Manicures that Last

Doing a home manicure is a great way to save money instead of running to the salon all the time to get your nails done. Learning some tricks you may even notice that your home manicure lasts longer than the spa or salon. There are only four basic steps to doing your nails.

Before you begin to paint your nails you need to prepare them. Apply nail polish remover over your nails, even if you don't have any nail polish on. The nail polish remover will get rid of the natural oils that are on your nails.

There are four basic steps to doing your own nails:

1. Base Coat: You want to start out with a strong foundation. You do this by applying a base coat to your nails. The base coat helps to strengthen the tips of the nails and helps the colored polish to go on evenly. Apply the first coat to the upper part of the nails. Let your nails set between one to two minutes. Now apply the base coat to the entire nail.
2. Polish: This is always the fun part of the manicure. Pick out your favorite color. You want to use a nail polish that isn't clumpy. If you're not sure than it's best to start with fresh nail polish. Roll the polish bottle between your hands. This will help to mix the polish thoroughly. Do not shake the bottle of polish. Shaking the polish creates air bubbles, which affects the quality of the polish. Apply the polish generously. Paint one strip of color down the middle of your nail and re-dip the brush. Then paint another strip to the right of the middle stripe. Re-dip the brush and apply to the left of the middle strip. Do this to all nails. Now wait for about fifteen minutes and apply the second layer of polish. This will take longer to dry than applying only one coat, but the polish will last longer when the polish is thicker.
3. Top Coat: There are times that we like to skip this step. Don't! Take the time to do your nails right and the manicure will last longer, saving you more time in the end. Apply the top coat onto the polish. The top coat strengthens the nails and will also help to dry the polish faster.
4. Drying the Nails: Take your time drying your nails. When you rush drying your nails, you also run the risk of ruining your nails. There is a way that it can be done without the worry of smearing your freshly painted nails. Place your hand into a bowl of ice water, and hold them in the water as long as you can. Then continue to dip them in and out of the water for five minutes. This helps to set the lacquer on the nail.

Now that you are finished with your nails you can set back and look at your beautifully painted nails.