There’s nothing like acrylic nails if you want a professional-looking manicure. But it can be pricey to get those salon results, let alone the maintenance and fills you’ll need to keep your nails looking good. If you want to get acrylic nails, then why not give it a try yourself at home? You’ll need a few supplies to get started, but once you have everything, you won’t have to expend any more money for fills. The basic supplies for doing your own nails can be found at the beauty supply store. Get a good quality assortment of different-sized nail tips, then find acrylic liquid and acrylic powder – find the best quality you can to prevent lifting and yellowing. A small acrylic brush will apply the mixture. As you prep your area, be sure to have plenty of cotton balls, paper towels, a filing block, nail glue, a small, shallow dish to hold the acrylic liquid, acrylic nippers (or cuticle scissors), a four-way filing block, a nail scrubbing brush, the polish and topcoat of your choice, and acetone and non-acetone remover.

The acetone is to dissolve the acrylic should you make a mistake; non-acetone is to remove polish mistakes. Acetone dissolves acrylic, so when you’re ready to take off your nails, just soak nails completely in acetone for 10 minutes and pop off. Soak longer if needed. Match nail tips to your nail size precisely, then apply a drop of nail glue to your nail tip. Apply the artificial tip and press for 10 seconds. Clip nails to desired length and file, then take the acrylic brush and dip in the liquid until just wet. Add enough powder to create a bead of mixture on the brush, then apply to the seam of the nail tip. Smooth a thin layer over both nail and tip, being careful not to create ridges or lumps and avoiding the cuticle. Allow to dry, then buff out with the four-way filer. Follow up with shaping the tips, then scrub underneath and on top in warm, soapy water. Dry completely, then apply polish. Fill nails by clipping away the bottom area and adding fresh powder and liquid, then re-filing the tops and cleaning.