1. Get an acrylic nail kit.

2. Decide to buy the supplies separately. For greater control over the appearance of your acrylics, you may want to buy the supplies separately.

•Acrylic nail tips and nail tip glue
•Acrylic nail clippers and files.
•Acrylic liquid and acrylic powder.
•Acrylic bowl and acrylic brush.

Remove old nail polish. Acrylic should be applied to clean nails, so remove your old polish before getting started.

Trim your nails. To provide a good base for the acrylic, use a nail scissors or nail clippers to trim your natural nails to a short, even, manageable length.

Buff the surface of your nails. Use a soft nail file to make the surface of your nails slightly rougher and less shiny. This provides a better surface for the acrylic to stick to.

Push back your cuticles. You want the acrylic to be adhered to your natural nails, not your skin. Push back your cuticles or trim them to keep them out of the way while you give yourself a manicure.

Use the nail primer. This removes the remaining moisture and oils from your nails to get them ready for the acrylic.

•Nail primer with acid is made with an methacrylic acid, which can burn. Be careful not to use too much or get it on your skin. There are acid-free primers if you are unsure of the acid ones.

Apply the tips. Find the right size tips for your nail. If the tip doesn't fit your nail perfectly, file it down to size

Place a dab of glue on the tip from side to side and apply it to your natural nail so that the bottom edge of the acrylic tip is centered halfway down the surface of your nail.

Hold it in place for five seconds to allow the glue to dry. Do that on all 10 nails, then cut the nails to preferred length.

•If you accidentally apply the nail tip crooked, soak it in water for a few minutes to remove it, they dry your nail and reapply the nail tip.

Make sure the glue doesn't flow onto your skin.

Get the acrylic materials ready. Pour the liquid acrylic into the acrylic dish, and pour some powder into a separate dish. Acrylic is a strong chemical that produces fumes that can be toxic, so make sure you're working in a well-ventilated area.

Load the acrylic brush with acrylic. Dip the brush into the acrylic dish. Push it all the way down and make sure all the bubbles goes away.

Then brush it against the side of the bowl to remove excess liquid. Run the brush through the acrylic powder so that a small, moist ball collects on the end of the brush.

You may have to practice a few times to achieve the correct ratio of liquid to powdered acrylic. The small ball of acrylic mixture should be moist and spreadable, but not too wet. The acrylic should stray on the brush, not drip off of the brush.

Apply the acrylic mixture to your nails. Start at the "smile line," the bottom edge of the acrylic tip. Flatten the acrylic ball over the line and brush it down to the tip. Spread it quickly and smoothly so that the transition between your natural nail and the acrylic tip is smooth.

Remember to wipe your brush on a paper towel between every stroke. When you get a hang of it you won't need to do it as often.

This is so the acrylic won't stick to your brush. If i'ts still on the brush you could dip the brush in the liquid while the acrylic is still wet on the brush, and then wipe it off again.

Less is more! If you have too much acrylic on the nails you'll have to file for what feels like an eternity. Working with small beads is easier in the beginning.

If you apply the acrylic correctly, there should be a gentle curve, rather than a harsh line, where the acrylic tip meets your natural nail. You may need to use more than one ball of acrylic per nail to achieve this.

•Don't apply the acrylic to your cuticle. It should start a few millimeters above your cuticle so that it adheres to your nail, not your skin.

Let the acrylic dry. It should only take about ten minutes before the acrylic is completely set. Test it by tapping the surface of your nail with the handle of your acrylic brush. If it makes a clicking sound, it's ready for the next step.

Shape the tips. Now that the acrylic has set, use a course nail file (180 grit for example) to shape the tips and file them to the length you want.

Use a buffer to buff the surface of the nails, the 240 grit file takes away the scratches from the 180 grit file. Finish with an 1000 grit and after that the 4000 grit for the extra shine.

With the 4000 it can be as shiny as a top coat if done correctly!

Paint your nails. You can use a coat of clear polish or choose to paint them with colored nail polish. Apply the polish to the entire nail to create a smooth, even surface.

Finished.

Looking Good?

Do it yourself at home..