To do a good manicure and pedicure, all you need is right tools and little bit of practice. Doing this process can also be fun if you want to have girls get together, or even with your sibling and off-course with your life partner which will also provide you extra bonding to your relations. Coming back to the process, it is simple 8 steps that can give you a good salon style manicure and pedicure. So lets get started.
Manicure
Lets start with hands and do some simple steps for manicure. You don't need some fancy tools for the process, just basic things will do the job for you.
1. File and Shape
First of all you need to give a shape to your nail, no matter if they are long or short, shaping the edges are key for good looking nails. You can use nail file or emery board, depending on your preference. However emery boards are not strong and you can slowly file your nails without any mishap. Using an emery board, file nails straight up at the sides. Don’t file sides of nails inward. The thinner your nail, the finer the emery board should be.
2. Soften the Cuticles
To soften your cuticles, apply cuticle softener to the edges of the nail. If you do not have softener in hand, you can also apply olive oil. The olive oil will give your nails smoothness and shine, and will soften torn and damaged cuticles. Massage them gently with fingertips. If cuticles are very brittle, warm the softener in the microwave for a few seconds before applying for better application.
3. Soaking
Now to clean the nails and cuticles, soak fingers in warm, soapy water. You can use any liquid soap or even shampoo for the soak. If your fingers are discolored or dirty, take a tablet of denture cleanser and dissolve it in the water, or add vinegar in water which will help cleaning the fingers.
4. Trim the Cuticles
Now you need to carefully deal with cuticles which are now soften and clean so you can better judge what to remove. Using a cuticle pusher/cutter, push the cuticle back, and cut any excess hangnails. Don’t cut in to your cuticle, because it will cause it to bleed.
5. Massage
Now that the nails are in better shape, it is time to massage. Apply thick moisturizer all over the hands, rubbing into the nails and cuticles. Distress by massaging the inside palm with your thumb. Take a little extra time to massage knuckles which can turn dry and needs some attention. Massage both hands for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Wipe
Now you need to wipe the extra moisturizer which is necessary to allow polish to go on smoothly without bubbling. Dip a cotton ball in an astringent (like witch hazel or lemon juice), and remove any excess oil.
7. Base Coat
Time to paint your nails. First apply a base coat or primer, and let it completely dry.
8. Final Coat
After choosing the color you want to paint, brush on a one-coat polish. Look for the kind that contains both a color and top coat. It’s just as good and a great time-saver.
Pedicure
Now it is time to give some attention to feet. This process is also very simple and relaxing while the steps are almost same as manicure.
1. Soak feet in shower gel or Epsom salts to soften.
2. Separate toes with tissue.
3. Apply non-acetone polish remover to eliminate oils.
4. File to a square shape. Run the file vertically over the nail to prevent future snags.
5. Apply a base coat, This step is necessary even on a pedicure.
6. Apply nail polish.
7. Brush nails with oil to prevent ridges from forming.
8. Allow polish to dry for 30 minutes.
Some Nail Hacks
- For brittle nails, once a week, apply an oil or cream and wear gloves on your hands overnight. Sun damage can cause brittle nails. To avoid it always apply sunscreen protection.
- For splitting nail, first of all cut the nail, file it straight across, and then apply a couple of drops of nail glue to the surface of the nail. Let it set and hold the break in place for about sixty seconds. Reapply glue and then cover the nail with a piece of a tea bag or tissue. Let it dry, and then buff excess off.
- For broken nail which you really don’t want to cut the other nails to match, purchase a set of preglued nails in a natural color. You can then set it on top of the broken nail and file and color to match your manicure.
- Caught Without a Nail File. You can use a strip of a matchbook to file away snags.
