steps to DIY home manicure
Getting a manicure these days seems to be common practice for a lot of people. Some men do receive regular manicures; however, it seems that is type of pampering is usually dominated by women. I went to the nail salon two weeks ago and was amazed at how many women were there. There were mother daughter duos in the nail salon. There were people like myself that were at the salon because of being in a wedding party. There were also women that were just there for a little much needed pampering.
I am not one of those lucky women who have the time to get regular salon manicures. I am thrilled with the way that my nails look when they are freshly painted, but I know that in just a few hours the polish will start to chip. Unfortunately, I am just not that graceful. If you have a bit of time and like to save some funds, here are some tips to DIY home manicures.
The first step to doing an at home manicure, is to put the kids to bed (if you have any). You can use one of those one minute manicure products to scrub your hands. My favorite product is by Beauty Control. It’s a great exfoliate, but it also has essential oils in it. The oils keep my hands feeling smooth and silky for hours, even after repeated hand washing. Also the oils really help to moisturize not only my hands, but also my cuticles. This eliminates that time consuming step of having to soak your hands in a bowl of water. Really, who has time for that? Incidentally, while your cuticles are soft you should push them back. If you have time you can use either an orange stick or a cuticle pusher. If I am in a hurry, I will just use my finger nail. It’s ok if you are not expecting perfection.
The last and most important step in an at home manicure, is of course the polish. I have also read that you should try to put the polish on in thin even coats. Three brush strokes is supposedly the best method, one stroke for each side, and one stroke right down the middle of the nail. Realistically, the best tip I can give you is to get a good polish. I prefer OPI.
