How to Perfect The DIY Manicure at Home
While there’s nothing quite like a salon-quality experience when getting your nails done, sometimes a quick DIY manicure at home is a convenient alternative.
Perfect for when you want to change up your colour, have a last-minute event, or want to give your nails a bit of a breather between treatments, a traditional polish allows you to do this while still having beautiful nails at the same time.
Compared to salon-quality treatments such as gel, SNS, or Bio-Sculpture (if you’re not sure what the difference is, don’t worry, we wrote an explainer article about it here), a traditional polish will only last a couple of days. So don’t be worried if they’ve started to chip and it’s only day two.
Here we asked The Parlour Room founder, Natalie Papadoplous to take us through the steps to achieving the perfect DIY manicure at home. There’s also a video below!
How to perfect the DIY Manicure at home
What you’ll need:
Nail Clippers
Nail file
Buffer
Cuticle softener or cuticle cutter
Basecoat
Polish
Topcoat
Quick-dry drops
Step 1: Cut the nail
The first step is to take your nail clippers and cut your nails so they’re all even and the same length. This will make shaping them a lot easier and give you the perfect base to start.
Step 2: Shape the nail
While an oval or almond shape will give the illusion of a longer nail, a square edge is easiest to manage at home. So taking your nail file, start filing from the edges, and work your way around the top to give the desired shape.
Step 3: Cuticle care
If you have cuticle softener, paint a small amount around your nail and push them back. If you have any loose skin, take your cuticle cutters and carefully cut away any dry edges. Don’t be tempted to go too deep here though as it can be easy to cut yourself and cause you to bleed which can be quite painful.
Step 4: Buff the nail
We want to make sure we have a soft, smooth surface to work with so take your buffer and gently buff the nail. When you’re doing this, make sure you buff in one direction so the surface remains smooth and even.
Step 5: Base coat, normal coat, topcoat
If you’re after a long-lasting manicure, it’s always best to use a base coat and topcoat. Applying a base coat will help protect the nail bed and ensure the polish has something to stick to and the topcoat will seal the polish with a glossy finish and help prevent any chips.
When applying your polish, work from the base of the nail, gently push into the cuticle and then brush up. This ensures a clean edge. Two coats are best, and make sure you allow enough time for these to dry in between before applying the topcoat to finish.
Step 7: Quick-dry drops
Quick-dry drops are the secret to quick-drying nails. Drying your nails in under 60 seconds, these are available to purchase from Priceline. If you don’t have any, you can always give them a quick blast under the hairdryer.
Step 8: Cuticle oil
The final and most important step in perfecting the DIY manicure at home - applying cuticle oil. This helps hydrate and nourish your nails to prevent any dry or cracked skin leaving them looking soft and subtle. Have you tried our TPR Hydrate Cuticle Oil?
Watch Natalie take you through the steps to achieve the perfect manicure at home. Alternatively, book into The Parlour Room and let the pros work their magic!
