In terms of tools, the manicurists at Shoreditch Nails use dotting tools and striper bushes, which resemble tiny paintbrushes. You can invest in these tools but Tina also suggests some less expensive alternatives to the professional kit, “If you have a bobby pin, that works as a dotting tool and a toothpick can replace a striper brush.”Nail art can take much longer than a simple coat of polish so it would be a shame if it was to chip soon after application.
“At our salons and academy, we use a clean-up brush that looks like an eyeshadow brush and nail polish remover,” Tina explains. “You can also use a wood stick dipped in nail polish remover.” Tina says that you should avoid using cotton to clean up your nail art because the cotton fibres can stick to the polish and ruin your design. She also advises against over-using clean up tools because having a perfectionist mindset towards doing nail art can become frustrating.There’s no real trick to mastering nail art, Tina says - it’s all about practice.
Tina explains that doing nail art on your own nails can be particularly difficult, though. “Even we still struggle doing nail art on ourselves with our non-primary hands,” she says, explaining that the only way to overcome this is practice. If you have a particularly shaky hand, you should lay your hand across a surface and use your other hand to help steady yourself.
If you live with someone who is willing to let you practice nail art on them, this is a good idea, as doing nail art on other people is much easier than doing it on yourself.