Manicure @ home

Hi guys,

So I thought I would share with you how to give yourself a manicure at home without all the fancy products. I love my pamper nights and sometimes we just can't afford to keep going to the salon for them done properly so this way we can all have salon looking nails without the expense.

What you need:

• Hand cream or a very nourishing body cream if you don't have hand cream
• Cuticle stick
• Cotton pads
• Nail varnish remover
• Nail clippers (if needed)
• Cuticle nippers
• Nail file
• Bowl full with warm water (with a few drops of olive oil in)
• Cuticle oil
• Nail polish
• Top coat

What to do:

• Remove old nail polish with a good acetone free nail polish remover so you don't ruin your nails. I use the 'Cutex Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover' from boots.
• Soak fingers for around 10 minutes in a warm bowl of water and a few drops of olive oil to moisturise your nails and it will also soften the cuticles.
•  Push cuticles back with a cuticle stick and clip off cuticle skin with cuticle nippers. I use the wilkos cuticle sticks and boots cuticle scissors. 
•  File nail going in one direction only as if you go back and fourth it makes the nails split. And shape them into any shape whether that be square or rounded. I think the rounded style looks more feminine. I use the nail files from superdrug.
• Use a thin layer of base coat on nails then put the color you want on i normally put two coats of color on for a good pigmented color. Then finish off with a top coat. Any nail polish etc that you like will do.
•  Put cotton wool around cuticle stick and dip in nail varnish remover and gently wipe over any nail polish that went on your skin and clean any mistakes up.
• Put cuticle oil over cuticles and do this every other night to keep them nourished and looking nice. I use the boots nail and cuticle oil. If you haven't got any you can use olive oil or just your lip balm will do.
•  Apply your favorite hand lotion cream and massage into hands.

Tips:

• When pushing the cuticles back pull a cotton pad in half and like candy floss swirl the stick in the cotton and it will be softer on your cuticles and won't hurt as much
• When doing polish start in the middle and then at either side.
• Make sure its good olive oil and not cooking oil.

Thanks for reading guys,

Love Christina xox