My mani routine

It wasn't so long ago that I was just getting into polishes, and I went searching for articles just like this one - how does one properly do a manicure? Now I've developed my own habits and routine. I don't do every step every time, like filing and buffing, but when I really want to pamper myself I'll do everything. Most of the time I'm in a hurry, so I'll skip some things as needed.

1. Remove your old polish. Needless to say, you can't do a manicure with your old polish still on. I use an acetone-based remover, usually Sally Hansen brand. They're acetone with additives to strengthen or moisturize your nails. I just use cotton pads with acetone. If I'm wearing a lot of coats or a chunky glitter polish, I'll lay the pads over my nails for a few minutes before wiping, and that helps the polish come off easier.

2. File. If my nails are getting longer than I like, they've grown different lengths, there's been a crack, or I just want to change the shape, I file them. Usually I use a metal file. I like to file my left thumb, then right thumb, then left index, right index, etc., so I can be sure the shapes and lengths match :) I don't like to keep my nails too long, since I work with my hands a lot. Some people might consider them "nubbins", but they're the perfect length for me.

3. Buff. Buffing too often can weaken your nails, so I only do it once a month or so, or if I'm going to go with my nails naked. I have a bag of four-sided foam buffers that I got at the pound store. The buffers go down in coarseness, so once you've used all the sides you have a very smooth, shiny finish on your nails. It looks great if I have to go polishless.

4. Have a bath. Taking a nice long soak in warm water will loosen up any remnants of polish that might be hiding in your cuticles or under your nails, and it will also clean the acetone residue from your nails. Soaking your hands will also soften them, making it easier to push back your cuticles later. I do all my normal bath stuff, washing my hair etc., and also take some time to relax. After all, this is pampering time!

5. Lotion up. After I'm done with my bath, I'll put on body lotion where I need it and also hand lotion. A hot bath can dry out your skin, but your skin will absorb the lotion better when it's damp, so now is the perfect time for lotioning!

6. Push back the cuticles. Once my hands are nice and soft, I push back the cuticles with an orange wood stick. You should be able to find these at any drug store and they're very cheap, like 10 for £1. There are also metal cuticle pushers, but these are more harsh and you want to be gentle to your cuticles - underneath is where the nails grow!

7. Apply base coat. A base coat is like eyeshadow primer - it helps your polish stick and can reduce peeling. It also prevents dark polishes from staining your nail. You can use a dedicated base coat, but you could use clear polish as well - I have a ridge-filling base coat that I use sometimes, but since it's a little hard to work with I usually just go with a layer of clear polish.

8. Apply polish! This is the part you've been waiting for - the color! Apply one, two, or three coats of your polish once the base coat is dry. Make sure you wait for each coat to totally dry before applying the next one - the longer you wait in between coats, the quicker it will dry once everything is done. Have you ever had nails that dent, smudge, or just slide off entirely? That's usually caused by not waiting long enough in between layers.
I try to apply in three strokes - once down the middle, and once down each of the sides. Some brushes are better for this; it depends on the brand. The quicker you can apply it, the smoother it will generally look. When I take the brush out of the bottle, I wipe one side off, leaving a bead of polish on the other side, which I use on the nail.

9. Apply topcoat. If you're using a fast-drying TC like Seche Vite, you only need to wait a minute or two between the last coat of polish and the topcoat. If you're just using a regular topcoat or clear polish, you should wait for your last coat to fully dry before applying the top coat.

10. Drying drops. This is totally optional, but it does help your polish dry. I picked up some Revlon 'No-smudge Dry Oil' at the pound store, but there are several brands, such as OPI Drip Dry. The Revlon product is shaped like a nailpolish bottle, and inside is a clear, drippy oil that you apply with the flexible brush. The oil forms a protective layer over your nail as it speeds drying.

11. Wait... I'm worst at this part! Usually I catch up on my TV while waiting for the nails to dry. Remember that even if they're dry to the touch and not 'tacky' anymore, you can still dent the polish hours after applying. It depends on how many coats you used, how long you waited in between them, the type of polish, etc., but I've had times where I've applied polish in the afternoons and dented or smudged it in my sleep :(

12. Cleanup. After your nails have dried, you can clean up your application a bit. Take a Q-tip with some acetone and swipe it around your cuticles to catch any messy polish, and fix any smudges you might have made. Sometimes I need to clean up my mani, and sometimes I don't. It depends on the formula of the polish and how shaky my hands were that day. When I started doing my nails, I definitely needed to do it every time! If you still have polish flooded into your cuticles, don't fret, because a lot of it will come off in your next bath or shower. A good shower can be better than a cleanup job sometimes!

So that's what I do for a complete mani!

Nailgirl