Fingernail accessory and method of forming an artificial fingernail

1. A fingernail accessory adapted to receive a layer of settable polymeric material for forming an artificial fingernail comprising:

(a) a polymeric body having an upper surface, a lower surface, a proximal end and a distal end; and

(b) a base having a base distal portion secured to and covered by at least a portion of said lower surface and a base proximal portion extending beyond said proximal end, said base receiving a layer of settable polymeric material when applied to a natural fingernail to form an artificial fingernail and having a base distal end aligned with said distal end of said polymeric body;

wherein the base is adhered to the natural fingernail so as to leave a proximal area of the natural fingernail uncovered by the base and the settable polymeric material is applied so as to cover the base proximal portion and the proximal area of the natural fingernail.

2. The fingernail accessory according to claim 1 wherein said polymeric body is made of a first opaque polymeric material and said base is made of a second translucent polymeric material.

3. The fingernail accessory according to claim 2 wherein said first opaque polymeric material is white in color and said second translucent polymeric material is transparent.

4. The fingernail accessory according to claim 1 wherein said base is made of a tinted translucent polymeric material.

5. The fingernail accessory according to claim 1 wherein said base has a base thickness and said polymeric body has a polymeric body thickness, said base thickness being no greater than 45% of said polymeric body thickness.

6. The fingernail accessory according to claim 1 wherein said polymeric body has a polymeric body thickness in a range of 0.35 to 0.65 mm and said base has a base thickness in a range of 0.100 to 0.150 mm.

7. The fingernail accessory according to claim 1 wherein said base comprises a layer of deformable material adapted to conform to an upper surface of a natural fingernail when applied to the natural fingernail.

8. A method of forming an artificial fingernail on a natural fingernail comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a fingernail accessory comprising a polymeric body and a base, the polymeric body having an upper surface, a lower surface, a proximal end, and a distal end, the base being secured to at least a portion of the lower surface and extending beyond the proximal end;

(b) adhering the base with an adhesive to at least a portion of the natural fingernail so as to leave a proximal area of the natural fingernail uncovered by the base; and

(c) applying a settable polymeric material to the base so as to cover the base and the proximal area of the natural fingernail to form an artificial fingernail.

9. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 8 wherein the settable polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of a polymeric liquid and a polymeric gel.

10. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 8 , wherein the settable polymeric material is applied to cover the base, the proximal area of the natural fingernail, and at least a portion of the upper surface of the polymeric body.

11. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 8 wherein the settable polymeric material comprises an acrylic-based polymer.

12. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 11 wherein the acrylic-based polymer comprises acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic.

13. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 11 wherein the settable polymeric material comprises a copolymer of acrylic ester and vinyl acetate formed from an aqueous acrylic copolymer emulsion.

14. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 8 wherein the polymeric body is made of a first opaque polymeric material; the base is made of a second translucent polymeric material, and the settable polymeric material comprises a liquid material that dries to form a translucent layer of polymeric material.

15. The method of forming an artificial fingernail according to claim 14 wherein the settable polymeric material comprises a liquid material that dries to form a layer of polymeric material tinted pink in color.