How To Give Yourself A Manicure
Your hands are as obvious as any part of your body; you use them to emphasize points in a conversation and to do daily tasks, therefore they should look as well groomed as the rest of you. A good manicure is important to your appearance. Whether or not you use polish, your nails should be conservative, healthy, and always well manicured. To keep your hands attractive give yourself a weekly manicure.
WHY WE LOVE IT
Well, it’s perfectly natural to want to look good and our hands are one of the first thing people see when they meet us. First impressions are everything!
Plus, there is nothing like the feeling of stepping out of a salon, whether you were pampered with a facial, a new haircut, or a manicure. Time is precious, though, and we don’t always have that extra hour to devote to beauty – at least not during business hours.
Remove all nail polish from your fingernails using nail polish remover.
Soak your fingers in a dish of warm soapy water for about 10 minutes. For a gentle hand soap soak, see recipe below.
Use a gentle nail brush and clean under your nails.
Begin filing your nails gently with the nail file. Make sure that you move in one direction. Moving in both directions causes the tips of nails to fray. Move your hand in a dipping motion, scraping lightly off of the nail before moving your hand up again. Be careful not to file away skin, or file nails too close to the bone. Stop when edges are smooth and nicely rimming the skin of your fingers. Filing may take some time, but don’t fret. Enjoy the feeling it leaves in your fingers.
Remove your nails from the water or milk and dry them off. Rub them with a rich moisturizer, like Eucerin. Push back your cuticles gently with your fingernail or an orange stick.
Apply a nail polish color of your choice (before applying nail polish be sure that all lotion has been removed from your nail, or else the polish will not stick well). Then, apply a clear top coat for that extra shine and extra protection against chipping.
Before color is applied to nails, they must be cleaned and the easiest way to do this is with an orange stick that has been wrapped with cotton. Dip into nail polish remover and then rub over the surface of the nail. Check the nail for any creamy residue. When none remains, your nails will be ready for polishing.
Time for color. Pick up a small amount of polish on your brush and paint one stroke down the center of your nail. Your brush should hold just enough color to accomplish this. Stroke the sides of the nail and you are done. The nail should be completely colored in three strokes. Allow to set for a minute or so before applying the second coat.
Applying the Color
The best part!
Apply the polish in the same manner as the bottom coat. Don’t drag over the edge, as it will paint your fingers and get stuck under the nail, which leads to a sloppy finish. Just make some nice, straight, short strokes. Try not to overlap too much as to avoid uneveness in texture and color. Depending on how strong you want the color to be, you may apply 1-4 layers. This also depends on the nail polish itself. You can apply layers in quick succession if you keep the fan running close to your hands, but not in the way of application.
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