What you'll need.

1. A pack of nails (I prefer the brand Nailene because they sell the nail packs in two different lengths. This is the longer starting size which gives you more room for error and the option of a longer claw.)
2. A nail file
3. Nail glue (The bottles with brushes reduce the chance of glue residue sealing the container closed and making them unusable.)
4. Nail clippers
5. Nail polish of your choice (These little Revlon Sun Candy Duo's are great, the glitter especially; you only need one coat of it instead of a million to get the glitter prominent and even.)
6. Cuticle moisturising oil

STEP ONE - Prepare Your Nails 

Start by clipping your real nails down short; this will help to prevent them from tearing and getting damaged if your claws come off during activities or when you choose to remove them. Next you should file the tops of your nails lightly to remove any previous glue residue or bumps which cause the fresh glue to be less effective. Finish your preparation by applying the cuticle moisture oil to your nail for a few minutes to soften the cuticles, then push them back gently. It is important to do this as gluing a nail over your cuticle can be quite painful!

STEP TWO - Prepare Your Claws

Select the correct size false nail for each of your fingers by placing the nail over your own for comparison; be sure not to select one that is too large as these will dig into the soft skin around your nail bed during wear and be painful. The false nails will need to be filed around the base so don't worry if they seem the completely wrong shape for your natural nails, thats whats next! After you've picked the right size for your nails you'll need to take and emery board and file the shape of the nails to match your own (you'll most likely just need to do a little rounding!).

STEP THREE - Application

Once your false nails are shaped to fit the size of your nail beds just take your glue and apply it to either the inside of the false nails or the surface of your natural nail. You'll need to line it up fairly quickly as the glue is fast drying, and make sure to press the nail down and hold it firmly for a few seconds to eliminate air bubbles. I'd recommend working from your pinkies inwards as you'll need your thumbs and forefingers for this task and it can be a bit tricky with long witch nails.

STEP FOUR - Shaping

At this point your nails will probably look those of a old, poorly groomed Disney witch or Dee Reynolds in that one episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

SO you'll need to trim them down and depending what shape you want, have a bit of a file.

STEP FIVE - Colour

I'm sure none of you need any help with this final step! Just paint your blank canvas claws as you would your natural nails and have fun looking fabulous!

Leave a reply