I decided to go back to basics by telling you what works for me when preparing my nails for nail polish. I’ve mentioned here the tools to own for the at-home manicure, now let’s put them to use.
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1. With my nails bare – meaning no nail polish, I start by using a cuticle pusher, I use the metal one, but the orange wood stick will also work. What’s the difference? The wood stick will be ideal if you have a softer cuticle, it’s also gentler on the nail, use it by gently pushing the cuticle towards the back of the nail. If you have dry cuticles or ingrown nails on the sides of the nail bed, now it’s the time to use the cuticle nipper to remove that.
2. I will cut my nails to my desired shape or I’ll simply file them down and will use a nail buffer – particularly if I see there are any slight bumps or ridges that appear on the nail bed, as this can cause an uneven polished look. My go-to on my natural nails is the ‘natural short’ shape – keeps me from accidental poking my kids!
3. I use a cotton ball and pure acetone to clean the nail beds. However, you can also use a paper towel with rubbing alcohol – you don’t want to polish your nails if they have any lotion or cuticle oils, doing this will ensure your nails clean from it all.
4. And lastly, use a base coat. So, why the spend money, time and effort on base coat? A base coat will protect your nails from the nail polish. It will act as an adhesive to the nail polish, prevent staining from darker colors, peeling, give less of a streaky look from the nail polish and overall enhance and give you a beautiful polished look. Now, apply two coats of your desired shade of nail polish, allow it to dry for a few seconds and seal it with a top coat.
I know it may seem like one too many steps, however, if you take the proper steps in caring for your nails, the time it took you to polish your nails will definitely be worth the effort in the final results.
Hope you’re having a great Friday!
A-
Mom Life With Chiari 