We are officially seeing some kind of light at the end of the quarantine tunnel, it's only been how many days? Too many to count by now, and our poor nails and hair have seen better days. I usually opt for a manicure at my local salon, but I probably won't be visiting one any time soon, so I've really gotten good at the at-home mani/pedi's!
I've always had pretty short, brittle nails, but luckily my nail beds are pretty long, so keeping them short never bothered me. If you are someone that bites your nails or your cuticles, then you probably have a hard time keeping your nails long! I've never been much of a nail biter, but I do pick at my cuticles, so I recently bought this nail polish to leave my nails alone, and WOW...it works. It works so well, I have to be aware of what I touch because it rubs off onto everything it touches! Found that out the hard way while eating popcorn. Anyway, if you are looking to stop biting your nails/cuticles, then I recommend trying this polish.
If you're wanted a quick, temporary solution to hold you over, and you really don't want to paint your nails because they are too damaged, or too short, then I really like these glue on nails! They are my go-to when I need a quick fix, and they look so good and actually stay on for a few days!
Having nourished, trimmed cuticles and filed nails is the first step to an at-home manicure. You never want to file too much, and you don't want to get rid of too much cuticle or pick too much.
STEPS FOR MANICURE/PEDICURE
1. Remove polish with nourishing polish remover
2. Soak hands in warm water for a few minutes then put on some cuticle cream
3. File nails just enough to even them out and make them all the same length and buff. I like this set
4. Push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher like this one
5. Apply cuticle cream to any area that's really dry (as needed) and only trim excess...don't clip too much (*see tips below)
6. Wash hands and check to see if you need to file or clip any more cuticle (less is more) and make sure there's no oils on your fingernails before painting (polish won't stick to nails if there's any oil on them and the polish remover is oily)
7. Do the same for your toenails (repeat steps 1-7)
8. PAINT TOES FIRST. You want to paint your toenails before you paint your fingernails so you don't mess your fingers up and your toes can dry while you do your fingernails
9. If you're a righty, paint your right hand first. If you're a lefty, paint your left hand first. You're more likely to mess up so you want your other hand to be paint-free to fix any mistakes
10. Let the hand you paint dry for a few minutes (if not completely) before doing your opposite hand.
11. Add top coat
12. Apply nail dryer drops
1. Add cuticle oil after nails are dried and every day. It's pricey but the application is precise, and works so well!
Here are some tips for when clipping your cuticles:
1. Make sure they are hydrated before cutting them. If the skin is too dry they'll bleed
2. Push the cuticle back first before trimming
3. Don't overdo it. Doing too much will make them worse
4. There are two kinds of cuticles clippers that I have used, and I personally like this one better, personally
"Having nourished, trimmed cuticles and filed nails is the first step to an at-home manicure"
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xo,
Lauren
