Tools

 Nail Polish Removal Pen

I can't imagine what I would do without this tool. In fact, I found myself without it once and felt completely helpless. This tool is indispensable whether you're in to nail art or just like to paint your nails a single colour. Basically, it's a felt-tip type pen that you dip into your nail polish remover to remove any...uhhhh...'accidents' from the skin around your nails. It removes the polish effortlessly as long as you do it immediately and leaves a nice clean line around the nail. They come with 3 spare tips so when one gets too dirty you just swap it over. They last ages, I do my nails on average twice a week and my first one lasted me about 5 months. As with most of my nail art tools, these came from ebay. You can buy them in packs of 5 or singly. Search 'nail polish removal pen'.

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Rhinestone Picker

In a few of my posts I've mentioned a nifty tool for picking up rhinestones. Basically it's just a pencil, but whatever makes up the 'lead' of the pencil (something waxy I believe) picks up the rhinestones so that you can easily place them on your nails. Don't bother trying to use a normal pencil, it won't work. You can get these for a couple of dollars each (or less) on ebay. Just search 'rhinestone picker'.

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Dotting Tools

Ever wondered how to get perfect dots? Well you can use a toothpick or the end of a bobbypin, but personally I think these dotting tools are well worth buying. They're really versatile and I use mine for just about any drawing I do on my nails. I bought mine on ebay for about $2 for a pack that includes 5 double ended tools of different sizes. Just type 'dotting tool' into the search bar.

When I use my dotting tools I find it's easier to put a bit of nail polish on a piece of paper and dip in to that rather than dipping in to the bottle. If the polish starts to go gunky or stringy simply wipe excess polish from the dotting tool using a tissue and/or put a fresh blob of polish on the paper.

In addition to using these tools to make dots, they are a great alternative to a rhinestone picker. Simply dip your dotting tool into some clear polish and use it to pick up your rhinestone.

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Nail Art Brushes

These brushes are great for detailing, especially when doing stripes. The long bristles are great for doing longer lines. Like the dotting tools, I find it easier to put a bit of nail polish onto a piece of paper rather than dipping into the bottle. Make sure your pinky is resting on something for stability so you don't get wonky lines.

I got my brushes on ebay for about $2 for a pack of 4. Alternatively, you could go to your local newsagent or art supply shop and pick up a size 0000 paint brush.

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