In a world where nail art is becoming more and more intricate and expensive, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed! Should I get a professional manicure or do my own nails at home? Will acrylic nails or gel polishes damage my nails? Can I do my own nails if I don’t want to pay salon prices?

Luckily for you, the growing world of nail art also provide lots of options, so with a little bit of knowledge and creativity, everyone can have amazing nails at an affordable price! You just need to know a few basics.

You can have a perfect DIY gel manicure!

Lots of ladies love getting a gel manicure! Gels are healthier for your nails than acrylics, and last two or three times longer than old-fashioned polish without chipping. The only downside is that a gel manicure is often much more expensive at a salon. Polish experts are tackling the problem with gel manicure kits that you can use anywhere! If you have a favourite color to show off, you can order a Madam Glam kit and update your manicure as often as you want. While a proper gel treatment takes longer than traditional polish, you will only have to redo your manicure every two or three weeks!

You can mix gels with other kinds of polish

Gel manicures are great because they let you keep a manicure for a long time, but sometimes you still want to mix it up. Good news! You can use gels to keep nail art in place for longer. Simply apply a gel base coat which will come with your kit, add a layer of traditional polish and paint a gel topcoat over it. Just be careful to make sure every layer is DRY before you start on the next one. Wait an hour or two between applying traditional polish and your topcoat.

You can really get creative by adding sparkles, cracking polish, or using nail pens for a funky design! But be careful. Since gel manicures last longer, so will any mistakes you make. If you’re not comfortable using your non-dominant hand for nail art, invite some friends over for a girls’ night in and trade manicures!

If you’re ready to splurge, you can have talk-of-the-town nails

Gel manicures can carry a high price tag, so a lot of fashionistas prefer to pick one or two basic colors and do their own manicures at home. But every once in a while, it’s fun to treat your nails to the work of a real artist. Some salons specialize in turning your fingers into rainbows, or even in writing short messages on them! Be prepared though, high quality work can cost hundreds of dollars, so if you want something truly special, you might want to wait for a wedding, a party, or a pick-me-up during an especially difficult week.

Gel polish is a great option for keeping your nails healthy!

We’ve all heard a few horror stories about acrylic nails gone wrong, and the urge to chip away at a cracking manicure can also end up causing problems – so why risk it! Since gel manicures last a long time, your nails will stay protected longer. Just follow a few simple steps to make sure that you’re giving your digits the best care possible.

First of all, make sure you file your nails, trim your cuticles, and give your hands a good lotion or oil treatment between manicures – and never, ever clip or file your nails when they have polish on. Secondly, gels require UV light to dry. The technology these days is very safe, but if you have sensitive skin, consider applying sunscreen to the skin around your nails before you set them to dry. Last but not least, make sure you are always soaking your nails with a gel-friendly polish remover when you want to change your style, and never try to speed up the process by picking at your manicure or trying to file the color away!

So what are you waiting for? Get online or head to the salon and find the manicure of your dreams today!