Nail polish remover Cotton balls Cuticle pusher or orange stick Nail trimmers Nail buffer Nail file Cuticle oil or hand cream Base coat Nail color Top coat
Look for a nail polish remover that doesn’t contain acetone, an ingredient that can dry out your nails and make it more difficult to get them in tip-top manicure condition. [1] X Research source If you’re keeping your nails long, be sure to clean them well with soap and warm water.
When you file your nails, be sure not to drag the file back and forth over your nails. Gently drag it in one direction only. This keeps the fibers in your nails from getting weak. Popular nail shapes include square or oval tips. For square tips, level off the tips of your nails so that they’re straight across with rounded edges. For oval tips, file your nails into gently tapered oval shapes that are rounded at the tips. [3] X Expert Source Mia RubieNail Artist Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.
Don’t press too hard or buff too much. You don’t want to thin out the surface of your nails. You can also wait to buff your nails after pushing back your cuticles. This is a good choice if your cuticles extend over a large portion of your nail.
Don’t push too hard. Try to keep from tearing your cuticles. You want to keep them intact because they protect your nail beds from getting infected. Never use a cuticle trimmer. Manicurists often use these in salons, but they leave your fingers prone to infection. They also often cause bleeding. You can still get a beautiful manicure without trimming your cuticles.
Base coat is usually clear, but sometimes it comes in a neutral shade. Either way is fine. Some base coats dry with a slightly tacky surface. This helps the nail polish adhere to your nail.
Shaking the bottle creates air bubbles, so make sure to roll it instead. As you paint, hold the brush at a slight angle and press gently to fan out the brush bristles. Avoid applying a large drop of paint and spreading it around. This will result in an uneven coat of paint. Keep the finger you’re painting steady against a table or work surface.
The second coat will normally take longer to dry than the first one. Be patient at this stage. You can help it along by holding your nails near (but not right next to) a fan.
You can buy touch-up pens that help you do this more precisely. If you’re right-handed and you’re trying to use your left hand to touch up your right hand (or vice versa) steady your hand by resting it on a table.
At this point you can add extras like a stick-on or some gems. You may want to paint a second top coat over any stick-ons you use.
Snowman nails Easter bunny nails Beach nails for summer Spiderweb nails
Panda nails Owl nails Cheetah print nails Flower nails
