How to Do a Sexy Dark Color Manicure Yourself and Save Money

In these difficult economic times you do not have to sacrifice beauty to save money. Doing your own manicure with bold, sexy and vibrant colors at home by yourself is easier than you think.

Remove any old nail polish from your nails with a non-acetone nail polish remover. I always buy this from the my local Family Dollar store; it works just as good and it only costs $1. When you do a dark color manicure at home make sure to remove all of the old fingernail polish because it will show beneath the new nail polish. A good manicure is smooth and durable. Always file your nails so that the nail polish stays better and any uneven edges or surfaces of your fingernail are smooth.

Fill the ridges in your nails with a ridge filler available at most beauty supply stores. I suggest Sally Hansen - they have lots of good quality products that are also inexpensive. Any uneven ridges, cracks, chips or peeling can show through when doing a dark color manicure so be sure to take the time to file and fill properly so that you have a good base for the nail polish.

Thinly and evenly apply a base color coat; not too thick or it will look lumpy and take a long time to dry completely. It also makes doing a second coat of nail polish impossible.

Wait for it to dry then do a second color coat to darken the nail polish color and fill in any uneven spots. Make sure not to glob too much paint on your fingernails or when you brush your hand against something the nail polish will will be rubbed off.

A clear top coat is the most important ingredient when doing an at-home manicure. A good top coat acts as a sealant and prevents the colored nail polish underneath from chipping due to daily wear.

Any nail accents like nail art or painted designs should be done only after the base color is completely dry. Then seal your finished manicure with an even layer of clear nail polish.

Give the nail polish plenty of time to dry before reaching into your purse or any other activity that could potentially smudge your polish.