I love to pamper myself with a professional manicure and pedicure session at a salon with my friends, but only occasionally. Mostly, I love to do at home manicure. Yes, you have to use both hands while priming and polishing your nails, but you will master these ambidextrous skills with practice. I love to change my nail color when I get bored with the one that I am wearing.
Since I’m wearing gel nail polish almost all the time, I thought it would be a good idea to share my 10 minute at home manicure routine with you. If you want to do your nails at home like me, all you need to do is prep your nails well before applying color on them.
Here are my steps to master the 10-minute manicure session at home:
1. Cutting & Filing Nails
You can cut your nails in any shape you want, but I love to cut them short. The circular shape of my nails matches the curve found at their base. After cutting my nails, I love to file them properly.
2. Pushing Back Cuticles
If you find cuticles in the middle of your nails, push them back properly, so that you can apply even layers of polish, without the cuticles disturbing you.
3. Trimming cuticles
You may not like to trim your cuticles, but I always do when I prep my nails. I bite my nails regularly; therefore, trimming my cuticles, helps me keep my fingers away from my mouth.
4. Buffing Nails
When you apply polish, you want your nails to be smooth and ridge-free. So, buff as much as you can. I always buff my nails till I get a smooth surface, but I don’t do overdo the process, as I don’t want my nails to look very thin.
5. Softening cuticles
While you may choose to soften your cuticles as part of prepping your nails, I always do this, especially during winters. After this, I always give a coating of polish remover on my nails, so that the oil doesn’t mix with the nail polish.
6. Applying polish
While applying polish, ensure that only one side of the brush has polish. This will make for an even application.
7.How to apply polish?
Always start applying polish in the middle of the nail. Now, work your way upwards until the cuticle, before you stop right at the top. Now, follow the same process until you reach the tip of the nail.
8. Finishing touch
While the brush is at the center of the nail, fan it out a bit by pressing it downward, so that it gets to one side of the nail. Do the same for the other side of the nail as well.
9. Second coat
Now apply a second coat of polish in the same way.
10. Topcoat
Complete the look by applying a layer of top coat.
