Short Nails Tips From Hollywoodlife’s Head Nail Artist

Short nails are not always the prettiest look, but when done correctly, they can just about be trend-setting. The trick, of course, is to make them last as long as you can. Well, you’re going to want to keep your tips short for this Valentine’s Day, because our manicurist and head Nail Artist at the @Hollywoodlife_HFM salon, Tina NcNeira, knows how to do those easy nails for you, and you’re going to love her tips!

The soon-to-be Mrs. Huddleston’s washes her hands and moisturizes every day to ensure her nails are super soft and chipped-free. She’s also never had nail polish refills, because she thinks a healthy and full manicure goes a long way to take away the fatigue. Tina also loves to file her nails before and after applying polish and polishes, so her polish will dry and take the cuticle off faster.

Then there’s the first step. “Shortening your nails is my absolute top tip and best way to elongate your nails and get the maximum use out of your manicure or pedicure,” says Tina. To achieve this quick fix, as soon as you bring your nails into your hand you should prune the nail down to barely longer than the nail itself.

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Once done, stick to only two colors, because your digits should feel really soft.

“Nails shouldn’t be oily or overly dry like those I see on Instagram or anywhere else,” says Tina. “Nails should stay flawless until they dry and that means you need some help to lock that in, so try some of my soothing glosses to set your nail polish and moisturize your fingertips. Stick to just two colors for your nails — I always use the Tom Ford Nail Color Crème & Stay All Day ($42). It will give you the perfect amount of coverage without feeling heavy on your skin.”

And if you’re not quite ready to go short, then Tina’s cool fact: “Women with short nails are too feminine and too ballerina for men to appreciate. The only way for this to be a true fashion trend is to get a classic color and a good cut, and no false nails or shapes like you see in magazines.”

For the longer term, Tina recommends:

Put big boxes in your house for the cuticles to air dry. If your nails grow soft, nails will always look fine on the outside, but you may have to re-polish to maintain that look.

Remember to plump the sides and back of your nails, because the outside of your nail should be a square.

Keeping this tip in mind, you can break in a bold red polish like Chanel No. 5 ($46) over your natural color, because it will last and hold up to your teeny size more. As far as nails that seem too long? Again, use a great polish shade.

Let your nails weather at least 30 days before going to a color salon to get the service. All of our hands are way softer, so this has to be a subtle approach for the best results.

Get a cute pair of gloves or socks that match your nail polish for that “nice little touch” and look polished.

If you really want to embrace the short nines, then Tina has a few more tips on how to stretch those fine digits — and how to fix pesky nail flat spots. Check them out below!