Step-By-Step Easy Manicure

Here are a few tips and hints for setting up your first home manicure. Take some time and

look over your nails. If this is the first time for you doing a manicure then you need to know a little about the

condition your nails are in. Are your nails dry? That could be because you have been changing nail polish often. The acetone in the nail polish remover is one of the biggest reasons your nails will be dry. Do they have lines or ridges? That tells you will be a base coat that fills in ridges. Are the nails peeling or brittle? Sorry ladies thats something that can be hereditary. If your mother has brittle nails there is a good chance so will you.

Make sure you have everything you need and let's get started

Your favorite polish,

file

polish remover

base coat/ridge filler

top coat

Cotton balls

orange stick

bowl for the warm water

towels

Remove any old polish on your nails. If pressed for time and can't give yourself a manicure, then

having no polish on your fingernails in better than having them chipped.It shows you take care of your nails. Another tip when removing your old polish

don't use a polish remover that requires you to stick your entire finger into a jar. If you

remember polish remover isn't very good for your nails. Avoid those that contain acetone or chemical

relatives of acetone, even if they say they have conditioners. It doesn't matter the acetone and alcohol in polish remover is just bad for your nails. Its a simple as that.

You will want to rinse your nails in warm water immediately after using polish remover. Then scrub them

cleanly with a soft-bristle nail brush. The night before your manicure, give your nails a hot oil treatment. They will love it! Its great for your cuticles!

A super easy recipe to do at home if you want to do hot oil treatment for your nails is

1/4 cup olive oil

oil from one vitamin E capsule

Just heat the oil in a saucepan and let cool until just warm. Add the vitamin E to the oil then rub it into

your cuticles and nails, massaging any extra oils into your hands, put on your gloves and your hands and nails will just be wonderful the next day.



Filing to shape and buff your nails. Just don't file unless your nails are dry and free of any creams. Soft nails with may peel, tear chipped or even split. It really doesn't matter which way you file just do it softly. You may want to keep your nails even length and find the shape best for your hands. Some fingers look good with square nails and others with oval tips.



Soak your nails for a few minutes in warm water. If your nails are stained here is a real easy recipe to whiten your nails.

Use this twice a week till stain is gone

1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide

1 cup warm water

Soak for 15 minutes twice a week. Pat dry

Or try a lemon, do it the same way. Even household bleach used in place of hydrogen peroxide. Some summer bright polishes have been known to stain, and winter dark polishes can do it sometimes too.

Now you need to push back your cuticles but never cut them or push them back hard. It has been said not to push the cuticle back at all. The reason is they are what protects the root of the nail. Gently push back the cuticle, use a soft moist towel or orange stick. The dead skin you can trim off but leave living skin alone, just not a good idea to do.

Clean under your nails but be careful if you are too vigorous you may create a space under your nails for fungi or bacteria to grow. If there is any discoloration, you can cheat and use a white nail pencil to conceal

it which gives it a cleaner look. To get maximum benefit from your white pencil is to wet the tip and gently rub it underneath the nail tip.



Now its time to paint your nails. Start with a base coat. There is a difference between a base coat and a top coat. The base coat usually thicker and sticker, which helps the nail polish adhere better, and they contain more resins to give the nail added strength. Topcoats on the other hand, are thinner and contain more ingredients that create a durable surface on the nail, they are made to add strength, dry quickly and protect the polish from daily wear and tear. Just a fun facts about the differences.

First step: Apply your base coat.

Second step: The best way to apply polish is to start at up the center, then up both sides from the base to the tip.

You really should only need three strokes.A good idea is to avoid quick-dry polishes for some contain formaldehyde which is not good for the health of your nails or your health. It is better to try a thicker, slower drying polish it will hold moisture plus give your nails more flexibility. No matter what you use it will take at least three hours for your nails to be totally dry.

Go over your nails with only two coats of polish letting each coat dry about 3 minutes

Third step: Brush on your top coat cause it will seal the polish and help protect it from chipping. If you want to get creative there are books that teach you how to do nail art.

There you go, you just gave yourself your first home manicure saving yourself money. I do hope you will try at least once doing it yourself. If not alone, why ask your friends over? Have a mini-nail party, do each others nails, and gossp. What more fun does a girl need?

Copyright 2005 Kim Snyder Owner of Overallbeauty.com Great lover of beauty care and products, never happy

without trying to make the world a little prettier for all. Visit Overallbeauty.com to see the latest in

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