How To Get The Perfect Manicure at Home

Is it just us or do you also feel like you have your life together when you have a nice manicure?  It could just be the self care aspect of doing something for ourselves that makes us feel like we have our shit together.  Self care is so IMPORTANT ladies!  We know finding the time for you can be a challenge as it is, so here’s how we skip the nail salon and get that perfect mani at home.

Get Comfy

I typically will do my nails as a way to wind down for the night.  I like to get in my comfy clothes, take off my makeup, and turn something on Netflix.  I’ve also discovered that less nails get ruined if I just go to bed after I paint them!  It’s always so frustrating when you just painted your nails and you’ve already ruined them.  Painting them before bed has totally helped me with that problem!

Prepping Your Nails

After you’ve removed the remaining patches of nail polish from your last manicure, it’s time to prep for the next one. I like to file my nails first and shape them how I want them.  Then I’ll go in with a cuticle oil and rub that into my cuticles.  You’ll want to let that sit for a few minutes to let that soften up your cuticles.  If you wanna get fancy, you can then soak your hands in warm water to get them even softer.  I typically skip that step and just rinse the cuticle oil off and pat your fingers dry.  Then you can go in with a cuticle pusher and gently push back your cuticles.  I know this sounds extra, but it really helps a manicure last longer.  Wash your hands with soap and now you’re ready to apply the base coat.

I’m sure there are plenty of good base coats out there, but I’ve been using the one by Seche Vite for years and love it.  I’ve never experienced a yellowing of the nail when using this base coat.  I also don’t recommend skipping the base coat.  It creates a barrier between the colored nail polish and your nail that prevents staining.

Picking Your Nail Polish

There are so many different nail polish brands out there but we have a few faves.  Jenne and I love the Insta Dri nail polish by Sally Hansen.  It’s only $4.99 which is on the more affordable end and applies so well.  I love the wide brush it has because it makes the application process super quick!  It does seem to try pretty quickly as well which is a plus!  I’ve also been loving the Zoya nail polishes too and seem to have a long lasting mani with that polish.  It retails for $9.00 so it’s up there along with Essie, OPI, and China Glaze.  I’ve used all of these brands for years and really like them all!  I will say Zoya is probably my favorite of the more expensive polishes though.  It has a nice size brush and the polish lasts for a long time.

We are loving neutral nails but do love an occasional pop of color with reds or lavenders.  It’s also fun to change things up and do a few nails different than the rest.  I get bored with my nails too quickly if they’re all one color, but if that’s your jam then you do you!

Finishing Touches

Don’t forget to top your fresh mani off with a top coat.  They really help to lock in that polish so it won’t budge.  I honestly won’t ever recommend any other top coat because Seche Vite has the best one.  You apply it to wet nail polish so you won’t have to wait for the polish to dry first.  It’s super thick and super fast drying so you can get back to your routine pretty quickly.  I mean, I don’t recommend doing the dishes or folding laundry right away but you don’t have to wait as long as you probably do with your current top coat.  Now you’ve got yourself that perfect at home manicure girl!

We hope this helps you get that perfect at home manicure!  Take this as a reminder to fit in some you time and take care of yourself.  Maybe you could care less about your nails, but find something to do for you and do that!  Tell us some of your fave self care tips in the comments 🙂