DIY Manicure

Save time and money by giving yourself a manicure at home.

Prepare the nails by removing the old polish and then soak your fingernails in a mixture of warm soapy water for two minutes. (I like using Ivory liquid soap)

Pat your hands dry with a soft cotton cloth and then use a pair of nail clippers and remove any hangnails.

Rub oil on to each nail.

Use a wooden orange stick and gently push back the cuticles and clip away the excess cuticles.

Dip a cotton ball into acetone based polish remover and rub over each nail to remove any left over residue.

Use nail clippers to trim away any hangnails and then use a nail file to smooth the edges down and file in one direction only to prevent nails from splitting.

To soften the bed of the nails to prepare them for polishing, use a soft, square nail buffer and gently go back and forth over each nail to smooth down the surface and then blow away any left over dust from the nails. Doing this helps the polish to stick better on the nail.

Apply a clear base coat to your nails using light strokes and let nails dry completely before applying the nail polish color of your choice.

After the fingernails completely dried, begin applying the nail polish starting with your pinkie finger and end with your thumbs. Doing this will prevent any accidental smudging of a fingernail that already has polish applied to it.

Place the brush right in the center of the fingernail stopping right before you come to the cuticle and then push the brush all the way to the tip of the nail.

Do the same for both sides of the nail until completely covered.

Repeat for the rest of your fingernails.

Once your have applied nail color to all of your fingernails, go back over each nail with another coat of polish and then end with a top coat.

After your fingernails have dried completely, if there is any nail polish that has ran into the bed of the nail, it can be easily removed by using a nail corrective pen. I like

I use Maybelline Salon Expert Nail Color and clear base coat because after the nail polish dries, your nails shimmer and shine.

I also use Cutex Nail Polish Corrector Pen because it quickly erases any smudges.

Sources:
Personal Experience