Breaking Down Beauty: Steps to the Perfect DIY Manicure

By Sheila Arkee

As much as I love getting pampered by a beauty professional, it’s been years since I’ve had a salon manicure. It’s mostly because I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands (could not resist the pun) and because it’s so easy to do it at home. That’s extra makeup money!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned through the years of at-home manis, it’s to invest in a good set of tools. They don’t have to be expensive, , it’s really easy to give yourself some great looking nails and save money while you’re at it.

Here’s What You’ll Need

- Cotton pads. I love Japanese-style cotton pads and find that you don’t use as much product with them.

- Nail polish remover.

- Orange sticks to push back cuticles.

- Cuticle oil.

- Cuticle nippers.

- Nail clipper.

- Buffing block. Look for one with fine grit to lightly scruff your nails.

- Nail file. I recommend an all-purpose file.

- A base coat.

- Nail polish.

- Top coat.

- Small makeup brush.

Steps To The Perfect Manicure

Step 1: Remove old polish from your nails with a cotton pad and nail polish remover.

Step 2: Soak your nails in a warm water for about 5 minutes. I have to admit I clean up my cuticles after a shower. I’m a busy mom, what can I say!

Step 3: Trim nails as needed, and use orange stick to push back your cuticles. Use the cuticle nipper to trim hangnails and excess cuticles.

Step 4: File nails to smooth edges. When picking a nail file, look for one that’s an all-purpose file. If you see files with the grit listed numerically, remember the higher the number the finer the grit. With natural nails (as opposed to acrylic or gel nails) you do not need a coarse nail file.

Step 5: Lightly go over nails with a buffing block.  Scruffing up the surface of the nails helps polish last longer, which is never a bad thing.

Step 6: Go over nails one more time with a clean cotton pad and nail polish remover to remove any oil and debris from the nails.

Step 7: Add a layer of top coat and let the nails dry for a couple of minutes.

Seche Vite never really worked for me as a top coat.  As far as brands go, I ADORE Duri’s Rejuvacote as a base and Miracote as a top coat. The combo keeps my manicure looking fresh for about 4 days. As you can see, I’m out of both at the moment, which is absolutely typical.

Step 8: Polish away! I was a victim of sloppy nail polish jobs until I started following this technique:

- Start polish application in the middle of the nail. Slowly bring the polish up to the tip of the nail.

- Go back to the base of the nail.

- Follow the curve of your cuticle and polish along the sides of the nails.

- Repeat as needed.

Step 9: Make sure to let your polish dry for at least a minute or so between coats for best, non-streaky results. Also, never shake your polish bottles, but tap it against the palm of your hands to prevent bubbles in your polish.

Step 10: Finish off with your top coat. Embarrassing confession of the day: I went for many years without using a base coat or a top coat.. They really do make difference in the longevity of your manicure.

Step 11: Clean up errant polish with a small makeup brush dipped in nail polish remover. The e.l.f. Essential Concealer Brush gets lots of raves for this very purpose.

Step 12: To help your nails dry faster, add a coat of cuticle oil, or even a dab of olive oil. It really does help speed the process along. Another tip is to soak your nails in cold water – I’ve found this also helps with drying polish.

And there you have it! It’s so easy and a nice way to treat yourself. What are some of your favorite DIY manicure tips?