If you are out of time or money for a professional salon manicure, you should learn how to do a salon manicure at home. A home salon manicure is easy if you know what you are doing.
The first step in a salon manicure at home is to remove all traces of old polish with an acetone free polish remover. If your nails do not have polish on them, you should swipe them a couple of times with polish remover to remove any dirt that may be on your nails.
File the nails with a smooth nail file. When filing the nails, do not saw back and forth. File the nails in only one direction with a slow, even stroke. Take note of any breaks or splits in the nail and file them until smooth. A great way to check your nails for smoothness is to run them over a pair of old pantyhose. If the nails do not snag the pantyhose, they are filed to perfection.
Give your hand a great massage by applying lotion to the palm of your hand. Rub the lotion into the palm of your hand, using the thumb of the other hand. Massage the entire palm of the hand in this manner to increase circulation to your hand. If you have a friend or a spouse that is willing to help you, have them massage your hands all over with lotion. A good hand massage will make your hands look better and can also help to reduce stress. Honestly, this is my favorite part of the salon experience.
The next step in the salon manicure at home is to get an orange stick and wrap cotton around it. Dip the cotton wrapped orange stick in nail polish remover and rub the stick all over the surface of the nails. This action will remove all traces of creamy residue left over from the hand massage.
Before you start to polish your nails, roll the bottle of nail polish back and forth between the palms of your hands. If you shake the bottle of nail polish, it will form air bubbles which will end up on the nails. If applying a dark color of nail polish, you must be very careful. Wipe off excess nail polish on the inner rim of the nail polish bottle. Be careful not to have too much nail polish on the brush because this will cause it to drip.
Begin to polish your nails starting at the center base and slowly working to the tip in one smooth motion. After the center is polished, apply nail polish to fill in the sides. The nail should be polished in just three strokes.
It may take a little practice to get your nails polished without imperfections, but with practice you can have a salon quality manicure right in your home.
Reply