How to Do a Manicure at Home

Save money in these tough times and give yourself a manicure in the comfort of your own home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Nail Polish Remover
• Nail Clippers
• Nail File - metal
• Nail File - 3, 5 or 7 way buff and nail file
• Cuticle Cream
• Nail Polish - clear
• Nail polish - color of your choice
• Cotton balls and q-tips
• Petroleum Jelly

1. Make sure you have enough time set aside to give yourself a manicure. Don't be in a rush.

2. Remove any nail polish you have on with cotton balls and nail polish remover. If you have a really thick coat on, fill a small plastic bowl and soak your finger nails for a few seconds before wiping.

3. Trim your nails with the clippers if needed. Keep in mind the length and shape that you want.

4. Use either a cuticle pusher or your nails to gently push back the cuticles on all of your nails.

5. Clean out under your nails with a metal file.

6. Shape your nail with the first file side (the coarsest grit) of the 7 way file. Optional shapes are rounded, square or a combination of the two: a square nail with slightly rounded sides.

7. Follow the steps on your 7 way file. Once you get to the even out side of the file (very fine grit) use it on your entire nail, not just the edge. Go from top to bottom and from sided to side. This removes the natural ridges on your nails, and allows the paint to go on more smoothly.

8. Smooth and Buff. Continue with the smoothing and buffing sides of the file. Your nail should squeak in the last step when it is done.

9. Apply cuticle cream to your entire nail, nail bed and cuticles. Allow it to soak in for a minute or two and then wipe your nails with a clean cloth or tissue.

10. Place a small amount of petroleum jelly on the areas of skin around your nails. You will be able to easily wipe off any polish that gets on your skin.

11. Base Coat. Paint your nails with a clear coat of polish. This will make your colored polish go on smoother. Paint one hand first, let it dry and then paint the other. You should always have one dry hand.

12. Next apply two coats of the colored polish. Dab a generous amount of polish in the center of the nail and then spread over entire nail with the brush. Again, alternate hands so that you always have one dry hand. Allow enough time in between coats for the nail to dry completely. This will take some time so just be patient and use this time to relax.

13. Once your nails are dry, apply a top clear coat of polish. Again, apply the polish one hand at a time allowing enough time in between hands for drying.

14. You should be able to wipe any stray polish off of your skin because of the petroleum jelly. If not, use a q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to carefully remove it.

Tips & Warnings

• Cotton balls hold more liquid than tissue and work better for removing polish.
• See How To fix a Chip in Your Nail Polish if you get any chips.
• Don't trim cuticles.
• Don’t use a quick dry product. It may make the nails tacky and the polish will chip easier.
• Don’t use a fan to dry your nails, it can create air bubbles.