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Tips for home manicures

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Doing good home manicures takes some time and investment in tools. My manicures last about 7 days and I find working on my manicure to be relaxing and nice little bit of “me” time. Here’s my tips for manicures at home.

Tips for manicures at home. Find out about all the supplies!This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase using product links, I’ll receive compensation towards maintaining this blog.

  • You will need to store your polishes. I started off with 5 pinks and 5 oranges. They fit in the drawer on my bedside table just fine (they do need to be kept out of light and heat). When my collection began to grow, it started to really stress the hardware on the drawer. Nail polish is actually pretty heavy!

nail polish acrylic storage

I bought a rotating display for my collection and it lives in our guest room which normally has the curtains drawn. It holds about 140 bottles.

  • I file my nails while they are still polished, before I remove and prepare for the next manicure. I use a glass file, which never wears out!

glass nail file

I only clip my nails in an emergency and I think my nails are much healthier for it. After getting the shape right, I lightly file the tip of each nail from the top at a 45-degree-angle, kind of thinning out the tip of the nail.

  • To remove old nail polish, I use nail polish remover and exfoliating cotton pads. The bumpier the surface, the easier it is to get the polish off!

For glitter polishes, I use the foil method. I buy aluminum foil from the dollar store (you do not need high quality foil). Tear two strips off the roll, 3 to 4 inches wide. Use scissors to cut each strip into 3 squares. Fold a cotton pad in half and soak with remover. Wrap around the nail, then wrap with a foil square to hold it in place. Do all the nails on one hand and wait for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the nail and twist the foil packet off. Use another freshly soaked cotton pad to remove any remaining bits of polish. Repeat on the other hand.

  • Next, I trim my cuticles. I just trim away anything that is on top of the nail. It is also fine to just push this skin back.
  • Use a basecoat. After painting each nail, go back and paint the back side of any fingertip that shows above your finger. My favorites are CND Stickey and Nubar.

When my nails are peeling, I use NailTek Intensive Therapy-II. Be sure to read all the NailTek types to see which one matches the problems you have.

nail base coats

  • My favorite nail polishes are from OPI, China Glaze, and Zoya. There are several bloggers who get the latest polishes and show swatches (it’s so hard to tell what the color will look like just looking at the bottles). OPI has an app that allows you to match a hand to your skin color and see the latest collection colors on the nails. Drugstore brands that also work fine for home manicures are Revlon and Sally Hansen. Specialty finishes I like include glitter, shatter or crackle, and sand or texture. Use at least two coats of polish for your home manicures, and be sure to give a polish swipe to the tips and back of each nail.

glitter-opi-stefani

glitter

sand-polish-seahorsin

sand

shatter-polish-turquoise

shatter

  • Finally, use a topcoat. My favorites are Maniology No Smudge, Seche Vite and Poshe.

top coats for nail polish

These are fairly thick and set up quickly. For touch ups, I like Essie Good to Go. Again, be sure to give a swipe to the tips and back of each nail.

  • In addition, with a big collection, your polishes may get too thick between uses. I keep Seche Restore on hand to adjust the polish’s thickness.

nail polish restoration thinner

Supplies

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase using product links, I’ll receive compensation towards maintaining this blog.

Favorite nail blogs

plumeria barLet’s talk story

I enjoy doing my nails. My mother had very elegant, long nails and her favorite color was Revlon Cherries in the Snow. There was a time when I was younger that I did not feel comfortable expressing myself with nail polish. But once I started doing home manicures, I felt that it gives me a fun and creative outlet. You can check out my weekly creations on Instagram!

Color Street nail polish strips for easy nail art

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I love expressing myself with manicures. For getting artsy, I like to use Color Street 100% Real Nail Polish Strips. It gives me nail art without any artistic ability!Steps for using Color Street 100% Real Nail Polish Strips. Read how to do it and more manicure tips!

Instructions for Color Street nail polish strips

  • File your nails, remove polish, and clean your hands. My tip: I use a glass file to file my nails while still polished. After shaping, lightly file the tip of the nail at a 45-degree angle from the top to thin out the nail tip.
  • The envelope has illustrated detailed directions, a cute file, and a nail prep pad. You may want to also use an orange stick and a small pair of scissors.
  • The nail strips come in different sizes. (16 strips are included.) Take some time to figure out which strips fit the nail bed of each nail. I placed a piece of tape on each nail and traced inside the cuticle with a sharpie. Then I used a long piece of tape to make a little template, which I save. I think because my nails have a lot of curve, I find this flat template much easier to use to select my nail strip size. If your nails are very slender, you may want to cut a tiny strip off the edge of the strip you’ve selected.
  • You can take care of extra length or width at the top during the process with stretching. Depending on the length of your nails, you may be able to get 2 nails from some strips. I find that the Glitter Designs and Nail Art Designs are not too hard to cut in half and use for two nails. Some of the other types are slightly thinner and harder to maneuver.color-street - 10
  • The strips are made from real nail polish and have a clear protection on top that needs to be peeled. Next, the white backing has to be peeled. You can hold the sticky strip with your finger, but I like using my orange stick.
  • Then, carefully lay the strip on your nail trying to line up with the nail bed. The strip can be slightly stretched to curve and fit. Start with your pinky and do your thumbs last.color-street - 15
  • Use your finger to rub the sticker from the center of the nail out to the edges to flatten all bumps. You can gently use the orange stick to flatten bumps and cover the very tip of the nail. The sticker should kind of stretch off the end of the nail and if you are lucky, salvage the rest of the sticker for another nail. I save the peel off parts to help save the stickers.
  • Use the file to finish off the end of the nail. Stroke it at a right angle to your nail. You may have to use the pointed end of the orange stick to remove excess around the cuticle.

Tip: I choose a nail polish that goes with the stickers to fix any little chips that may happen during the week. When you are ready to remove, just use your normal nail polish remover.

Tip: If there is a lot of glitter in the design, you may want to use the foil method. Cut foil strips about 3 inches by 3 inches. Soak a cotton pad in polish remover and place it on your nail. Wrap the pad and your finger in foil. Do all the nails on one hand. Wait five minutes, then twist as you pull the foil and cotton off your finger. You may need to go back in with another cotton pad, but this will soften up the glitter.

Why try Color Street?

Color Street nail strips can be applied quickly and are dry when you are finished (base coat and top coat are built in!) Applying the strips takes about 30 minutes to be completely bonded to your nail, but I’ve typed, done laundry, and other things as soon as I was done with no chipping. The price is similar to high quality nail polish, but you will get one or two applications out of a set.color-street - 2

Color Street comes in solid colors, glitters, glitter design, and nail art design. They have a very clever way of doing different color French tips, too. Also, you should check out the pedicure designs! I’m adding Color Street to my nail polish collection because it’s a simple, fast way to get really cute nail art on my nails!Steps for using Color Street 100% Real Nail Polish Strips. Read how to do it and more manicure tips!

Resource links for Color Street 100% real nail polish strips

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Related posts

Tips for home manicures Shatter and crackle nails Jamberry nail wraps

Top nail care picks cuticle care

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It’s fun to make your nails into works of art, but what about nail care? Cuticle care is a big part of nail health. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite products.

nail care picks

  1. Lush Lemony Flutter: this has a great lemon scent for nail care. The texture is thicker than cold butter. While it feels greasy during application, once you rub it in, this passes. The main emollients are shea butter and beeswax. The tub is pretty large so it’s not pocketbook friendly.
  2. Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter: this is a local NC company that bases their products on beeswax. This has a strong lemon scent and soft balm feel. The main emollients are sweet almond oil and beeswax, great for nail care. This little tin is very pocketbook friendly.
  3. Sally Hansen Massaging Cuticle Treatment: this one is an oil to rub into your cuticles. The applicator is slanted plastic with little bristles. Turn the bottom to push the oil up into the applicator. The main emollients are sweet almond oil, mango seed butter, and tea tree oil. This one seems best for bedtime nail care with its oily texture.

nail care for cuticles

Your cuticles and nail beds need moisturizing just like your skin. Try one of these regularly for nail care and you might see a big improvement in the look of your cuticles and the health of your nails.

horizontal bar with plumeriaAffiliate links:  if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Have you tried any of these products? What’s your favorite nail care product?

Jamberry review: vinyl nail wraps manicure

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Here is my Jamberry review. Jamberry nail wraps are very popular on Facebook and YouTube and provide an alternative for cute nail art that can be done at home. Here’s my experience with trying this manicure method.Jamberry review of nail wraps. Steps to apply alternative to nail polish. Different and artistic nails with vinyl wraps! Tips for doing your own manicure!

Jamberry nail wraps are vinyl strips with a glue on the back. The glue is activated through heat. You can use a hair dryer or the Jamberry mini heater.

Directions to apply and remove are on the envelope the strips come in. The fun about the strips are choosing designs that I could never paint on my nails myself. I selected the most tropical I could find on the website.

jamberry - 5

You can purchase a toolkit which comes in a nice zipper pouch. It contains orange sticks, soft cuticle tool, nail scissors, nail file, nail clippers, buffer, and two alcohol wipes.

jamberry - 2

After prepping your nails (read the directions!) find the size of strip to fit each nail. For 3 of my fingers, I need to cut a tiny strip off the edge of the strip. One strip will cover two nails.

jamberry - 8

Peel the strip off the plastic kind of bending it back on itself. Cut it in half.

jamberry - 9

Use the orange stick to to hold the half sticker.

jamberry - 12

Hold in front of the heater until it begins to curl. The heat activates the glue on the nail wrap.

jamberry - 10

Place the nail wrap on your nail, trying to have a little nail showing all around the edges. If it is on your skin or cuticle, you will not get a good seal. Smooth the sticker down onto the nail using the soft part of the cuticle stick. I found I need to reheat the nail 2 or 3 times during this process.

jamberry - 18

Cut excess sticker off with scissors or nail clippers. Use a file to file off the rest at a right angle to your nail.

The nail wraps last about 4 or 5 days on my nails. To remove, I use nail polish remover, dental floss picks, and alcohol and cotton pads to remove the last bits of glue.

For my Jamberry review, the method is very different from a regular nail polish manicure. I am getting better at it, getting the wrap onto my nail more smoothly. I am getting a little faster at it, but it still takes an hour on average.

Jamberry review Pros: the art work is really cute; chipping basically doesn’t happen.

Jamberry review Cons: need different tools; takes time to apply carefully; takes a lot of practice to get good at it; doesn’t last as long as my normal manicure.

If you are interested in these products, they are usually sold on Facebook by consultants. You can find a consultant on the Jamberry website or shop on the website.

Resource links for Jamberry review

horizontal bar with plumeriaThis post contains affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Related posts

Tips for home manicures Sally Hansen nail strips Shatter and crackle nail polish

Shatter and crackle nail polish – easy home mani

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I use shatter and crackle nail polish to change things up from my usual colors and glitter. It gives me nail art without any artistic ability! I love expressing myself with manicures (you can check out my weekly creations on Instagram! )How to use shatter and crackle nail polish. Different, artistic, and easy nails! Tips for doing your own manicure!

Instructions for shatter and crackle nail polish

  • File your nails, remove polish, and clean your hands. My tip: I use a glass file to file my nails while still polished. After shaping, lightly file the tip of the nail at a 45-degree angle from the top to thin out the nail tip.glass-nail-file
  • Use a basecoat. After painting each nail, go back and paint the back side of any fingertip that shows above your finger. My favorites are Nail Tek II, CND Stickey, and Nubar.
  • Choose a base color that is a high contrast to your shatter and crackle nail polish. My favorites are a neon yellow with teal shatter or soft green with dark green shatter. Paint your nails with two coats of the base color. Allow to dry completely, up to 10 minutes.shatter-nails-base-color
  • Now it is time to apply the shatter coat. This happens quickly, so I was unsuccessful in getting a photo for you. The shatter polish has a thick consistency, almost like liquid plastic. I use a fairly thick single coat, making three strokes from cuticle to tip. You should immediately see the polish making a crackle design.shatter-nails-shatter-coat
  • This manicure needs a coat of topcoat to protect your work. I like Poshe or Seche Vite. If the finish still feels bumpy, I add a second coat (otherwise I’ll pick at the bumps!). I find that the manicure lasts most of the week this way. When you are ready to remove, just use your normal nail polish remover.

Check out online or your local Ulta or other beauty store for shatter and crackle nail polish. I use OPI and China Glaze, but Sally Hansen and other brands make shatter and crackle nail polish.shatter-nails-supplies

Some things I’ve heard: Serena Williams, the fantastic tennis athlete, is a nail tech. She invented the shatter technique. The special polish has something in it, possibly ethanol, that evaporates quickly, leaving the polish behind to shrink and give the crackle effect.

Resource links

This post contains affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.