Nailed It

Who doesn't love a fresh manicure? I feel more "put together" when my nails are done, and I try to always have my nails freshly painted before a big event. I'm also the girl who can't seem to make a mani last more than a couple of days (unless it's a gel mani, but I try to do those sparingly because they wreak havoc on my nails), and spending $15 a week on my nails just isn't in my budget right now (cause I'd totally rather spend it on booze while catching up with girlfriends...priorities, right?). 

So I'll roll up my sleeves, get all of my supplies together, and give myself a manicure at home. It's really easy and actually a bit relaxing for me. I guess because it's a bit mind-numbing. 

You can click through the gallery below to follow the steps I take for my DIY manis. Don't get discouraged if your first few polish attempts aren't stellar. It takes practice mastering a steady hand. I still have problems painting with my left hand. 

Step 1

Mani setup: the usual supplies for manicures. 

Step 2

Remove any old polish and clip and/or file your nails to the desired length. I like shorter and squared. 

Step 3

Massage cuticle oil onto our cuticles and soak your hands in lukewarm water with a bit of soap and an essential oil of your choice (lavender is always a great choice).

Step 4

After soaking, pat hands dry and use an orange wood stick to push back cuticles. 

Step 5

Only do this step if you know how to properly use a cuticle nipper. If you've never used one before, just skip this step. 

Step 6

Moisturize! 

Step 7

Remove lotion from nail beds with nail polish remover to prep for base coat. 

Step 8

Apply base coat. Base coats are important, especially when using dark polish colors. 

Step 9

Apply two coats of polish. Take your time! 

Step 10

Apply top coat. I'm still obsessed with the matte top coat! 

Step 11

Let nails dry. If you smudge them, you can usually take a small amount of polish remover and smooth it out without having to repaint the entire nail. 

Here's a list of some of my favorite mani products:

orange wood sticks (I prefer these to the metal cuticle pushers...hate the feeling of those scraping my nail beds)

essie cuticle oil

essie base coat

essie matte top coat