Hey guys! Hope you've had a great week - if your anything like me, the weekend is when I get a chance to do all my self -care! Since I've been dedicated to my nail routine for the past 5 years, I figured why not spread my vast knowledge with the world! Click the link below for a quick video tutorial.

The first few items you will need are as follows:

Nail files (rough and fine)
Cuticle pusher
Cuticle cutter
Base coat polish
Nail colour polish
Top coat polish

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.07.18 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.07.35 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.06.10 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.06.32 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.08.23 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.09.14 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.09.56 PM.png

First we start off by pushing back the cuticles and raising them from the nail bed (if you are new to this process or just want it to go a little smoother, you can soak you hand in warm water for 5-10 mins before this step to soften the cuticles). Next we use our cuticle cutter to remove the excess cuticle skin and clean up our nail beds *BE WARNED* to lightly work your way along the cuticle and do not go to deep as to cut your cuticle, this will cause bleeding and you may be left with a mark along your cuticle.

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.17.34 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.17.55 PM.png

Next we use our rough nail file to shape and trim our nails. I find the easiest shape to work with is square, I think take my nail file and round our the edges to avoid sharp corners. Using the fine nail file, I go over the tops of my nails to smooth down any lumps, bumps, or jagged edges - this is essential to prep the nail for polish, as it leaves an even base and helps with the "salon look".

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.24.23 PM.png

The final step is the polish. I always like to start with a base coat, this creates a smooth base for the colour. After waiting about five minutes for the base to dry, we can go in with the colour polish, most colours I find I can get away with one coat but sometimes two is needed (giving around 10 mins between coats)! Make sure you have an even coat on each nail, don’t get to concerned about it bleeding onto you cuticles, this is easily remedied by dipping a cotton swab in nail polish remover and going back in to clean up these areas. Giving your nails 10-15 mins to dry, you can then go in with top coat to finish off the process. I find I like to use a pretty heavy top coat, this is what really give the nails that "salon" style finish.

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.29.14 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 6.29.29 PM.png

Voila! A full DIY salon style home manicure. For best results do this on a day where nothing else is planned, kick back with a book or remote and fully let your nails dry for a couple hours before any type of activity. Thanks for following along and good luck with your next mani!

DIY Salon Style Manicure