How to Give Yourself a Manicure at Home

With how chaotic things are right now, it’s hard to know from one day to the next if you’ll be able to head to your favorite salon and get a professional manicure or if once again, lockdowns will keep you stuck at home.

But no worries…

You can create a relaxing, fun nail salon experience at home and have your hands looking flawlessly beautiful in no time at all.

Here are the steps for an at-home manicure to keep your nails and hands simply gorgeous.

Step 1- Remove old polish

The first step to any manicure is to remove all traces of your old polish. We recommend a gentle, natural nail polish remover to avoid chemicals that can dry and damage your nail beds.

Step 2 – Trim your nails

Next, begin trimming your nails using either professional nail scissors or sterilized nail clippers. As you trim, keep in mind the final shape you want for your nails, whether oval, square, or rounded.

Step 3 – File

After trimming your nails, file them gently using a fresh, clean emery board.  Remember to file your nails in only one direction at a time. Simply start from the side and sweep your file toward the center of your nail and then repeat on the other side. This helps to prevent splitting.

As you file, you’ll want to continue the shaping you started during the trimming process.

Step 4 - Buff

Once your nails are shaped, use a gentle nail buffing block across their surface. These blocks work to smooth out any ridges and leave nails shiny. However, too much buffing will weaken nails and lead to breaking.

 Step 5 – Care for your cuticles

Next, rub a cuticle cream directly on your cuticle bed, using the tips of your fingers. We recommend our Miracles & More Sooth Hand/Foot Cuticle Protector with its naturally softening combination of Aloe leaf juice and Avocado oil.

Once the cream goes to work on your cuticles, use a wooden cuticle stick to gently push your cuticles back from the base of your nail. The focus should only be on softening and never cutting your cuticles, since this can lead to infection.

Step 6 - Soak your hands

Add a small squirt of our Chamomile Face Wash to a bowl of warm water and allow your hands to soak for five minutes. This helps to whisk away oils and leave your nails perfectly clean, as its soothing aroma calms your senses. After soaking, lightly polish with a nail brush.

Step 7 – Apply a base coat

 Next apply a thin layer of base coat polish to prevent nail staining and help your color last longer. Allow them to dry for one minute and move to the next step.

Step 8 – Sweep on color

Select your favorite shade and sweep on nails. Be sure to apply two coats and paint across nail tips to seal the color.

Pro tip: If you’re worried about mistakes, try a lighter shade since it makes them less visible!  

Step 9 – Apply topcoat

Apply a topcoat to add shine and lock in the color. Choose a fast-drying option or use a blow dryer set to “cool” to speed the process.

 

Step 10 – Moisturize hands

The final step, once your nails are thoroughly dry, is to moisturize and condition your hands so that you’ll be ready to show them off. For this step, rub our Sooth Hand/Foot Cuticle Protector into all surfaces of your hands, not just your cuticles, for intense hydration and softening.

Love your hands

Your hands are often one of the first things people see, as well as one of the first places to show the visible signs of aging. By caring for them with an at-home manicure, you can keep them looking youthful and beautiful, even if you can’t get to your favorite nail salon.

 


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