Salon Perfect Manicure at Home

Trying to keep on top of the costs of living means that I can't splurge and treat myself to a salon manicure as often as I'd like to. If only money really did grow on trees, sigh... But, achieving gorgeous and polished nails at home isn't as impossible as it may seem...

To get dreamy digits you must first remove any polish on your nails. Next, file your nails into your desired shape. For an oval shape, sweep your file from the corners into the middle. For a square nail shape, focus filing on the middle of your nail to create a lovely square look. I have found that using a buffer extends the life of my manicure and it's become a necessary part of my prepping routine. It is also essential to buff your nails if you have worn a dark polish that may have stained.

Next, put a cuticle lotion or oil onto your nails while gently massaging your cuticles. A little tip if you don't have a cuticle pusher but still want to remove your cuticles is to use a tooth pick with a cotton pad wrapped around it. Use this DIY tool to gently push your cuticles back, then carefully inspect if you need to clip excess cuticle skin. Only trim tiny portions with manicure scissors.

Although cuticles do provide protection from nail bed infections or inflammation, they can be safely removed. If you are worried about damaging your nails however, it's best to leave this to the professionals! Massage Dr Lewinn's Hand and Nail Cream onto your hands to provide nourishment and hydration.

Now, we're on the home stretch. Make sure your nails are free from oil and water before applying polish. Apply a base coat before applying two coats of your chosen nail colour. I love to wear Essie's Bobbing for Baubles for instant Winter glam. To decrease chipping, swipe the nail colour across the tip of your nail. Finally, finish with a shiny top coat such as Essie Super Duper Top Coat to help seal the colour.

The key to perfectly polished nails is patience. If you want to avoid smudging the polish, apply a base and the first coat of colour in the evening and then finish the rest of your manicure the next morning. Fabulous fingers and hydrated hands are easy!