How To Do Manicures

It's very important to know how to do manicures at home; well-groomed hands and nails make you look polished, put-together, and professional. But why spend money and time in a salon when you can do it yourself? Follow these easy steps to do your own, at-home manicure:

Tools You'll Need:

• Soap/water
• Nail brush
• Nail polish remover
• emery board
• cuticle remover
• orangewood stick
• clear polish
• buffing block (optional)

1. Start with clean hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap, and use a brush to get underneath your nails. Let your hands air-dry, and use polish remover to remove any remaining oils/debris from your nails and fingertips. Now you have a clean slate on which to work.
2. Use an emery board (small file) to shape your nails. Don't use a back-and-forth motion; use short strokes in the same direction to coax the nail into a nice shape and avoid splitting or weakening the nail. Oval and square are the most popular shapes, and the more square a nail is, the stronger and less likely to break.
3. Once your nails are filed into a neat shape, it's time to go to work on those cuticles. Do NOT cut your cuticles; not only does it hurt, but it also invites infection. Instead, apply cuticle remover and let it soak in for about a minute. This softens the cuticles and allows them to be manipulated. Wrap an orangewood stick in a little cotton and use this to gently push back your cuticles.
4. Polish your nails. Use a good-quality clear topcoat or hardener. Use light strokes, and start in the middle of each nail, then finish with one light stroke on either side. Let dry.
5. If polish is not your thing, try a buffing/shining block. A buffing/shining block is a smooth rectangular block (not the same as a regular buffer) used to even out the top of the nail and polish it to a smooth, even shine.

Repeat these steps every one or two weeks to maintain your manicure results. Now that you know how to do your own manicure, let your well-groomed hands speak for themselves!