Step-By-Step Easy Manicure

by Kim Snyder Owner Overallbeauty.com

Taking care of your nails doesn't have to be anything but a relaxing, pleasing experience. There is just a few things that you need to think about when setting up a at home manicure. Take a good look at your nails, when planning what you want to do you need to know what condition your nails are in. Are your nails dry? Do they have lines or ridges? Are the nails peeling in layers? Are they soft or brittle? In what shape are your cuticles? Are you a nail biter and have hangnails? Each of these questions can be answered while deciding just how much or how little you want to do for a at home manicure.

Make sure you have everything you need before you get started. Your favorite polish, file Polish remover base coat top coat Cotton balls orange stick bowl for the warm water towels Now you are setup, follow the steps and off you go.

1- Remove any old polish on your nails and toes. If there isn't time to give yourself a pedicure then having no polish on your toes in better than chipped. Another tip when removing your old polish don't use a polish remover system that requires you to stick your entire finger into a jar of solution. Remember polish remover isn't very good for your nails and avoid those that contain acetone or chemical relatives of acetone, even if they say they have conditioners. The acetone and alcohol in polish removers damage the surface of the nail, affect the nail's natural luster, and weaken the base of the nail.

2-You will want to rinse your nails in warm water immediately after using polish remover. Then scrub them cleanly with a soft-bristle nail brush. A really good idea is to of done this the night before and then applied moisturizer and slept with gloves. That would of seal in the moisture and just really help your nails and hands. A super easy recipe to do at home for a hot oil treatment for your nails is 1/4 cup olive oil oil from one vitamin E capsule Just heat the oil in a saucepan and let cool until just warm. Add the vitamin E to the oil then rub it into your cuticles and nails, massaging any extra oils into your hands, put on your gloves and your hands and nails will just be wonderful the next day.

3-Filing may be necessary to shape and buff away anything not looking good. Just don't file unless your nails are dry and free of any creams. Soft nails with may peel, tear chipped or even split. Just make sure your nails are dry. They say don't saw back and forth but do it in one direction only at a time, it helps if your file in the direction they grow to prevent splitting. You may want to keep your nails even length and find the shape best for your hands. Some fingers look good with square nails and others with oval tips.

4-Soak your nails for a few minutes in warm water, there are a few recipes to create a treat for your nails, so you can look into that. If your nails are stained well thats different. Here is a real easy recipe to whiten your your nails. Use this twice a week till stain is gone 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide 1 cup warm water Soak for 15 minutes twice a week. Pat dry.

5- Now you need to push back your cuticles but never cut them or push them back hard. They are what protects the root of the nail. Good idea is not to use a cuticle remover they are known to contain alkali and that is one of the harshest products out today in cosmetics. To gently push back the cuticle, by using a soft moist towel or orange stick. The dead skin you can trim off but leave living skin alone, just not a good idea to do.

6- Clean under your nails but be careful if you are too vigorous you may create a space under your nails for fungi or bacteria to grow, yuch so be careful.

7- Now its time to paint your nails. Its best to have a base coat for that will fill in any ridges your nails may have and make your polish look better.

First step: paint on a clean base coat. Its best to wait about 3 minutes between putting on the polish so that layer has a better change of being dry. It also helps to keep your nails from staining or getting yellow.

Second step: The best way to apply polish is to start at up the center, then up both sides from the base to the tip. You really only need to use three strokes. Real good idea is to avoid quick-dry polishes for they mostly contain acetone which is not good for the health of your nails, try a thicker, slower drying polish it will hold moisture plus give your nails more flexibility. Go over your nails with two coats of polish letting each coat dry about 3 minutes

Third step: Brush on your top coat cause it will seal the polish and help protect it from chipping. And there you go, you just gave yourself you very own home manicure saving yourself money. I do hope this was good enough for you to be able to do a home manicure, if not then stop by Overallbeauty.com and send me email and I will try to answer any questions you might have.

About the Author

Kim Snyder Owner of Overallbeauty.com Great lover of beauty care and products, never happy without trying to make the world a little prettier for all.Attn Ezine editors / site owners. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website as long as you leave the links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.