Pedicures Q&A: How to do a DIY manicure?

Question by Anna: How to do a DIY manicure?
Ok, so I’ve always been a bit of a casual girl who usually wears jeans and T-shirts. I paint my toenails for holidays and just usually wear mascara.

However, I’m pretty sure that my partner is going to propose to me in two weeks time when he is taking me away for a long weekend. I want my hands/nails to look beautiful for him, and for whoever happens to grab my hand!

Where do I start? How do I shape them, and apply polish neatly?

Also, my nails get dirty SO quickly, I clean them every single morning in the bath with a brush and they are perfectly clean, by midday they are dirty even though they are short! How can I keep them cleaner for longer?

Thanks, I’d really appreciate some tips from some girly girls!
PS If he doesn’t ask me thats fine (I know its happening sometime soon as he has ordered the ring), I just want to be ready in case!

Best answers:

Answer by Katie ♥
here’s an article from glamour on the subject detailing stepbystep :
http://www.glamour.com/beauty/2010/08/diy-beauty-exactly-how-to-do-your-manicure-and-pedicure-like-a-pro#slide=1

1. First, smooth the surface of your nails with a buffer. Soften your cuticles by rubbing a little bit of lotion or oil over them, and then push them back gently with an orange stick (find it at drugstores).
For pedicures: Cut your toenails straight across (to avoid ingrowns) to a length that hits just the tip of your toe, then moisturize and push cuticles down. File down square edges a bit so that they don’t catch on socks or sandals.
2. The key to a long-lasting polish: super-clean nails, says Nailtini manicure pro Elsbeth. (Just one name cuz she’s that good.) Swipe your nails with acetone to remove dirt and oils before polishing
3.Lounging on the couch won’t give you the best manicure angle, but sitting at a table or desk will. Place hands on top of a paper towel to catch any spills. Doing an at-home pedicure? While seated in a chair, put the arch of your foot on the edge of the table so you can easily reach every toe.
4. A thin coat of the clear stuff creates a smooth surface for color to cling to—skip it and you’ll end up with streaks, says Claudia Vieira, a nail pro at Salon Capri in Boston
5. Whether you’re doing a manicure or a pedicure, hold the brush midcap, not at the tippy-top—you’ll have more control that way. Paint on two layers of polish with light-handed strokes, allowing color to dry completely between coats. For pedicures: Save your big toe for last so you’ll be less likely to smear it when you do the others.
6. Don’t skip the top coat. A layer of the clear, shiny stuff smoothes away any flubs and flaws. And it’s a great way to refresh polish between full-on mani-pedi sessions.
7. We know it’s hard to sit still, but you need to let nature take its course. Never blow on wet polish, says Elsbeth: “It creates moisture bubbles that lead to chips later.” Instead, keep coats extra thin to speed up drying time. Take the time to relax and, say, leaf through a new issue of Glamour. (Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves!)
♥

Answer by Juliett
Heres an article that has various nail shapes and how to shape them: http://www.nailsmag.com/article/474/Getting-Nails-Into-Shape When filing your nails I would really recommend using one the metal files as opposed to the paper files, in my experience I have found that those always fall apart. For the polish you should apply a base coat first to smooth out your nails and help the polish last longer. I have heard a lot of good things about Revlon base coats , Orly also makes nice base coats. If you have a Sally Beauty or Ulta nearby you could check out all the polishes they have there. Then pick out a nice color, two of my favorite brands are Essie and China Glaze, if you want a nice light neutral shade Essie’s Fiji is a great choice! When applying the polish try to do light smooth layers at a time and let them dry before you apply the next coat. If you get polish on your hands or around your nails just use a q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to neaten up the edges. After you have achieved a nice opaque color depending on the color you use it will take between 2- sometimes even 5 coats, let it fully dry then apply a top coat, one of my favorites is the Sally Hansen Mega Shine which you can get a pretty much any drugstore or Target. I hope this helps!!
Heres another article about some at home nail mistakes: http://nailaidcares.com/homemanis.php
P.S. if you are worried about making a mess with the polish or you just don’t want to spend all the time waiting for it to dry, you could try the Sally Hansen Salon effect polish strips http://sallyhansen.com/products/nails/nail-color/salon-effects-real-nail-polish-strips just make sure to use a top coat over them! here are the instructions for how I applied mine : http://tourdebeauty.blogspot.com/2012/07/thoughts-on-sally-hansen-salon-effects.html

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