Tuesday, May 07, 2013

How to Do A Salon Quality Manicure at Home


I love going to the nail salon as much as any other girl, but I often leave thinking I could have done a better manicure myself. I have very short nails by choice and there isn’t a lot a manicurist can do in terms of altering the shape of my nails. I’ve learned that a steady hand and the right products can go a long way in perfecting an at home manicure. 



Love how her nails pop against the dress! (Source)



Twice a day I moisturize my cuticles with Essie’s ApricotCuticle Oil. It adds instant shine to my nails regardless of whether or not I’m wearing polish and it smells great. I keep a bottle on my desk at work and one at home so there’s no excuse not to use it. (Source)

I always keep my hands hydrated. Winter wrecks havoc on my skin and a perfect manicure is wasted if my hands are cracked and dry. I love L’occitane’shand creams and the packaging is beautiful. 






To start off my at home manicure I use Sally Hansen’sInstant Cuticle Remover. Apply one drop to each cuticle, wait 15 seconds, then push back cuticles with an orange stick.  Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water and dry thoroughly. (Source) 

Before I use any polish I make sure my nails are clean and dry.  This means no polish, oil, or moisturizer is present on my nails.  I swipe nail polish remover or even rubbing alcohol over my nails so that the base coat will dry properly. 

Next, I apply a thin coat of Seche Vite base coat. I find this base coat dries almost instantly and I can precede right into using color. 

I apply two thin coats and now I’m ready for the topcoat!  Seche Vite top coat dries quickly and gives my nails a sheen that other topcoats just don’t have. I then sit still for 30 minutes. This can be difficult, but just type carefully on your laptop, watch TV, or call a friend, there’s nothing worse than smudging a nail right after a manicure. 

If I’ve made any mistakes I’ll go around the cuticle area with Sally Hansen’s No More Mistakes cleanup pen. The result?  Shiny, smudge-free nails done all in the privacy of my own home!  
Written by Julia Kristin Summers