5 nail hacks taking over TikTok
By Chloe Randall | 21 December 2021 | Feature
From perfecting smile lines to styling swirls, TikTok users have been sharing their home ‘nail hacks’ to perfect their favourite nail looks.
While we always recommend visiting a trained nail technician for optimum nail care and results, we’ve rounded up five of the #nailhacks on the platform, which has over 480 million views on the hashtag…
1. For perfect polish painting
Painting your own nails with your non-dominant hand can be tricky – there’s always one hand painted better than the other, right? @Parabellbeauty1 applies petroleum jelly (Vaseline) around nails before painting, then uses a cotton swab to remove the excess polish around the nails.
@parabellbeautyIf you struggle with painting your nails, watch this. #IFeelWeightless #longnails #nailhacks #longnails #naturalnails #lifehack #nailpolish♬ Cherrybonbon – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
2. Polka dot nail art
With nail art now more popular than ever, people have been trying their hand at creating different designs at home, including polka dots. @Craftynails1 on TikTok posted a hack involving dipping the end of a hair grip in nail polish and using it to add polka dots to any base colour. Dotting tools are still the way to go but desperate times call for desperate measures!
@craftynails1What should I name this design? #summernails #simplenails #polkadot #nailhacks #nailart #nailarttutorial #lifehacks♬ good 4 u – Olivia Rodrigo
3. Swirly nail art
Swirl nail art has been taking over the Instagram nail scene with technicians being inundated with requests for swirl nail art. TikTok user @Rosediy13 took matters into their own hands with a hack using a toothpick to create swirl shapes over a desired base colour. While it may seem like a solution when your local nail salon is fully booked, visiting your nail technician will mean you experience swirl nail art at its best so you can sit back and enjoy!
@rosediy13Toothpick Nails #ahamazinglearning #toothpick #diywithme #tiktokskwela #learnontiktok #fyp #rosediy13 #nailhacks #diy #nailart #aha♬ original sound – ROSE DIY
4. Tool-free French tip
French manicures never go out of style and TikToker Maria Zarkova went viral when she showed off a hack to master the tips. By painting polish on to the pad of a thumb and dipping the tips in to it on the other hand, it creates the ideal smile line without the worry of shaky hands. Other TikTok hacks include using a jelly stamper for smooth application.
@mariazarkova14French manicure in 15mins #fyp #frenchmanicure #nailsart♬ Good as Hell – Lizzo
5. Newspaper nails
Looking for a new nail trend to master? The newspaper nail hack by @lightslacquer is an easy way to create abstract nail art in three steps. The user paints on a base colour before applying cut out your newspaper pieces and placing on the nail before sealing. This hack could also be done in the salon for clients wanting something a bit different.
@lightslacquernewspaper nails diy tutorial ??✨ #lightslacquer #nailpolish #nails #nailtutorial #nailinspo #nailart #newnails #nailhack #nailvideos♬ Love Nwantiti(Dance Ver) – FYP???