Which Manicure Supplies do You Need?
When it comes to giving yourself great manicures at home, the right manicure supplies are a must. Because of the plethora of products on shelves today, it can be hard to distinguish which supplies you need and which you can pass over. In this article, we’ll discuss the basics that you will need in order to give yourself a great home manicure. These supplies are based upon a natural nail manicure and would not be applicable for acrylic nails as they require special care.
Pre-Polish Supplies:
Before polishing your nails it is important to prepare them. Soaking hands for ten minutes in sudsy warm water which contains a few drops of olive oil is the perfect way to clean and moisturize them. After hands have been soaked, rinsed and dried, apply a good hand and nail moisturizer. You can try a professional salon brand like OPI Avojuice or a drugstore brand like Vaseline Hand and Nail. Give the lotion a few minutes to soak in, then swipe each nail with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. The remover will prepare the nails for polish by eliminating oils leftover from your moisturizer which could compromise the integrity of your paint job. Another thing you’ll need is an emery board for shaping the nails. You might also want a buffer for those times when you want to go natural. Buffers polish your natural nail bed to a smooth, shiny finish without the need for any enamel.
Picking the Right Polish:
You’ll need a base coat, colored enamel (unless you want to go clear) and a top coat. There are handy formulas like Cover Girl 3-in-1 which combine these three steps into one bottle. Another popular type of nail polish is the fast-dry variety. These polishes set in around one minute and are perfect for those of us who use our hands a lot and have a tendency to smudge wet polish. If you do go for a clear top coat, choose something that offers a long lasting finish. Some of today’s top coats claim to last as long as ten days.
Maintaining Your Manicure
The right manicure supplies not only help you achieve gorgeous nails, they help you keep them that way. In between paint jobs, use a good cuticle cream to nourish and soften cuticles. Or, try a nail oil like Solar Oil. Every other day, top nails with a clear coat to keep your manicure fresh. If chips occur, you can either repaint the entire nail or simply repaint the chipped area using matching polish.
