Manicure Tips

In this fast food era, when work, home and partying have become synonymous with life, it is getting harder and harder to find time just for yourself. An activity which not just relaxes you, but also makes you feel beautiful is getting your hand manicured. Well, a day at the spa can be just out of reach for many of us but a manicure, right in the comforts of your home can transform your rough and unrefined hands into a spectacle of beauty and elegance. All you need is a few manicure tricks and you are good to go.

Manicure: DIY

Nobody can file their nails as good as the French can, and taking a leaf out of their book is the perfect recipe for well-manicured hands. Instead of shelling out a lot in beauty salons, invest in any nail manicure kit and pamper your hands and nails according to your whims.

Things Needed for a Perfect Manicure

• Nail polish remover
• Nail file
• Cotton Pads
• Extra fine emery board
• Scented oil or salt
• Bowl of warm water
• Nail scissors
• Cuticle oil
• Base coat polish
• Nail Polish
• Top coat sealant
• Hair Dryer

Procedure

Begin this procedure by removing the old nail polish from your fingernails. Use cotton pads dipped in nail polish remover for this task. And after you are done with scrubbing the old nail polish away, wash your hands properly so as to do away with any dirt and grim on your finger and nails. Now, use a nail file to gently scrape off any grime from the free edge of your nails. When your hands are pristine clean, let them air dry or blast the hair dryer at it. Now you have reached a critical point in your manicuring project, you have to decide the nail shape which would suit you the best. If you have short, petite hands, then almond-shaped nails would look fabulous on you. Short, thick hands should be filed in a squoval shape as it looks most flattering, and if you have long, thin hands, you can opt for oval-shaped nails.

Shaping your nails perfectly is a tough task, therefore rest your nails in a bowl of warm water, containing scented oil or salt. Let them soak in it for 10 - 15 until you can see wrinkles on your hands. After drying your hands, gently loosen your cuticles by using an orange stick or applying a cuticle oil. Do not cut your cuticles, instead massage your nails and its surrounding area to remove the dead cells. Now, apply a moisturizing lotion to prevent your hands from becoming dry and roughened. The next step in this homemade manicure is to buff the nails with extra fine emery board or white block buffer. Apply the base coat to your nails to prepare for the colored nail polish. A good base coat should be matte and a bit sticky so that the nail polish would have a nice surface to stick to. It must dry quickly, and should be of a dull color.

Choose your favorite color for your nail art. For polishing your nails, remember that it should be best done in three strokes. The first stroke should go in the center. Then, second and third motion of strokes should be done on the sides of the nail. After the first coat is completely dried, begin the next coat for a more deep color. Most professionals prefer to apply three layers of nail coat, starting from base coat, first nail polish coat and ending with a second coat of the colored nail polish. But you can also apply a top coat sealant on top of the second coat to get an extra glossy finish on your nails. The top coat sealant takes a lot of time to dry, therefore don't make a mistake of touching anything and ruining your labor.

More Tips

• If you are having a difficult time deciding the nail shape for your nails, then the best bet is to shape your nails according to the shape of your cuticles. If the cuticle is oval-shaped, then oval nails would look classy on you. If it is square in shape, then squoval-shaped nails are best suited.
• When you file your nails with a nail filer or emery board, do it gently in single direction strokes which would prevent any hang nail problems. Vehemently see-sawing nails with nail filer would just give you weakened or chipped nail tips.
• Any smudges of nail paint on your skin can be removed by dabbing a cotton pad in nail polish remover or even better, take a shower which will loosen the paint on skin and pick it off later.
• If your nail paint has dried up, the best solution is to add paint solvent or paint thinner in it. Most people make the mistake of adding nail polish remover in it which breaks down the nail paint as it contains acetone.
• Shaking the nail polish bottle can cause air bubble in it. Therefore, rolling the bottle between the palms of the hands is the preferred method.
• Store the nail polish in a dark and cool place like refrigerator to prevent it from drying.

These tips if done right are enough to give you a 'I-have-never-done-manual-labor' look which can be tried at home without stretching your budget at a fancy beauty salon. Indulge in this beauty treatment every now and then, also try some creative nail designs to get a feel of being brazen fashionista.