Sunday, April 24, 2011

A Professional Manicure at Home


Having beautifully manicured nails not only looks fabulous, it's also a great way to give yourself a confidence boost. After all, every girl deserves a little pampering from time to time. Paying for professional manicures can be expensive however. Luckily, a professional manicure finish is very easy to achieve yourself.
So set aside a little ‘me time' and follow our step-by-step guide to beautiful hands and nails.

What you will need

  • Nail varnish remover
  • Emery board or nail file
  • Buffer
  • Sink or bowl of warm water
  • Natural oil e.g. almond oil
  • Cuticle stick
  • Cuticle trimmer
  • Exfoliating scrub
  • Hand lotion
  • Nail varnish
To start with, you need to remove all traces of any old nail varnish. Acetone free nail polish remover will be less abrasive. Apply in a firm motion with cotton wool pads. Don't be tempted to use tissue; not only will you have to use more pressure but you'll find yourself using up a lot more remover than necessary.
Now you need to get the shape of your nails right. Smooth the edges of your nails with a nail file or emery board. If they are very misshapen, start with a metal nail file then move to a finer emery board to finish. Aim for long sweeps in one direction only: if you use a sawing movement you could end up damaging your nails. Whether you go for a square nail shape or a more ovular shape is completely down to your personal preference. The main thing is to get the length and shape of each nail as uniform as possible.
Next it's time to focus on the surface of your nails. Start with the roughest side of your nail buffer and gently remove any large ridges. Then move down to the next smoothest face until any small imperfections are smoothed away. Then finally, use the smoothest panel of the buffer to achieve a fantastic shine. You can be more vigorous when using the smoother panels; not only will this achieve maximum shine, it will also help boost circulation to your fingertips.
Then it's time to give your hands and nails a bit of a pampering.
Fill your sink or bowl with warm water and add a natural base oil such as almond or olive oil. You could also add a few drops of a fragrant essential oil; lavender is a good for its calming and anti-septic properties.
Soak your first hand for around 5 minutes, or until your skin and cuticles feel soft. (Cuticles are the strips of dead skin cells at the base and sides of the fingernail). Why not listen to some relaxing music at the same time for a true pampering experience? Then, using your cuticle stick, gently push your cuticles back towards the base of your nail. You shouldn't find this at all painful. If you do then you are pushing too hard. If need be, trim off any excess with your cuticle trimmers, but be careful not to trim off any healthy skin.
Then do the same for your other hand.
To make sure your hands are in tip-top condition, now's the time to give them a good going-over with your exfoliating scrub. This gets rid of any dead skin. When you've washed and dried them off thoroughly, rub in some moisturiser or hand cream. If you choose a scented one they'll also smell gorgeous too.
If you've decided not to use nail varnish then your home manicure is now done!
If you're adding polish, give the nails a quick cleanse first to make sure they're not greasy from the moisturiser.
For deep nail colours, it's recommended to add a layer of clear varnish first to prevent unsightly staining. When dried, apply one to two coats of your chosen colour, and then if desired, add a layer of clear topcoat for an extra glossy finish.
For a French manicure start with the white tips. You can get stencils for this – or you can use a little nail varnish remover on a cotton bud to neaten it up afterwards. Then apply a couple of coats of your body colour – usually pale pink or peach. Then finish with your glossy topcoat.



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