Manicure Tips
The term ‘manicure’ derives its origin from the Latin word ‘manus’ referring to hand and ‘cura’ meaning care. Quite naturally, manicure helps to maintain and enhance the look of our hands and nails. Although manicure was considered as a luxury that only the rich thought of indulging in, the practice of taking care of hands and nails is increasing constantly, among women and even men. Those who cannot afford regular manicures in beauty parlors and salons can now do it easily at home by following some simple steps and acquiring some basic materials needed for manicuring. Follow the simple manicure tips given below and in you will be flaunting your attractive hands in no time at all!
Materials
Before you start your first manicure at home you will need a pack of cotton balls, one emery board, a nail trimmer, a cuticle remover, an orangewood stick, a bottle of nail polish and remover, a finger bowl and a couple of paper towels. Once you are ready with all this you may start your manicure by following these steps one by one.
- Dip in a cotton ball in the polish remover and use the moistened ball to remove old polish by gently pressing the cotton ball and moving it for a few seconds so that the polish is softened. Start from the base and move to the tip of each nail while wiping the cotton to remove the polish so that it does not smear into the cuticle.
- Shape and file the nails from corner to the center, moving from right to left, starting from the little finger and finishing with the thumb. It is advisable to hold the filer in a slanting position to allow the filing to be done to the underside of the nail mostly. Once you are done with your left hand repeat the process for your right hand.
- Soak the fingers in a finger bowl filled with a mild soapy water to soften your cuticles. After 5 to 10 minutes, dry your hands well with a soft towel, gently pushing back the skin and cuticle of each fingernail.
- Follow the ‘directions for use’ on the bottle or tube of cuticle remover and apply it accordingly. Once applied, use a cuticle pusher or an orangewood stick to loosen the cuticles gently. It is advisable to keep the cuticles wet while working with them. Once you have finished removing the cuticles, wash your hands gently and dry them well.
- Use a cotton-tipped orangewood stick dipped in soapy water to clean the free edges under the nails moving from center to out of each side. You may also remove hangnails or dead cuticles with cuticle nippers or small scissors but you need to be very careful while doing this.
- Brush your nails gently in a downward motion in soapy water once you have applied cuticle cream or oil. Dry your nails well and buff them to give a smooth edge with an emery board.
- Apply base coat and nail polish with long strokes and remove any excess polish remaining on cuticles or the sides of the nails with a cotton-tipped orangewood stick, followed by the final coat.
- If possible apply some lotion once the nails are completely dry.
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