Getting nice, deep smile lines doesn’t require years of laughter, but it does take practice. One way to start is to divide the nail into sections and apply your smile line one piece at a time. Lois Kuntz of Trendsetters Salon in Lemoore, Calif., describes her method of divide and conquer — smile line style.

“Dividing the free edge vertically lets you create half of the smile line’s arch along the free edge, and then you can match it on the other side. This simplifies the task by breaking it down into parts. Once you’ve divided it into parts, you can fade the product down towards the free-edge.

When I’m shaping my smile lines, I quickly place the product on the entire side of the free edge I’m working on, and then work from the center of the smile line out to each side. This helps me with the balance and keeps my focus on the center of the nail. I also complete all 10 of my smile lines and free edges before going to the next step to help with my consistency.

Then when the smile line is complete, I build up the free edge with product and fade back up toward the smile line to level it out.

Focusing on a smaller area like this gives you more time to create perfect smiles. Ratio consistency is also very important when working in sections, especially with white.

 

The left side of the smile line fades into both the right side and the free edge.

 

The right side of the smile line fades back toward the left side and the free edge.

 

Remember to continually wipe and clean your brush as you work to keep it sharp. This helps you get nice, crisp smile lines.  

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