Tutorial: Orly Nail Rescue

Well, I keep getting a break on my swatch hand index finger in the exact.  Same.  Spot.  It is infuriating.  I'm having to interrupt a wear test to patch it, which is annoying.  I'm still going to finish the wear test, but I'll just have to note that my index finger was redone on day 3.  Anyway, since I'm having to patch my nail tonight, I thought I'd post a tutorial on how to use my favorite patching tool - Orly Nail Rescue.  The break and photos are from a thumb break just before Valentine's Day.  Unfortunately, I broke it too badly, so the patch only held for about 3 days.  I have, however, successfully patched my index finger for over a month until the damaged part grew out.  I really like this Orly product.  It's pretty simple to use, and it actually helps.  The only negative I have is that it dissolves in acetone, and since acetone is my preferred method of removal, I have to redo my patch each time I take off my mani.  Let's take a look at how to use it.

Here's my break from a few weeks ago.

First, remove any polish on the nail with the break.  Be careful when you remove it so you don't make the tear worse.  

Next, gather your tools.  

You'll need the Orly Nail Rescue kit, which comes with a tiny buffer, the Nail Repair powder, 

and a brush on glue.  

My glue glued itself shut, so I purchased this ibd 5 second glue from Sally's for replacement.  Try to store your glue right-side up to ensure that it doesn't glue itself together.  You'll also probably need another buffer since the one it comes with is flimsy and doesn't have much grit.  I use a medium / fine from Sally's.

Brush on one thin coat of glue.

Try to push the split pieces together for just a second so that the two pieces adhere to one another.

Next, while the glue is still wet, dip your nail down into the powder.  Press it in to pack the powder onto the nail.  Shake off the excess powder into the little tub.

Once it's relatively dry to the touch, wipe off the excess powder from around and on the nail.

Repeat the gluing and powdering steps once more.  The break should be repaired at this point, but repeat again if you feel like it's still flimsy.

Next, take your buffer and buff the patch down until it's smooth.  Don't over-buff or else the patch will be too thin.

Lastly, swipe a little bit of remover over the nail to remove any access powder and debris.

There you have it!  That's how to use the Orly Nail Rescue kit.  It's seriously a life saver for me since I tend to have flimsy nails due to my thyroid's never ending revolt against me.  I purchased my repair kit from Sally's for about $8, but I'm pretty sure it's also available at Ulta as well as other online retailers.

Do you patch your nails when they break, or do you cut and file them down?