Annika (who Miska and I run our company with) is the most independent person I know. She does exactly everything herself and what she does not know she learns!

As long as I have known her, she has fixed her own nail extension with chalk-white French manicure. Now after a number of years I suddenly became curious about how she does, so now she has taught me that! :)

The result I am looking for is:

• Strong nails that do not fall off
• Stylish and fine nails even without nail polish
• Durable result on the nail polish when I want to paint the nails in one color

So I myself have not lengthened my nails (as Annika does) but only made acrylic on my natural ones for a lightening and strengthening.

Did you know that nail polish lasts longer on a built material than on the natural nail because the nails produce oil? I thought it was just because it will be such a smooth surface on built nails, but a nail therapist told me before that the nail bed produces oil that makes the nail polish drop :)

I do not use a UV lamp but mix glue and nail powder and then I spray with a "glue activator" that hardens everything.

What you need:

1. A small glass bowl to mix in
2. Nail powder, I have a white one because I want a lightening of the nail, so it looks more stylish without having nail polish :)
3. Nail glue (it's like a clear liquid)
4. Glue activator (spray) that hardens the glue
5. Ordinary nail file
6. Polishing nail file
7. Transparent nail polish if you want a nice shine on the nail.
8. A brush (or two) you are not afraid of, it does not have to be great, you can kind of use those plastic watercolor brushes that come in children's paints you know? :) Because it gets kind of ruined later.

It is Annika who has bought this starter kit for me so I unfortunately have zero control over where you can buy everything. Shout out if you want to know and I'll ask her!

If you want to make an extension, you also need tips, then you glue on the tips before and then you do all the steps that I will explain below.

But I have quite long nails anyway so I do not need it + do not want French because then you have to redo them as soon as the tip grows too far out. My hope is that it will last so well that I only need to replenish the outgrowth when they grow out. I have never seen Annika with a broken nail so I guess it will hold me just as well :)

I could not take photos step by step because you need to be quite fast so that the glue does not dry out. But in the future when I get the speed so maybe I can show you!

Here's how I do it:

1. File the nails to the length you want
2. Pour glue into the glass bowl
3. Pour in nail powder and stir with the brush so that it becomes a mess, something between runny and thick :) If it gets too thick, you can easily pour in more glue. If it is too thin, it is not possible to build up the nail and if it becomes too thick, it will just be sticky and damn.
4. Apply to the nail, if the cream is well mixed, it is quite easy to spread it evenly because it "flows out" a little. Check at different angles so that it looks even. Be careful not to get it on the cuticles or on the skin next to the nails.
5. Spray glue activator. I usually do it between each nail but Annika finishes each hand and then she sprays on all 5 nails at the same time. But I do not want to risk accessing the nail and destroying so I harden immediately.
6. Polish the nails with a polishing file (my file has 4 steps) then the nails will be smooth and smooth!
7. If you happen to get major irregularities somewhere, you can file with the usual nail file before.
8. Finish with transparent nail polish

Clear!

sustainability
As for durability and I can not say much yet than I have not had this for so long, I have got a small crack in the thumb nail after 1 week when I happened to hit it hard in a chair hehe. But I pulled on some nail glue and it seems to hold up well anyway. But other than that, they are still whole and nice 1.5 weeks after anyway!

Results
The nails turned out so good I think! Great shine, nice lightening and they feel hard and durable without being thick. I like that they still feel thin and natural as well.

Fint va? :) I like that it is bright and fresh at the same time as it is a bit transparent so that you can see the tips a little through.

Note I am aware that many will think I am completely crazy crazy who risks ruining my nails like this at home! You can get reactions if you happen to harden acrylates on the skin so you have to be careful and responsible. Annika has been doing this for any number of years, but you should be aware that it is not something to play with.

But you have to live a little too;)

If you want, I can update you with more posts about this when I have gained more experience myself? And if you have any questions already now, you know that it's just a matter of shouting :)

Hug hug!