DIY At-Home Manicure

by - Saturday, January 25, 2020

DIY At-Home Manicure

For a little self-care, here's how I do manicures at home that will last. In order to save some time and money, I've committed to perfecting how I paint my nails at home and give myself TLC.


A few things I look for in a good manicure is: Does it look good? Did it cost a lot to do (time and money)? Did it last? It's frustrating when you spend money for someone to do your nails, only to see that it's chipping a couple days later. With these steps, you'll eventually save money doing your nails at home, and will last longer too! 

To help give my nails a boost, I've been taking over-the-counter hair, skin and nail gummies. They have biotin which supports healthy nails. So if you've noticed your nails chipping and breaking regularly, try adding these Nature's Bounty Vitamin Biotin Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin and Nails Gummies to your daily life. (Speaking of which, I need to go take mine!) Starting with a good foundation with your nails will be key to success.

Here's what I used and what you'll need:


Prepare The Area and Your Hands

The first thing I did was get everything out and ready for the manicure. I didn't want to have to go searching through any drawers or cabinets and potentially smudge my nail polish or get polish on anything else. 
I used a clean white hand towel to set on top of my desk to catch any clippings or polish. Plus it felt spa-like. After that I washed my hands, making sure to get everything clean, especially under my nails.
Fill a small bowl of warm water to soak my nails before getting started.

Treat cuticles

You can use a cuticle remover cream if you prefer, but I just like to use my cuticle nippers and pusher to handle mine. You don't want to trim too much away, since cuticles are there to protect your nail beds and prevent infections.

Trim, Shape and Buff Nails

After I'm satisfied with my cuticles, I trim my nails to a manageable length. Out of laziness, I usually end up having long nails, but I like to typically trim them to just below the tops of my fingers. Next, using a nail file, I'll shape my nails. Instead of using a seesaw motion, as this can damage your nails and cause cracking/splitting, try to file your nails in the same direction with every stroke. I prefer a rounded square shape. 
Lastly, I use a nail buffer block to buff my nails. This helps the nail polish to adhere to my nails better and give a smoother surface for the polish.

Wash Your Hands

Before you get ready to paint your nails, it's important to wash your hands. Inspect for any last minute shaping or clipping.

Primer Your Nails

You can buy a nail bond primer, but I find that using rubbing alcohol is just as effective. I use a Qtip  with alcohol to paint my nails clean. 
Next, I use O.P.I. Infinite Shine Primer to increase nail polish adhesion and prevent discoloration. The key to applying all of the layers to your nails is not to add too much at once. You can always add another layer later to make sure there's even application. But globbing on loads of polish at once will make for uneven coats and bubbles.

Paint with Polish

My latest favorite color is Essie - "Topless and Barefoot." It's a great neutral color with a soft blush pink kiss. When I paint a layer on my nail, I will typically do one stroke down the left side, then the right side, and then down the middle. I will typically only do 2-3 coats of a single color, which is enough to make an even, solid coat.

Top Coat

There's no point to taking the time to paint your nails, and wanting to make sure they last if you don't apply a top coat. I use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color, Clearly Quick. After I paint my nails, I want them to dry quickly and last a long time. Toddler Time means I'm always rough with my nails, and I need something to protect my newly painted nails. I couldn't believe how quickly this dried! I timidly poked my pinky nail to test if it was dry (expecting to see my fingerprints) but it was dry in just 1 minute! To be safe, I gave my nails a few minutes to dry and then was tackling chores with confidence that my nails would be fine.

Cuticle Oil and Lotion

To make my self-care treatment complete, I finished with Blossom Cuticle Oil and some hand lotion. 

Here's a little tip: If you feel like the shine on top your top coat is starting to fade after a few days, you can reapply a new top coat. 
Also, every few days, especially during winter months here in the desert, I like to reapply the cuticle oil. Apply it directly to your cuticles, and then finish with some hand lotion. 





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