I know I always am!
As a hairstylist my hands are always in water & getting covered in color. Therefor they usually are a little shabby looking.
Below are a few steps that I have condensed from the "state board manicure" steps that cosmetologist have to perform in order to pass & receive state board licensing.
As a previous cosmetologist instructor there is nothing this girl knows better than the "correct" way to do things.
So enjoy this 15 min mani DIY!
Here is a list of things you will need in order to perform this manicure.
1. Nail file
2. Nail clippers
3. Cuticle pusher
4. Tweezers
5. Cuticle nippers
6. A soaking bowl
7. Nail buffer (optional)
Investing in a mani kit is a must! You do not want to be borrowing or sharing implements with friends or family unless they have been sanitized correctly.
Files & non metal implements are made for single person use only, and most times are only good for one use!
I can not say enough good things about the Nail Tek brand! The one I use is called "intensive therapy" and is made for soft, thin, brittle nails in need of strengthening. Like I mentioned earlier my nails get beaten up daily! And when I do polish them I usually have a stylist at my salon do a form of extended wear so that I am able to make my mani last.
So when my nails are bare, they are in need of some tlc.
After using my base coat I use the Essie brand's "fill the gap" to fill in the uneven ridges on your nail beds to give your polish colors an even surface, which looks best!
Once I have applied all my fun colors I finish with this weekly CND vinylux top coat, that is the take home version of extended wear without the UV light! It will help your mani last 7 days without chipping!
First things first, I am going to be brutlely honest- RED polish may be timeless & classy... But it is SO overdone!
Let's think outside of the box ladies!
Colors that are popular right now for nails are WHITE, MINT, CORAL, GOLD, NUDE and a things GLITTER!
Another trend you will see a lot of if you
haven't already is making different nails different colors! Mix & match colors and designs with glitter!
The most popular nail trend that is also becoming overdone is doing all nails the same color with your ring finger being a different color or covered in glitter. This is often called a "party" or "bling" nail!
Why only have one party nail when you have 10 nails to bedazzle????
I am not good at drawing designs whatsoever ! As much as my heart desires chevron on every nail, I couldn't do it if I tried! So a good alternative for me when doing mani's at home is Sally Hansons "salon effects" line that gives me options of patterns, colors, bling or even word art on my nails! Although I am not demonstraining it in this blog post, it's easy to apply & can't really be done wrong! So check them out if you haven't already! You can find them at any drug or grocery store!
What a gross before!
So ready for this mani!
Step 1: shaping your nail! This is so important & is a very personal decision. There are many different nail shapes! Most popular ones are square , squoval & oval! However on the rise is more of a pointed shape!
You want to trim your nails down with the nail clippers first to make sure they are at your desired length, then use the file shapping your nail by moving the file in one direction, picking it up and filing in the opposite direction.
DO NOT apply the file to your nail and just move it back & forth. This will actually break down your nail bed and cause it to split and become brittle! (I know I know I used to do this all the time, such a bad habit)
Step 2: soak! I like to soak my nails in warm water and my favorite dish soap (I am sure there are better options but most dish soaps are actually made to soften your hands and cuticle skin around your nail beds now days)
I suggest soaking for at least 3 mins! The longer you soak, the easier it will be to accomplish the next step!
Step 3: push back cuticle! I prefer these little wooden cuticle pushers over the big metal ones. It's really just a personal opinion. Either will do!
Make sure you dig under each cuticle and lift it up away from the nail bed !
Step 4: cut cuticle! You now want to cut all the excess cuticle off that you just pushed back! This should be done every couple of weeks to keep your nails looking fresh & well kept! This step will also prevent hang nails! Which are the most painful littlest things ever!
This next step is optional.
As you can see from the photo above I love to buff my nails. I need to replace these & this is rather embarrassing! I feel it just evens them out and adds a little shine!
This step is a MUST if you are not going to polish. This would be the final step in that case & would make your nails look very polished & clean!
Normally you would only do 1 layer of base coat, but since I am using the Nail Tek first, and then using the ridge filler I will have 2 layers of base coat!
This is what my nail looks once I have completed all those steps & applied both the Nail Tek & Ridge Filler!
Now you want to apply 2 layers of your color to each nail! This would be the time you want to pick which color to do on what nails! You can't see it in the photo but my thumb is also the coral color !
Here are the name &
brands of each color!
Coral = Revlon's "apricot nector"
Blue= Spoiled by
wet n wild "mar-zi-panna"
White= Opi's "alpine snow"
The blue is a mix of Tiffany blue & mint green in person!
My color placement for each nail is always random and changes occasionaly.
I recommend picking your "party" nails by picking your favorite nails... We all have one!
The gold one is by wet & wild!
The pink one is by Morgan Taylor.
Lastly you want to apply 1 layer of your top coat! Like I mentioned this one is my favorite as it last longer & helps keeps my nails free of chips & getting stains from hair color!
You can always use the cuticle pusher and dip it in remover then roll it around the corner of a cotton ball to create the perfect large q-tip to get the job done!
Have fun & mani on!
Xoxo
Molly.
No comments :
Post a Comment