It is always lovely to have a manicure because your nails feel so great afterwards. But a salon manicure can be expensive, especially if you are short of cash at the moment. So why not try to do the perfect home manicure from the comfort of your own home? Getting the perfect manicure takes time and attention to detail. If you have never done the perfect home manicure – don’t worry, I am here to help.
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Being Prepared For The Perfect Home Manicure
Firstly choose your nail polish. It can be a minefield looking for the perfect colour that you want. But in the shop always ask the sales assistant to help you. If you do not have equipment at home you might need to buy some bits to help with your manicure. You will need things like.
- Nail polish remover to clean old nail polish away
- Cotton pads, balls and cotton buds for clearing any mess you make.
- A nail file, to file and shape your nails.
- A cuticle pusher or cuticle remover, to push your cuticles back and give you a clean manicure.
- Cuticle oil or moisturizer, helps moisturise your nails and hands.
- A base coat so that your nail polish doesn’t stain your nails.
- Nail polish in your favourite colour. Try using different colours to add some sparkle and shine to your nails.
- A top coat that will help to keep your nails looking great for longer.
Prepare Your Nails Before You Start
Remove any old nail polish from your nails, with some nail polish remover. An acetone free one is more gentle on your nails than an acetone one. Shape your nails with the nail file. Always file in one direction, do not go backwards and forwards as this can split the nails.
Soak your nails in some soapy water. This will get rid of any grease on the nails and it will help to soften the cuticles. Ready for you to push the cuticles back. If you are struggling to push your cuticles back, do not cut them! Cutting them will cause an infection that can go underneath your nail bed and cause your nail to lift.
When you are happy with your cuticles apply a little bit of cuticle oil. This helps to keep your nails and the skin around the nails nourished and moisturised. You only need a little bit of cuticle oil. Also, moisturise your hands and give yourself a little hand massage. If you are having nice nails, you will want nice hands too.
The Nail Polish Application
Apply a base coat: Applying a base coat is essential as it creates a smooth surface for your nail polish, prevents staining, and helps the colour last longer. Allow the base coat to dry completely before moving on to the next step. If you want a second base coat, then do it. You know your nails better than anyone.
Now it comes to the exciting part. This is where you really see a difference in your nails. Start by applying thin, even coats of nail polish. It’s better to apply two thin coats rather than one thick coat to prevent it from bubbling and unevenly drying. Let each coat dry before adding the next one. Many thinner coats are so much better, even though they can be more time-consuming. If you rush it, you will ruin it so it’s not worth it.
Add some glitter polish to make it sparkle and some nail art if you feel confident enough. You can see so many different nail art designs online. Watch some TikTok videos to get some ideas. You will love the finished nails if you try something different.
Finishing Off The Perfect Manicure From Home
When your nails are dried, it is time to clean up any mistakes you might have made. Go around the edges with a cotton bud and some nail polish remover to clean up any extra nail polish. Dip the cotton bud in the nail polish remover and do it that way.
Lastly, it is time to add a top coat. This is what is going to seal your nail polish and help it to last longer. It will help to prevent it from chipping. Leave it to dry and do not use your hands for a while otherwise, your nails will smudge and all that hard work will be for nothing.
Congratulations On Your First Home Manicure
It will take patience and practice to get the perfect home manicure. Everyone makes mistakes so don’t be disheartened if it goes wrong. The more you practice, the more confident you are. And the more adventurous you will get.
The French manicure always appealed to me. It looks classy in a restrained sort of way. I’ll leave the sparkly stuff to the youngsters!
I am lucky to have strong nails and do my own nails at home. I do love the sparkly nails but no good with the arty bits they do
Oooh the nails in that picture look lovely, are they yours?!
Sadly nott mine
Like most things, it is so much cheaper to do it at home than to have it done by someone else. I have only had one manicure in my life and that was for my wedding and I think next time I fancy my nails done, I will do it myself. But gosh, I’ve neglected my nails a lot since I’ve had kids. Going to wait till they’re a little longer before I can find an hour or two to do my nails without all the questioning, fighting and bickering behind me
I do my own nails and it is when I can not do anything else and have some me time
Thanks for the tips hate going to a manicurist
I have never been to one, I am lucky to have strong nails
Lots of good tips – my nails are always a mess!
Mine need a bit of tlc at the moment