Home Manicure Tips

I love a manicure as much as the next girl, but I can’t afford to get the one manicure per
week that it would require to keep my nails painted at all times. Instead, I reserve the
professional manicures for special occassions and I paint my nails at home when I feel that
my nails need a polish on a regular day.

After years of practice and and years of test-driving nail-care products, I have compiled a
list of tips for achieving a successful home manicure.

1. Splurge on high quality polish.

You really do get what you pay for in the nail polish department. The better quality product,
the longer lasting manicure or pedicure. I suggest OPI or Essie nail polish.

2. Invest in a base coat and a top coat.

The combination of a base coat and top coat will lengthen the staying power of your manicure
or pedicure by days. In contrast to the nail polish, I have found that you can cut corners on
the quality when it comes to basecoat and topcoat. I usually pick mine up at CVS or Walgreens.
I am currently using Bondi basecoat and Sally Hansen topcoat, both of which cost under $5.

3. Invest in manicure tools and products.

Head to the nail-care aisle at CVS or Walgreens and get yourself a cuticle trimmer, a cuticle
remover cream and a buffer. These tools will help you manicure your nails as thoroughly as a
professional.

3. Paint the edges of your nails.

Painting the edges of your nails will lengthen the staying power of your manicure or pedicure
by days. If the edges are protected, then the nail polish is less likely to chip.

4.In order to set your polish, run your fingers – and/or toes – under ice cold water.

A quick dip in cold water will keep your polish from getting indented or stamped with the
pesky patterns from your clothes, sheets or anything else that you grab hold of.

5. A couple of days after painting your nails, apply a fresh coat of topcoat.

A fresh coat of topcoat will not only seal any cracks that have appeared in your polish, but
it will also give it a fresh and shiny finish that will make it look like new. As long as there
is no humidity in the air, you can also add an extra coat of color prior to the topcoat.

6. In order to keep your pedicure from being rubbed off by your snug-fitting shoes, rub a tiny
bit of hair oil on your big toe.

This oil will reduce the friction between the shoe and your polished toes, thus reducing the
chance of pedicure damage.

I hope that these suggestions help you get a fabulous manicure or pedicure at home! If you
have any suggestions or tips of your own to add, please feel free to comment. Myself, our
stylists and our clients are always looking for new tips and tricks to add to our arsenals…

–Marisa