Get a Perfect At-Home Manicure in 7 Easy Steps (2024)
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
Before
It has often been suggested to Melanie Chambers, a photo editor here at O, that she consider a gig on the other side of the camera—as a hand model. The compliments inspire her to polish her nails, religiously, once a week—but the results aren't usually fit for a close-up. So manicurist Roseann Singleton walked Melanie through her fine-tuned technique. First: Swap her go-to pinks for a deep purple; it's more striking against her pale skin.
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
1. File Your Nails
Make sure they are completely dry (filing wet nails can cause splitting). Rounded nails (mirroring the shape of your cuticle) that extend just over the edge of the fingertip always look elegant.
Apply a rich hand cream. Then, soak your nails in warm, soapy water for five minutes to soften the cuticles. (One hand at a time if you want to flip through a magazine or play with your iPad.)
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
3. Push Back Your Cuticles
Push back your cuticles with a wet nail stone. If you have a hangnail, trim it; otherwise, don't clip cuticles (they protect nails from infection).
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
4. Apply a Basecoat
It helps the color go on smoothly and last longer. Try OPI Natural Nail Base Coat. Or, if your nails have ridges, Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat.
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
5. Brush On Two Coats Of Color
Brush on two thin coats of color, waiting a couple of minutes after each hand. Use three strokes on each nail—on either side of the nail, then a swipe of color across the tip to prevent chips.
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
6. Apply a Top Coat
Singleton likes CND Air Dry, which helps cut drying time. Don't forget to swipe the top coat across the top of each nail as well, as you did with the color.
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
7. Clean Up Any Smudges
Clean up any color outside the edges of your nails with an orange stick wrapped in a thin layer of cotton and dipped in polish remover.
Photo: Chris Ecker/Studio D
After
Tip: Not ambidextrous? Join the club. To minimize slipups, paint your dominant hand first (it's even trickier to use your nondominant hand when the nails are wet with polish) and always move from your pinkie to your thumb (which tends to rotate inward as you go and could get smudged).
Many oils, including rose and lavender, contain ingredients that can soften your skin. These skin-friendly ingredients make soaking of hands beneficial to the nails and nail beds. To come up with the best solution, you need to add ¼ cup of heated bath oil to ¼ cup of warm water.
Apply Nail Polish Remover to start with a clean slate. We recommend an acetone-free nail polish remover which easily removes even the darkest shades of nail polish without drying the nail.
Many oils, including rose and lavender, contain ingredients that can soften your skin. These skin-friendly ingredients make soaking of hands beneficial to the nails and nail beds. To come up with the best solution, you need to add ¼ cup of heated bath oil to ¼ cup of warm water.
Cover each nail with a thick coat of something such as Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly ($2; target.com) or Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($5; target.com). “Applying this occlusive layer seals in the cuticle oil so that it will penetrate deeper and provides a protective barrier to help prevent moisture loss,” explains Dr.
Soften nails and cuticles in a bowl of warm water mixed with cuticle oil, olive oil, or body lotion. After a 10-minute soak, dry off and apply cuticle cream or lotion. Gently ease cuticles back by making tiny circles against the cuticle with a cuticle pusher.
Dots are a great place to begin with basic nail art design—they're easy to create and they render a fun, playful effect. To get the look, pour a small amount of nail polish onto a safe surface and dip the end of your dotting tool into it. Holding your tool at a 90 degree angle, apply tiny dots.
A spa manicure typically lasts longer than a regular manicure, and more emphasis is placed on the overall experience, rather than hand maintenance. The base service typically doesn't include acrylic, dip or shellac nails, so if that's what you're looking for make sure you talk to your technician ahead of time!
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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