Hello! My name is Katee Giffen and I am the blogger at e-polishblog. My blog is all about nail polish. Yes, that is right, nail polish.
My nail polish obsession started when I decided to start doing my own manicures at home so I could save the $15-$20 weekly I was spending at the nail salon. Besides showing color swatches, I also like to share tips and tricks so that my readers can give themselves perfect manicures.
A quick Google search of “at-home manicures” will bring up thousands of websites detailing the basic steps of a DIY manicure. What I am going to share with you today are the tips I have learned that those websites arenʼt telling you.
1. Set up for success! Make sure you have everything gathered for your manicure BEFORE you start. Nothing's worse than trying to find an orangewood stick with wet nails (and work in a well lit area!).
2. A good base coat and top coat are vital. A sticky base coat provides a good grip, helping the nail lacquer adhere to the nail and prevent chipping. A fast dry top coat will dramatically cut down on dry time and help prevent those nasty dings.
3. Use a crystal nail file. They help to seal the edges of your nails and will cut down on snags and rough edges.
4. When filing your nails, do so BEFORE you remove your nail polish. Having color on your nails makes the edge of the nail more visible and easier for you to see the shape of your nails.
5. Buff sparingly. The only time I buff is if one of my nails is peeling. Even then, I only buff the affected area very lightly. Buffing works by removing layers from your nails and it weakens them, so try to avoid it.
6. Before polishing, start with a clean nail plate. Polishing over nails that are not free of lotions and natural oils will prevent the top coat from properly adhering to the nail bed. A quick swipe of white vinegar with a paper towel will do the trick.
7. Wait until your base coat is completely dry before you begin polishing.
8. Make sure you are not starting with too much lacquer on the brush. Swipe the brush against the inside of the bottle neck before you start each nail. This will help you to avoid the nail polish running onto your cuticles.
9. Wrap your tips with color. After you apply your first coat of color and before moving on to the next nail, swipe the tip of your nail with color, almost going underneath the nail. Tip wrapping will dramatically increase the wear of your nail polish (when you're finished with your color, wrap your tips with your top coat, too).
10. Apply your nail polish in thin coats. Three thin coats of color is better than two thick coats. This will increase wear and cut down on those pesky air bubbles. 
11. Clean up. Do your fingers look messy when you are done polishing? The best method of clean up I've found is to use a chisel tip paint brush (from a craft store, I use “Loew-Cornell Comfort 3450 Chisel”) dipped in 100% acetone. Dip the brush in acetone, dab it on a paper towel to remove the excess, and use the brush to remove any nail lacquer that made its way onto your cuticles or skin.
A chisel tip brush works well because the brush head is narrow enough to fit in the space between your cuticles and skin, and the bristles are firm enough to be effective. Do this step after youʼve
applied your top coat.
12.After your clean up, and when your nails are completely dry, brush your cuticles with
cuticle oil to moisturize them.
13.Apply a fresh coat of top coat every other day to your nails. You will be amazed at how this will extend the wear of your nail polish.
Questions? Please visit my blog - you can ask me anything else that you want to know about nail polish and nail care!
xoxo,
Katee
(color in photos is Sephora by OPI Metro Chic)
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8 comments:
Thanks Katee, that's a really great post. Especially the part about using a chisel brush to wipe of the excess polish. I use a brush also, but it's not a chisel one and I think that would work much better. I shall now get myself one as well!
A very usefull post Katee!
Bye bye Astasia
Thanks for the tip on using a chisel brush. I have such problems when I use dark polish - I usually just wait til I've just had a shower & then pick off excess around the cuticles.
I've needed a post like this! I always neglect to refresh my topcoat every other day. Thanks for the great tips Katee!
Thanks everyone for your comments! Glad to hear that these were useful for you :)
Thank you very much for the great post. I really enjoyed reading the post. All the tips are good and useful. Thanks for the sharing.
Let me tell you some tips on how to give yourself a manicure. You can give yourself a professional manicure at home. All you need to do is search simple tools and tips of the professional manicurists use. Avoid using a seesaw motion. Push back cuticles. Use a cuticle moisturizer if they do not push back easily after soaking. Add a second coat for deeper color.Finish the manicure with a top coat of clear polish.
v. detailed post - thank you! Now I can do this on my own to save a few pennies during our little economic troubles :)
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