How To Get A Salon Style Manicure At Home
Don’t let your manicure suffer just because you can’t make it to a salon. Whether you are trying to save money, don’t have a nail salon nearby, or just want to learn how to do a new beauty DIY, painting the perfect manicure can be obtained by all. You don’t need to struggle or be really crafty in order to give yourself a nice manicure at home. here are the most important tips and tricks you’ll need for giving yourself an amazing salon-style manicure at home. The time and attention will be worth the perfect mani!
1. Get your own Gel nail light:
If gel nails are something you typically get done at the nail salon, don’t fret! You can learn to do them yourself at home! It’ll be a bit of an expensive DIY, but with the gel light in your possession, you’ll have the opportunity to give you and your friends gel manicures for years to come. If you’re new to gel nails, this would be a great way to try something new and learn a cool skill! When you get your own gel light, along with the proper polishes and tools, you will be able to create a strong, long-wear manicure. Just be sure to read the directions and apply all of the polishes correctly. You don’t want to mess up your perfect mani!
2. Lotion up those hands!:
Just like at the salon, pay close attention to your hands and forearms. Having lotion close by is always great to avoid dry skin and keep you smelling amazing throughout the day but it’s especially important for the most perfect manicure It always feels good to put lotion on your hands, but you will definitely get that salon vibe by putting lotion or exfoliator on your hands and arms right after a manicure. Choose a relaxing scent like lavender or something that smells subtle, yet fancy, like rosewater lotion and you’ll be good to go.
3. Pay attention to your cuticles:
Just like your nail technician would do at the salon, make sure you take care of your cuticles. I know sometimes it’s annoying and you might be tempted to just paint over them or around them, but it really does make a difference to the appearance and the longevity of your manicure. You could just push them down if they are not too bad but you could clip them to get the excess off, too. Pairs of cuticle scissors can be found in the beauty or nail section of your grocery store and they’re relatively inexpensive. Also, it would be a good idea to oil them to keep the skin around your nails moist and your nails always looking manicure ready.
4. Paint nails in layers:
I know it takes a little extra time but, it’s always better for your manicure to paint your nails in layers. Whether you are doing gel nails or regular polish, two or three coats is best; depending on the hue of your polish. Also, be sure to add a base coat and a top coat to help your nails last longer and look even more fantastic. While you’re waiting for your polish to dry in between layers, you can put on some of your favorite music or a movie to entertain yourself. It’s really a win-win; you’ll get an awesome manicure and a break from other things in the meantime.
5. Put nail oil around your fingers:
Putting nail oil on your fingers will help keep the skin around your nails from peeling or breaking. In turn, this will also help your fingers and manicure look their absolute best. Nail oil is also a great tool to use to help with cuticle care and quickly moisturizing your fingers after you use a chemical that can dry out skin, like acetone nail polish remover. Nail oil can also be found in a convenient pen option, so if that is available to you it would be a great nail tool to use.
6. Get a nail buffer block:
For another way to get salon perfect nails at home make sure you have a buffer block on hand. Depending on the level of grit to your buffer block, buffer blocks are used for smoothing out your nails and getting rid of ridges, making your nails look shiny, and helping polish and base coats adhere better to your nails. It’s definitely the first step for your manicure if you want your manicure to be salon level quality!
7. Use a base coat:
Base coats smooth out your nails, which helps your colorful polishes stick to your nail. Also, the smooth nail acts like a flat canvas, helping the nail polish go on smoothly and evenly. It makes an excellent next step after you perfectly buffer your nails.
8. Use liquid latex around the nail:
Whether you are doing some intense nail art or just painting your nails one color, it’s still a good idea to use some liquid latex if you have it. This product really comes in handy for nail designs that can be messy like water marbling or doing an ombre pattern with a nail sponge. But, putting some of this valuable nail tool around the outside of your nail will keep any amounts of stary polish off of your skin. This way, you won’t mess up your fresh nail polish by trying to clean off your fingers with a q-tip in nail polish remover (been there, done that).
9. Apply a topcoat:
For the final step to your at-home salon level nails add a layer of topcoat polish. Topcoat polish makes a perfect finish because it keeps your nail polish looking smoother, glossier, more scratch-resistant and on longer. Some popular kinds of topcoat polish include glittery, quick-dry, glossy, matte, or holographic. You can also layer topcoats if you want your nails to be even more protected and strong. You might as well protect your manicure after putting so much time and care into it!
