How to do a manicure at home?
Because institute care can be expensive, many will choose to do their own care at home. The same is true with manicures, but you have to know how to do them well and some might worry that they won’t do it perfectly.
To get beautiful hands and perfect nails, follow our tips and tricks for doing a manicure yourself.
1. Hand exfoliation, to be done before the manicure
Before even thinking about the manicure and the application of nail polish, it will be important to take care of the skin of the hands and fingers, to the tips of the nails.
In order to remove dead skin and soften the skin of the hands, start with an exfoliating treatment. Here are two homemade hand scrub recipes:
Homemade Honey Hand Scrub:
The ingredients in this homemade scrub recipe will help soften and moisturize the skin on your hands, as well as whiten your nails.
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Mix all the ingredients until smooth, then apply the scrub to your hands and nails, rubbing gently, paying particular attention to the cuticles. Rinse well with lukewarm water.
Are you looking for tips to get whiter nails instead?
I recommend reading these other tips and tricks to get white nails: How to whiten the nails?
Homemade Baking Soda Hand Scrub:
For soft, dead skin-free hands, combine baking soda with vegetable oil (sweet almond or olive oil) and make a paste. Apply to your hands and nails, rubbing gently. Then rinse with lukewarm water.
If you are looking for moisturizing tips and hand care this article is great: How to have soft and smooth hands?
2. Hydration of hands and nails for a perfect manicure
Just as important as exfoliation, moisturizing hands and nails is a must for a perfect manicure at home.
You could opt for a moisturizer designed specifically for hands and nails or concoct your own moisturizer at home with products and ingredients you have on hand.
Here are the 2 moisturizing recipes to hydrate your hands and nails:
Homemade moisturizer for soft nails:
To properly moisturize your nails in addition to restoring their strength and hardening them, combine together:
- fresh lemon juice
- olive oil
Massage well, insisting on nails and cuticles. For best results, apply at bedtime and leave on overnight.
Honey moisturizer for hands and cuticles:
For soft hands and healthy cuticles, combine together:
- an egg yolk
- a teaspoon of olive oil
- a tablespoon of honey
- two drops of lemon essential oil
Mix well and apply on your hands. Leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water.
3. Prepare your nails for a perfect manicure
Once the care for the nails and the skin of your hands is finished, it is time to move on to the preparation of the nails.
Here are some important steps to properly prepare nails for manicure:
- Care for the cuticles: you should never cut the nail cuticles. Instead, arm yourself with a cuticle stick designed for this purpose and gently push them back.
- File the nails: leave aside the metal files which weaken the nails, and prefer the use of a quality cardboard or glass file. To keep your nails healthy and reduce the risk of breakage, always file in one direction and avoid back and forth movements. Opt for a natural look by respecting the morphology of your fingers as much as possible.
- Polish the nails: Using a buffing block, gently buff the surface of the nails. This will give them shine and improve their appearance if they are streaked.
4. Make a manicure at home: the steps
Tips for a perfect manicure:
You are finally at the stage of applying varnish to your nails. Before you begin, make sure you are comfortable and minimize distractions during all stages of application and drying.
Gather all the products you will need, in addition to tissues or cotton swabs to wipe up the mess. You are ready? Let’s go!
The base coat for healthy nails:
Before you even apply the colored polish, think about the base coat that will protect your nails from the yellowing that nail polish can cause in the long run. Starting at the small white half moon above the cuticle, apply base coat working up towards the tip of the nail. Let it dry for 5 minutes before jumping to the varnish application step.
Apply nail polish like a pro:
Shake the bottle of polish well to ensure an even color. Then, apply a first thin coat of varnish, starting from the bottom and working up towards the tip of the nail, in one fluid motion. Let dry a few minutes according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, then apply a second coat, following the same technique.
Let the nails dry for a successful manicure:
This is often where you end up with a disastrous result. We don’t wait long enough before using our nails, and in doing so, we ruin our beautiful manicure. So, be patient, and give the varnish time to dry and harden well before moving! Take the opportunity to relax, and why not, take a nap.
The “top coat” for a perfect manicure:
In order to properly protect your manicure and prolong its duration, do not forget to apply a « top coat », or finishing coat. This product is often transparent, but some can help you create a custom look on your nails with glitter or other special effects. This top coat will give shine and resistance to your polish, preventing it from chipping too quickly. For unparalleled hold, apply a top coat every day until your next manicure.
How to succeed in your manicure if you have white spots on your nails? 10-tips offers you some good tips on this subject here: How to remove white spots on nails?