10 Easy Steps to Get the Perfect Manicure at Home

Whether you want to treat yourself or you don't have the time or the resources to go to a salon, mastering the at-home-manicure is a skill that will serve you well on the long run.

These days our visits to the salon have been postponed until further notice. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve the same look by yourself. Not only can you make it look perfect, you can also add your personalized touch to the designs and make them look perfect. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you're doing your own nails. We’re going to cover it all so follow along for an Instagram worthy mani.

Even if you’re never done your nails before by yourself we’re going to show you some techniques so you can start mastering this art with just a few products. And guess what, it’s easier that you think.

Step 1: Clean your nails

For a perfect mani you have to start with clean hands and remove any old nail polish from your nails. Even if you don’t have any nail polish swiping a cotton ball with nail polish remover will be a good ideas so you can get rid of oils and residue from your nails and make the polish stick better. After this, wash your hands with soap and water. 

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Step 2: Prep

You can start by clipping your nails and getting rid of any chips and uneven ends. I usually cut just the tips to make them even. Make sure to look for the shortest nail, so you can file or clip the others to the same length. Some celebrity manicurists like Deborah Lippmann recommend holding the file flush to your nail and tilting it so you file from slightly underneath.

Another important thing to follow when during this step is to buff the nails so the natural oils in them don’t build up. Residue can affect the duration of the nail polish. Buffing also makes the nails look more youthful, polished and gets rid of ridges.  

Step 3: Cuticles

Start by massaging the cuticles with some oil. Then apply a coat of cuticle remover to soften the area and get rid of dead skin cells. For this you can use manicure sticks or orange-wood sticks. Gently push back the cuticles and if needed get rid of the excess skin. During this process you have to be very careful because the tissue around this area is sensitive and if not done carefully you could remove the skin around the nail. After this apply cuticle oil again to hydrate the area. 

Step 4: Soften hands

Scrubbing your hands, forearms and wrists is usually an overlooked step.  Use a gentle exfoliator like this that you can make at home to get rid of dead skin and make your hands softer. Also, clean under your nails to get rid of grime. 

Step 5: Moisturize

After exfoliating you can moisturize your hands and cuticles. Enjoy this moment and give yourself a hand massage. Just because you’re not at the salon doesn’t mean you can’t relax for a minute. After this step, swipe the nails with nail polish remover to get rid of oils and prepping the skin for the next step.

Step 6: Base coat

This step is also overlooked. It’s important to prep the nails for the nail polish with a base coat that can hydrate, fill ridges and prevent chipping. Wait at least two minutes between each coat so it can dry properly. Remember this: base coat=longer manicure.

Step 7: Color

You can start by adding the first coat of color. One of the mistakes that we usually make is to apply too much polish to the brush. This prevents the nail polish from drying fast and properly. Also, swiping the brush too many times on the nails can prevent the polish from drying fast. 

The key is to put on just enough polish on the brush to cover the nail in one coat. As a general rule try to swipe the nail three times starting in the middle and then the sides. Repeat this process twice, waiting two minutes between each coat. If you don’t wait between coats you’re not giving the solvents in the polish enough time to evaporate. So keep your phone near, so you can watch a video between coats or set your timer. 

Step 8: Second coat

Cover your nails again with the second coat of polish. If you don’t wait between coats you’re not giving the solvents in the polish enough time to evaporate. Sheer or pastel shades may require a third coat, so be aware of this when choosing your color. 

Step 9:  Topcoat

This step is very important. It locks the polish and gives you that salon-like shine. During this step you have to be careful also not to overdo it because it can ruin your previous coats. There are many options with extra shiny finish and fast dry so you can choose the one that better suits you. 

Step 10: Clean the edges

Tidy up any mistakes that you made by wrapping a piece of cotton ball around the orange stick soaked in nail polish. This way you can remove any excess polish and give it a clean salon-like look to your nails. Let your nails dry for at least five minutes. 

Pro Tip: Tip: Every other day take a few minutes to touch up your manicure with a top coat. This can make all the difference in keeping up that salon look and durability.

So, there you have it, in less than an hour you can have a perfect mani that you’ll feel good about. If you have the right tools and you use some of the techniques that we shared, you can definitely give yourself a beautiful manicure. Of course, when we can go back to the salon we'll be more than happy to pamper ourselves with a professional manicure, but in the meantime, we can save you a lot of time and money. 

Make sure to snap on a photo and share it with us so we can see the final result. You can tag us @shopsaltythreads on Instagram and use #saltythreadsstyle. Until next time!