Doing a manicure at home

Giving yourself a lovely manicure at home can be a calming and satisfying experience. Whether your goal is to try new looks, save money, or just have some self-care time, doing your own nails allows you total control over the procedure.

Without having to leave the comforts of your home, you can produce results that look professional with a few simple tools and some practice. It is not as difficult as you might think to become an expert at at-home manicures, from filing and shaping to polishing and adding designs.

This tutorial will lead you through the necessary actions to accomplish a perfect manicure while providing advice and pointers. Prepare to treat yourself and flaunt your gorgeous nails!

Preparation: hygienic manicure

A sanitary manicure should be the first step in at-home nail care, regardless of what you do with your nails after—whether you decide to paint them with transparent enamel, gel polish, or varnish.

There are two methods you can use at home if you don’t have a manicure machine:

1. Edged – the cuticle and side ridges are cut with scissors or nippers;
2. European – the cuticle softens and moves to the base of the nail.

My personal recommendation is that if you are unfamiliar with cuticle structure and technology, do not attempt a trimmed manicure yourself.

For two reasons, just trimming the cuticle is insufficient:

1. An uneven, torn cut will turn into painful hangnails in a couple of days. At the same time, on the day of the procedure, it will seem that the manicure went great, and you did everything right;
2. On different fingers, the cuticle may have a different structure and proximity of capillaries. On one finger, you will cut the skin painlessly, but on another you may cut yourself. The wound will hurt, it may even become inflamed.

Give yourself a safe European manicure, where there is very little chance of injury, to avoid this from happening. European manicures can be both wet and dry. In the first, cuticle removers are used specifically for this purpose; in the second, a softening bath is used.

Applying a dry manicure product to the cuticle, waiting the duration advised by the manufacturer, and then using an orange stick to push the cuticle back is a simple process. We’ll go into further detail about wet unedged manicures.

For the process, you’ll require:

• a bath with warm water. You can use a deep cup or basin. Water temperature 37-40 degrees;
• orange stick. Prepare 2-3 pieces – due to interaction with water, the sticks can become frayed;
• file for filing the shape. For natural nails, use a 180/220 grit file.

To dry your hands, get a few paper towels ready as well.

File the shape. Be sure to do this before the bath, since then the nails will become soft and it will be impossible to file them. Choose the shape based on the characteristics of the nails, length. You can just go over it with a milk and remove the length if you have previously had a manicure with a specialist and he selected the shape;

Without having to visit a salon, giving yourself a manicure at home can be a satisfying and enjoyable way to take care of your nails. You can save money, learn a new skill with satisfaction, and get results that look professional with the right tools and practice. Home manicures provide flexibility, creativity, and convenience at your fingertips, whether you’re looking for a fast touch-up or a full pampering session.

Instructions: manicure at home with varnish

First, let’s look at how to apply regular varnish to a manicure at home. Even though women are passionate about gel polish that lasts, many of them still use regular varnish.

What instructions are there to apply makeup, dry it off, and move on, one wonders. In actuality, applying varnish correctly requires additional steps, which also lengthens the varnish’s wear period and lessens its impact on the nail plate.

To properly coat, you will require:

• degreaser;
• base coat. It will help smooth out small roughness and level the surface for applying varnish. Available from brands Domix, ruNail, Solomeya, Kinetics;
• colored varnish. Choose gel varnishes of the "free" category. Such are available from Essie, Zoya, OPI. The essence of these free coatings is the absence of aggressive chemicals in the composition, which spoil the nail plate;

• cotton pad or lint-free wipes;
• varnish fixer – OPI, Zoya, Pronail, Irisk.

• cuticle oil. Choose natural oil, without mineral impurities. Only in this case will it be useful – the cuticle will soften, there will be no hangnails. Pay attention to Aravia, Nano Professional, CND oils.

Prepare the liquid tape as well, as it will help shield the skin surrounding the nail plate and prevent smearing of the varnish.

1. Degrease the nail with a napkin or a disk soaked in degreaser;
2. If there is liquid tape, now is the time to apply it to the skin around the nail;
3. Wait until the product has completely evaporated, and apply the base coat. Start applying from the little finger. Do not try to paint the entire surface in one motion – the side edges will still have to be touched up. First, make a stroke in the center, closer to the base, move the product to the cuticle, and then stretch it along the side edges, as shown in the picture;
4. Wait until the base is completely dry. Usually it takes 3-5 minutes.;
5. Apply colored varnish. The application scheme is the same as in the picture above. Also start from the little finger and move towards the thumb. If the color does not lay evenly – leaves stripes, stains, then after the first layer has completely dried, apply the second;
6. Once all 10 fingers are painted, let them dry. Drying time depends on the manufacturer of the coating – from 5 to 15 minutes.;
7. Apply a varnish fixer. It will make the surface more glossy and also increase the wear time.

Girls dip their nails in cold water to try and hasten the varnish’s drying process. Proceed with caution, as the varnish solidifies rather than dries, making it susceptible to smearing upon reaching room temperature. Use varnish-specific dryers if you don’t have time to wait; they cut down on drying time by twice.

After a clean manicure, massage oil into the cuticle to provide extra moisture and soothe it after all the layers have dried.

Manicure at home with gel polish

Women choose gel polish manicures more frequently, even for at-home manicures, because they eliminate the need to repaint your nails for two weeks. Because gel polish requires polymerization and does not dry in the air, a larger basic set of tools is needed for this procedure.

On one forum, I once read that holding gel polish in direct sunlight would cause it to harden. It’s true that exposure to solar UV radiation accelerates hardening, but we won’t get into the details of a strong, well-dried coating now.

Get ready if you want a stunning and durable manicure:

• UV or LED lamp;
• base and top for gel polish. It is better if they are from the same manufacturer. Choose proven brands – CND, Beautix, Nano Professional;

• colored gel polish – one or several colors, as you like;
• buff ​​for polishing;
• nail degreaser;
• lint-free wipes;
• cleanser, if the top has a sticky layer.

1. After a hygienic manicure, go over the surface of the nail plate with a polishing buff. Do not rub your nails too hard – 2-3 light movements on each nail to remove the glossy layer;
2. Wet the napkin with a degreaser and wipe each nail;
3. After the product has evaporated, apply the base. Start with the little finger – make a wide stroke in the center, slightly retreating from the cuticle, then move the product closer to the base of the nail and only then work on the sides. Cover 4 nails with a base, except for the thumb, and send them to dry in a lamp. The time depends on the type of device – in LED – 30-60 sec., in UV – 120 sec.
4. Now start applying the color – also from the little finger. The application scheme is the same. Put your hand in the lamp, dry for the same amount of time – 30-60 or 120 sec.;
5. Apply the top coat as the last layer, dry and remove the sticky layer with a cleanser;
6. Now work on the nail on the thumb, repeating the previous three steps – applying the base, color and top. Do the same on the other hand.

Not only can getting a manicure at home take care of your nails, but it’s also a calming and fulfilling way to take care of yourself. Without leaving your home, you can attain salon-caliber results by using the suggested procedures and advice.

Recall that practice makes perfect. As you practice your manicure techniques, you’ll gain confidence and skill. It’s also a fantastic way to showcase your individuality and inventiveness.

So gather your supplies, select your preferred polish, and have fun working on it. You’ll feel and look fantastic, and you’ll feel good about yourself because you did it yourself.

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