylic powder is kept in its own designated bowl during the nail applying process. In another separate dish, you’ll have your acrylic liquid. When you’ve affixed the artificial tips to each of your nails with glue, you’ll finish the nail assembly process by using a brush to mix the acrylic liquid with the powder in small increments.

Each time you blend the liquid with the powder, you create a small bead of the mixture that is malleable and spreadable. These beads will rest on the tip of your brush until you spread them on your nails. When you spread the mixture on your nails, always make sure to do so with strokes in the same direction. The best way to spread the mixture is by brushing from the bottom of your nail to the tip.

When you apply the acrylic mixture to the nail , start just past the cuticle, making sure not to spread the mixture over it. Early on in the process, you’ll push your cuticles back towards your knuckles, making room for the acrylic mixture to be spread. Your proximal nail fold should still be visible at the base of the acrylic nails. With your proximal nail fold still visible , acrylic nails look more natural and appear to be growing like real nails. In contrast, if you paint over your nail folds, your acrylic nails will take on an unnatural, overextended look.

The mixture of acrylic powder and liquid takes a few minutes to dry, but once it does, it solidifies. The solidified mixture provides the structure of the acrylic nails and can be topped with colorful polish. You can even find acrylic polish infused with glitter for an extra boost of texture and sparkle.

What to Look for in an Acrylic Powder

A good acrylic powder will mix easily with acrylic liquid to create durable acrylic nails that will solidify without any bubbles or unevenness. When you first start looking for acrylic powder, you’ll notice there are numerous options for tones for acrylic powders. However, remember that acrylic products come in different pigments to achieve different colors and patterns.

When you start out with acrylic powder, it’s often a great option to opt for a “nude” or colorless option to cover with polish. For a great powder option, whether colored or nude, go with powder by V Beauty Pure. V Beauty Pure acrylic nail system gives you the highest-quality products on the market, from powder and liquid to many colors of polish.

Why Do Your Own Acrylic Nails?

Now that you know where to look for great acrylic powder and other acrylic nail gear, it’s time to learn how to do your own acrylic nails at home. There’s plenty of opportunities to get creative and take your look in different unique directions with acrylics, but it’s also essential to know the basics of what goes on under all the colorful products. Doing acrylic nails at home takes some patience and time, but it’s well worth it.

When you do your own acrylic nails at home, you end up saving money in comparison to getting acrylics done professionally. Professionally-done acrylics can set you back several hundred dollars, but when you learn to do your own, all you need to pay for is the cost of high-quality products and tools like powder, liquid, brushes, and gel polish. Plus, when you do your own acrylic nails at home, you’re learning a valuable skill that you can pass on to friends and family.

With acrylic nails, there’s infinite potential to get creative and express yourself. You don’t need to be a pro artist to benefit from doing your own acrylic nails, but if you are looking for a new creative outlet, doing your own acrylic nails at home is a perfect option.

Doing your own acrylic nails also gives you the opportunity to boost your confidence by making a bold fashion statement. If you’re nervous about expressing yourself with fashion, acrylic nails are a great option for you because they’re fun, rewarding, and highly customizable. When you’re going about your day-to-day tasks and not feeling quite like yourself, sometimes making a change to your look can make all the difference. Dressing up and looking your best tends to make you feel more confident, and doing your own acrylic nails can play a major role in getting you there.

Getting Your Nails Ready For Acrylics

The first step in doing your own acrylic nails is taking care of your natural nails, keeping them trimmed and healthy. When you maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, your nails directly benefit. Make sure to eat plenty of foods rich in antioxidants when you’re aiming for nail perfection. Antioxidants help stimulate your body’s production of collagen, which strengthens your nails and gives them structure. If your nails are weak and brittle, it’s a telltale sign that something needs to change in your diet or lifestyle, or that you may have an underlying condition that needs to be addressed.

Before you do your own acrylic nails, you need to make sure you trim your fingernails, leaving a few millimeters of length on each. As your nails grow out, they can affect the appearance of your acrylics, so the better you prepare and maintain your natural nails, the longer your acrylics will stay looking good.

Taking care of your cuticles is another essential step in the process of prepping your nails for at-home acrylics. When you spread the mixture of acrylic powder and liquid on your nails, it will reach right up to your cuticles, creating the impression that the acrylics are growing just like your natural fingernails. Your cuticles should be pushed back towards your knuckles with a cuticle tool to make room for the acrylic mixture to be spread evenly and easily.

Next, after your cuticles are pushed back, use a soft nail buffer to buff the shine out of your nails. Before you spread the acrylic mixture on your nails, you’ll be gluing artificial tips to each nail to provide the base for the acrylics. Your nails need to be free of excess moisture and a little rough for the glue to work. Using a buffer helps to prep your nails for the components of the acrylics to be laid down.