I find that one of the most relaxing things to do for myself is paint my nails. It’s almost therapeutic in a way and I value it as my girly downtime! I probably paint my nails two to three times per week— the feeling of fresh nails is amazing!
Today I am showing you how I like to do my “at-home manicure” and what makes my hands feeling like I’m fresh from the salon! There are so many different ways to give yourself a manicure, but this is just what works for me! I am doing a matte black nail today with my favorite matte top coat!
To begin my manicure, I always start with my cuticles. I grab my cuticle pusher and start carefully pushing down the base of my cuticle and pushing the sides of the nail as well. If you are good to your cuticles, they’ll be good to you! Keeping them healthy will help them reach their full potential in preventing horrific nails with peeling skin!
After I have pushed the cuticles back, I will go ahead and cut them with my cuticle cutter! Please be careful because if you cut too deep, it will cut your skin! You don’t ALWAYS have to cut your cuticles when you do your manicure and you certainly don’t need to cut every single one. Cutting too much can lead to infection. I use my cuticle cutter to trim any ripped or peeled skin, which will hopefully prevent it from peeling further.
Of course, the nail file. Obviously, this is the most important step and I’m pretty sure I don’t have to explain how to do this! Just file your nail to your desired length and shape! After filing, use a buffer to smooth away the ridges on your nail bed. Buffing your nails helps create a smooth surface for painting!
After I have the perfect nail shape, I’ll take my cuticle oil and apply it to each nail. After you apply the oil, massage it into your cuticle and around your nail bed. I’m extra generous with the oil so I can really utilize the moisture it gives. Personally, my cuticles seem to be really dry most of the time so I like to keep them as hydrated as possible. When I am done with the oil, I wash my hands and like to put on a little hand lotion! (Are you guys feeling me with the hydration in this post? LOL!)
Select your color of choice and go right ahead and paint your nails! The best part— pick your top coat! I usually go with my favorite fast drying top coat or my Seche Vite Top Coat, but today I am actually going with an all matte look by Essie!
You don’t have to go the salon to have beautiful, hydrated nails! If you just get a couple nail care products for your home, then you can always have fresh nails. It’s cheaper, too!
What do you do while painting your nails? I’d love to hear your routine!
