Tips to Achieve a Salon-Perfect Manicure at Home

So you’re a college student who makes just enough money to go keep yourself stocked up on leftovers from Mr. Chung’s Chinese Kitchen. Maybe even occasionally go out with some friends. Reality yells at you that there is just no extra money or time to go to the nail salon every week. We’ve totally got you covered. You will be giving people around town jazz-hands like Kirsten Dunst in no time with these simple tips to a salon-perfect manicure at home.

1. Perfect Nails Start Out with a Healthy Base

Broken nails got you down? We’ve all been there—broken, chipped, unhealthy nails (sometimes a by-product of an unhealthy diet). But don’t worry. Embrace self-love and stronger nails by using Sally Hansen’s Vitamin E Nail and Cuticle Oil. Sally Hansen has an assortment of nail serums that are sure to help whatever nail problems you have. This unicorn liquid can be found at Walmart to achieve that manicure at home!

2. Invest in a Few Nail Tools

You don’t have to become certified to work in a nail salon, but you should invest in a few easy tools that really make a quality difference for a manicure at home. One option would be a good cuticle tamer (if you have wild cuticles). The tools that I’ve been using for years are a quality nail board (nail file) and a quality nail buffer. And using good nail cutters just go without saying (come on guys). If you take a few extra minutes and use the file followed by the buffer, your polish will go on smoother. You can buy a nice set of these tools at Amazon.

3. More Expensive Nail Polish is Not Always Better

I’ve purchased some of the most expensive and prestigious nail polishes our there. Spoiler alert: they are not always great. So my advice would be to play the field and find one that you think stacks up when compared to others. I like Sally Hansen’s Color Therapy nail polishes. These polishes are infused with Argan Oil, so they nourish your nails while you’re wearing them. Your nails are actually better looking when you take them off? If only you were better looking after taking off your makeup…sigh.

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4. Most Importantly, You Need a Great Top Coat (Applied Twice)

You can’t put the weakest top coat on the front lines of your nails in the battle of life. You need a quality top coat. Look no further then Revlon products. I use the Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat. This product offers almost a full week of shine and chip resistance. The trick is to apply it once, let it dry, and then apply it again. You must take the time to apply it twice. This takes a little longer, but it your manicure at home will last for many more days.

5. Take Your Time with Your Manicure

A law of life is that time invested is time that is gained, in the long run. So take some time and find a good light in which to do your nails. Take time and let your nails dry. Take time and let your nails dry again with the second top coat. Pick a color that makes you happy. Pick a color that expresses your personality. You will learn to enjoy the process of relaxing and giving yourself a manicure. Self-love has never looked so good.

How do you achieve your own manicure at home? Tell us in the comments below!

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