Idiot proof DIY Nails For $5/set (Or less)

@kaylynhalverson

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SoundTikTok sound · original sound - kaylynhalverson

Promoted product

Amazon storefront

Why it worked

The video provides a high-value, actionable tutorial that solves a common pain point (expensive salon visits) while naturally integrating the creator's Amazon storefront as the source for the affordable supplies.

Summary

The creator demonstrates her process for doing DIY gel nails at home using products purchased from her Amazon storefront. She walks through the steps of removing old nails, prepping the nail bed, painting and curing the press-on nails, and applying them with super glue.

Structure

1Introduction to DIY nail method
2Removing old nails with dental floss
3Painting and curing press-on nails
4Prepping natural nails
5Applying nails with super glue
6Final reveal and cuticle oil application

Product placement

Amazon storefront: (a) ACTS — the creator directs viewers to her Amazon storefront to purchase the nail supplies she uses. Removing this would change the video's purpose as a shopping guide. Sally Hansen: (a) ACTS — the creator uses the Sally Hansen cuticle remover on camera and explains its function. Removing this would change the demonstration of the prep process. Nail Super Glue: (a) ACTS — the creator uses this specific product to attach the nails and explains how to apply it. Removing this would change the demonstration of the application process.

Original caption

I LOVE having my nails done. So I learned how to DIY them. And before anyone comes for me: no, I am not a nail tech. 😂 I’m just a regular person who wanted cute nails without adding another appointment to my life. Here’s basically what I do: ✨ Prep is EVERYTHING. I push my cuticles back, clean up any dead skin around the nail plate, lightly buff off the shine, and make sure there’s absolutely no dust/oil left before I wash with dish soap and start using nail polish remover to further dehydrate. ✨ I size all of my tips and paint them. I paint two coats of the color and one top coat. Curing each coat. (If you’re between sizes, I’ve found it’s way easier to size up and gently file the sides to fit than try to make a too-small tip work.) ✨ Then I apply my tips, making sure I’m not leaving air bubbles underneath. This part took me a little practice, but once you figure out the angle/amount of product you need, it gets SO much easier. Start at a 45 degree angle and then apply base to tip. ✨ Finish with cuticle oil and suddenly I am a woman who has her life together. Do they look exactly like a $100 professional set under a microscope? Probably not. Do they look cute while I’m holding my coffee, typing at work, making sourdough, and aggressively pointing at things in TikToks? ABSOLUTELY. 😂 So if you’ve been staring at DIY nail videos thinking “there is absolutely no way I could do that” — hi, hello, that was me. You probably can. 💅🏼 And the dangerous part is once you own the supplies, suddenly you’re like… “well technically a new nail color is cheaper than a manicure.” And that is how they get you. 😂 @DNDGel @BTArtboxnails @btartboxnailsxcoattips @Sally Hansen #diynails #athomenails #gelnails #nailtutorial #nailtok

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Transcript

As a broke bitch that likes to have her nails done, this is how I do my nails at home for less than $5 a set. Let's get into it. I do have a couple of nails still on. Take a little dental floss and I will put it under the corner there and then I will pull sideways so that it's going through the glue and not pulling from my nail and wrecking my nail bed. And then it just falls off. Sometimes it takes a second to find like a weak point, but once you find that weak point, you're golden. These are the nails that I get. I have, I shit you not, purchased this set I think 11 times from Amazon. They come like this. I paint them right on here. You don't need a base coat. I'm going to do Cherry Mocha, which is my favorite fall nail color. And I will only paint the ones that I actually use. I go through and I mark the ones that I need to paint and then we will cure it. You can be messy because there's no skin to go around. I like to use gel just because I feel like it's more durable and it looks nice, but you definitely could use whatever polish that you have. I am going to cure these for 60 seconds. And while I do that, I will come over here and I will start nail prepping. I use the Sally Hansen cuticle remover. I'll go through, push back my cuticle, and then cut off the excess and then buff the top of my nail to prep for application. And then I use one of these little pushy guys to push it back and then I cut the excess off with this and then brush it off there. One side is done and I'm going to paint a second coat of the Cherry Mocha on here and then cure it and then I will prep the other hand while it is curing. The cuticle care is done and I have a top coat to do. Coats of color and then a top coat. They've all been cured and then we will start taking them off and matching them up with the right nail. Typically what I do is use the super glue, nail super glue, and I put a little bit on the inside of the nail like that and then I also put it on the nail itself, just a thin layer. And then I give it a second, let it get a little bit tacky. Make sure that I get it right up against the cuticle and even push into it a bit and then I will gently push down for 10 seconds or so and just make sure that the glue gets all the way around. There is a little bit of a tab at the bottom, so I will just go back and quickly take off the tab that is there. Typically I do this right before bed so that they can set all through the night. That's really the best time to do them. So I'm just going to take the cuticle oil. I, my hands are really dry so I just put it right in the palm of my hand and then I go through like this and do them. This is where we are and honestly, tell me that doesn't look good.