How to Give Yourself a Salon Manicure at Home

You don't have to be a manicurist to do a top-quality manicure. You just need to know the trade secrets. Here are a some key tips to give yourself a home manicure like a salon-pro manicure.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cotton balls
• Polish remover
• fine-grit file
• cuticle cream
• tapered, pumice-like stone
• orangewood stick
• base coat
• polish
• top coat

1. 
   Filing nails for a home manicure

   If you have any nail polish on now and are ready to give yourself a manicure you will begin with removing the old polish with a cotton ball soaked in remover. Otherwise, begin with filing the nails, or buff the edges with a file. No matter which file you choose work in one direction, from edge of nail to center (a back-and-forth sawing motion can tear the nail). It is best to be careful not to over file the sides of your nails. This will make the nail more fragile. Best to just gently sweep file across them only a couple of times.

2. 
   Massage cuticles home manicure

   Massage your cuticles with cuticle cream. Gently push back the cuticles with a nail stone dipped in lukewarm water. Wrap cotton around the tip of orangewood stick; dip in polish remover and run across the surface of each nail and along the undersides to whisk away debris and oils. Rinse nails in lukewarm water. Pat dry.

3. 
   Color! Salon manicure at home

   Apply a base coat, polish, and the top coat. A base coat and a top coat are essential. The base coat protects nails from the dyes in colored polishes. The top coat seals the polish, adds sheen, and helps guard against chipping. You can apply every other day to help your manicure last up to a week.

4. 
   Top coat on polish, home manicure

   For the right amount of color, without blobs or drips, wipe brush against bottle edge to clean one side. Starting in the center of the nail, brush polish from cuticle to nail tip. With two more strokes, fill in the right and left sides.

5. 
   The French Manicure

   The last steps are to let the polish set for at least four minutes. Run nails under cold water to help speed up the drying time.

6. For a quick French manicure without any of the bother try this quick tip. My daughter does this and it looks good. Coloring the underside of the nail (you do need length in your nails for this) with a soft white nail pencil, then painting the surface with a ridge filler for a hint of color. Finish with a clear top coat.

Resources

• Appearex Biotin Tablets, 2.5 mg, 84-Count Box
• Manicure, Pedicure and Advanced Nail Techniques
• Barielle Nail Strengthener Cream, 1 Ounce

[donata]

on 10/2/2009 These are great tips on how to give yourself a salon manicure at home. I especially like tip #6. I will have to try this one day. Thanks much 5*

[2besure]

on 4/4/2009 I love to have my nails don't. Now, I can do it at home.

[steph5348]

on 3/26/2009 great idea!

[sonni57]

on 3/22/2009 Good directions on how to give yourself a good manicure.

[boatst]

on 3/10/2009 Sounds great. Thanks for tips. Good article. rrc ad