How To Give A Manicure
By Danielle
Hollister
This guide will give you the basic directions for nail care,
however, it cannot provide the same direction and hands-on
experience offered by a Professional School of Cosmetology.
SUPPLIES:
1 - Nail scissors
2 - Small tray, about the size of a soap dish
3 - Gentle dishwashing detergent or other skin softening, bubbly
liquid (such as some bubble bath products)
4 - Warm water
5 - Two to three hand towels
6 - Moisturizer or Hand Lotion with Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter or
similar ingredient to condition skin
7 - Clear Base Coat Nail Polish
8 - Colored Nail Polish
9 - Top Coat Nail Polish
10 - Small lamp or other radiant source of light
11 – Table or desk so that, when seated, your arms can easily
extend across from the relaxed position of a comfortable chair
12 - Hair dryer or similar device (not required)
13 – Cotton swabs
STEPS:
1 - Fill tray with warm water and sudsy liquid (the trick is to add
water at just the right temperature so it will soften skin without
being too hot to the touch)
2 - Place one hand in tray and let it soak for several
minutes
3 - If you're giving someone else a manicure, you can use oil or
moisturizer to massage one hand while the other one is soaking
4 - Remove soaking hand and pat dry with hand towel
5 - Place other hand in tray to soak for several minutes
6 - While the second hand is soaking, you should carefully begin
trimming cuticles that form around the edges of the nail itself
(NOTE: Pay close attention to what you're doing, so you don't cut
too close and end up causing skin to bleed. If you take your time
and trim slowly with tiny strokes, you should be fine.)
7 - If your timing is perfect, you will be finished cutting the
cuticles on that hand before the first hand gets wrinkled from
being in the warm water too long. (Tip: Don't try to hurry the
cuticle trimming process to make your timing work. Instead try to
remember to check on the soaking hand half-way through the course
of cutting cuticles. If the water is cold or the hand shows hints
of wrinkling skin, that's your cue to stop the soaking operation
and pat hand dry with hand towel, apply some lotion and go back to
the trimming procedure.)
8 - When you have completed trimming cuticles on both hands, you
should make sure all loose skin is removed from nail area. Begin to
polish nails with clear base coat by applying a thin layer as
smoothly and carefully as possible. Try to keep polish on nails
only. If you accidentally apply too much or get extra polish on
skin around nails, use a cotton swab dipped lightly in nail polish
remover to correct your mistake.
9 - After applying base coat to both hands, choose polish color
and repeat previous procedure beginning with the same hand you
started with last time. Follow guidelines described above to
produce best results.
10 - The next application will be a top coat to create a seal or
protection for colored polish. Repeat previous steps to ensure
success in this process. Remember less is better when it comes to
nail polish. Thick layers lead to messy results.
11 - You have two choices to complete this process and make your
manicure last.
(1) You can dry nails with a blow dryer or similar device set on
slow speed at a moderate temperature. You should keep hands
positioned under heat source for at least three minutes and then
sit still, touch nothing, and wait for another minute or two to
avoid smudges or smears that will ruin your efforts.
(2) You can skip the dryer process and sit still, touch nothing
and wait for at least five minutes to creating lasting results that
will make your manicured nails look their best.
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