Fingernail care is something we all do in one way or in an another. If nothing else, we shorten them; be it by cutting or biting, since they constantly grow. But there’s more to maintaining them than just shortening if you want to properly groom and maximize their appearance. Nail care isn’t rocket science or very time consuming. 20-30 minutes a week is all it should take to keep them manicured and looking as good as the rest of you.
Fingernails often go unnoticed by others unless they’re nasty and in poor condition. Nothing makes people cringe like shaking a hand, or being touched by someone with dirty, untrimmed, raggedy nails. All know that none of you want to be that, so by following a few simple steps, you’ll never have to worry about what people see or think.
Manicures are one of those “little luxuries” that many of us skimp on for a variety of reasons. Some people simply don’t have the time, some people don’t like to spend the money and they don’t enjoy having strangers fondle my feet for 45 minutes.
Fortunately, manicure can be easily accomplished at home, so there’s no reason to go without a professionally polished set of fingers, here’s how to save money and time with a little DIY.
What you all need ?
At a bare minimum, you will need the following items:
- Nail clippers
- Nail file
- Cuticle trimmers
- Nail brush (for cleaning)
- Nail buffer or polish
- Moisturizing lotion.
Clean your hands and nails
Start your manicure by washing your hands with soap and hot water. This ensures there is no dust or dirt on top of your nails, which can cause nail polish to bubble or chip.
Moisturise
Dry hands and nails can be a huge eyesore, so next, use a hand lotion to make sure that your skin is moisturised. Try the walnut hand cream for a lightweight formula that soothes and softens your skin, and leaves you with a spa-like scent on your hands. Throw in some massage moves, gently rubbing in the cream in a firm circular motion, for a bit of indulgence.
Groom your nails
Next, quickly run a nail file around your finger nails. Don’t try to shorten them since that takes too long, just focus on cleaning up your hand nails by smoothing any rough edges. To save your time, skip cutting your cuticles and instead just push them back using a cuticle pusher.
Time to polish
Without being too careful, apply a base coat on your finger nails. If you are pressed for time and using a light colour, you can skip this type step. For a dark colour, it’s best to protect your nails so that no staining occurs, so be sure to use a base coat. Try the good base for an all-in-one base coat and strengthener. Now it’s time to apply the polish. The easiest and fastest polish to work with is shimmery but with an opaque finish, so that one coat will work.
Top coat and drying
To save time, don’t apply a top coat since it takes at least 15-20 minutes to dry completely. Instead, use a product that says ‘quick dry’ on the label. Just apply a small drop onto the polish of each nail and let sit for 30-50 seconds. Voila, an at-home manicure done in less time than it takes to scroll Instagram!
Generally our hands speak a lot about the kind of people we are. A well healthy manicured hand speaks volumes about a person’s characteristics and nature. However, there are times when going to the parlour to get a manicure just isn’t feasible. So, DIY at home in less time.
