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| Image via bodycare.becomegorgeous.com |
We all want to have some flashy, stand-out nails
every once in a while, and nothing is more popular this spring that a
well-groomed set of nails in a hot coral, pink, blue or mint green. The only
problem is, if you’re going to go for a pop of color, the finished result
really needs to look professional to get the right look, and that can cost you
big bucks. If you’re low on cash, or just burnt out with heading to the nail
salon every time you want a change of color, try picking out your own favorite
spring shades and learning how to do it yourself!
First, you need to select the perfect nail color.
Check out collections from American Apparel
or Sally
Hansen for easy-to-find inspiration.
Next, get your supplies together:
Polish in a spring color
Nail file
Cuticle Sticks
Cuticle clippers
Mixing Bowl
Clean towel
Exfoliating scrub (like a sugar or salt scrub)
Cuticle cream
Lotion
Nail polish remover
A flat soft-bristle makeup brush (for removing
excess polish)
Finally, follow these steps for a perfect spring
salon manicure, totally at home!
Step 1: File
Find a nail shape that you want to try from a
magazine or online. Take a look at the shape and figure out how it will
correspond with your natural nail. Make sure to contour everything to the
shortest natural nail on your hands, so they will all be the same length. File
inward with soft, short strokes until you get the shape you want.
Step 2:
Moisturize Cuticles
Using your cuticle cream or oil, dab a good amount
onto the cuticle of each hand. Then, use your fingers to rub it in.
Step 3: Soak
Hands
Fill up your mixing bowl with warm water. You can
add any sort of hand soak you like, such as bubble bath, bath beads, or body
wash. Some people even use dish soap, and that works fine, too. Immerse your
hands in the warm water, and let them soak for at least five minutes,
preferably more.
Step 4:
Exfoliate
After your hands have soaked for a while, take them
out and slather them with your exfoliating scrub. Scrub your hands gently. Then
rinse your hands thoroughly under tap water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Step 5: Shape
Cuticles
The trick here is to push your cuticles as far back
as they will go, so you can get the most bang for your polish. Using the
cuticle stick, gently push your cuticles back, all the way around the nail. If
you have hangnails or really thick cuticles, cut them (gently!) with your
cuticle clippers. What you want is an effect that looks smooth, as if you have
done nothing to your cuticles.
Step 6:
Moisturize
Once your cuticles are smooth and groomed, you need
to lock in the moisture with a nice lotion or oil. Pour a quarter-sized amount
onto the palm of your hand and rub in, focusing on the cuticles. Once your
hands are thoroughly moisturized, dry off the nail beds to prepare for polish.
Step 7: Polish
Before you start, use a cotton ball to dab some nail
polish remover on your clean nails. This will get rid of any lotion you have
left coating the nails. Then, start with a basecoat and paint a thin layer on
both hands. Let dry. Now, you are ready for color! Paint two coats on each
hand. After they have dried, finish with a high-shine top coat.
Step 8: Clean
Excess Polish
This is the trick to getting that salon-quality
look. Using your flat brush, dip the brush into the bottle of nail polish
remover. Gently trace the outer corners of your nail bed to lift off polish
that has gotten onto your cuticle area. Use the end of the brush to scrape of
excess. Try to create a rounded effect that looks the same for each nail.
Once you’re done, let your nails dry fully, and
you’re ready to go!
This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at accredited online colleges about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.
