16 nail hacks for amazing DIY manis

Hi, I’m Sam, and I can never have bare nails. They must always be perfectly painted. Some may call this OCD, but I’m sure many of you are just the same. And if so, you’ll also understand the pain felt when you smudge your colour, accidently paint your fingers or can’t decide on a shade in the first place. So I thought I’d pull together the best nail hacks I’ve come across. This is one for the mani maniacs!
#1 Fix a broken nail using a tea bag, nail glue and a clear polish. Simply cut the tea bag to size, glue it onto the broken section and go over it with a coat of polish.
bh recommends: Fing'rs Brush On Nail Glue and INTENSAE YÜYI 2-in-1 base and top coat.
Pinterest: Inspire Beauty Tips
#2 Hate how hard it is to remove glitter nail polish? Avoid it completely! Instead, purchase a set of fake nails (we like Nailene So Natural Undecorated), paint them with your favourite glitter polish (Mode have a great sparkly gold one called Finders Keepers) and take them on and off as you please.
etsy.com
#3 Add cornstarch to a nail colour to create a matte polish. You can also use clear polish for a matte top coat.
Pinterest: Brit + Co
#4 Similarly, create your own glitter polish by mixing craft glitter or loose eye dust with a clear nail polish.
ebeautyblog.com
#5 Just like with DIY hair dye, when you’re about to do your nails, apply a little moisturiser or Vaseline on your cuticles. That way, it’ll be easy remove any polish that falls outside the nail.
madtownmacs.blogspot.com
#6 Can’t choose a nail colour? Try pairing it with the lippy you want to wear. bh loves these combos:
#7 Paint just like the pros by following this instructional chart.
Pinterest: Makeup Tutorials
#8 Use a lip or eye pencil to apply those tricky rhinestones.
allwomenstalk.com
#9 It’s no secret that most nail polish removers smell awful. And when they spill in your bag when travelling, no item escapes the stench. So to avoid that #firstworldproblem, take Fresh Therapies Natural Nail Polish Remover Wipes on your travels. They’re also great for those with a fear of cotton balls.
#10 Create love hearts using a toothpick and three dots.
thebeautydepartment.com
#11 Dunk your hands in a bowl of icy water to speed up the drying process.
rubywing.com
#12 Use a rubber band when doing French tips. Simply loop it into a knot to keep it in place.
lifehackable.com
#13 No dotting tools? No worries! Make your own with pins and pencils.
thedailyvarnish.com
#14 Apply chunky glitter coats by dabbing instead of brushing for better coverage.
contagious--love.tumblr.com
#15 Put your nail polish in the fridge for 20 minutes before painting to make it glide on smoother.
dweam.com
#16 Can’t stand chips? Invest in an at-home gel manicure kit for a longer-lasting, stronger mani. bh recommends: GlazeMe Premium Starter Kit.
Pinterest: BeautyCross
Have you ever tried any of the above hacks? Do you know any other tricks for the perfect mani?
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...
4 mani-pedi colour combos to try |
Creative ways to store your nail polish bottles |
The best long-lasting beauty products |
9 nifty ways to use nail polish |
Indulge your dark side with 8 different black polishes |
Why you should be using a cuticle oil |
98 Member Comments
Great money saving techniques! Wish I knew these years ago!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Some awesome tips here.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Great informative article. All the hacks are pretty interesting
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Oh wow, I love the tea bag to fix the broken nail trick. I didn’t know that. I’ll definitely try it.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Some great Tips for having better Nails some amazing tricks.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I love the Vaseline trick though I forget to do this half the time. Worth it though to minimize clean up time.
Might give the icy water one a go!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
LOVE the way to fix a broken nail, i always get them
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I always get broken nails it's so annoying because then I have to shorten it/ file it down smooth. I'll give the teabag trick a try next time would much rather try and save my nail!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I really like this article. There are some awesome tips in here. Plus, if all else fails, you can save the photos!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I tried the rubber band tip, but it didn't seem to work and I managed to mess up my French tips anyways! Will definitely give the others a go though
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
The rubber band French mani is also a great idea
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Whoa cornstarch?! no way!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Omg, the vaseline around the nail trick is genius! I do that for dying my hair, why didn't I think of that for nails??
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
These tips are great, I'm definitely going to try putting nail polish in the fridge next time.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
The matte polish tip is interesting and I like the instructional chart.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
A lot of tips here to keep in mind.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Omg amazing article, I will try the vaseline around the nails!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
maybe i should stuff my polish in the fridge too
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Great article - quite a few tips here that I didn't already know!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I'm definitely going to try some of theses tips now , ☺️☺️
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0

Great article! Thanks. My tips: I'm not into artificial nails as such but if I want a mess free easy to remove sparkle/glitter colour I use Jamberry nail wraps in preferred sparkle/glitter colour, or sparkle/glitter lacquer over nail wraps, and whole lot can be removed easily just by removing wrap.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
So many good tips!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
So many little tips I've never heard before. Thanks bh!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0