HOW TO AVOID POOR DIY MANICURES
HOW TO AVOID POOR DIY MANICURES
Taking care of your nails is a lot more important than you think, especially if you like to treat yourself to the odd do-it-yourself manicure here and there! Why? Well the condition of your nails can affect just how these DIY manicures turn out. Common mistakes to avoid include filing nails in the wrong direction, neglecting cuticles, cutting cuticles, skipping the base coat step and leaving nail polish on for too long. The solutions? Take a read:
• Mistake one: Filing nails in the wrong direction- make sure you don't saw your nails. Instead, gently file them down at an angle, filing a few strokes from the left corner to the center, moving on to the right corner to the center. We recommend Tweezerman's Pedro Ceramic Pocket Nail File.
• Mistake two: Neglecting cuticles- rough, ragged cuticles can lead to painful hangnails. To prevent this, put a dab of rich cuticle oil on your cuticles after showering and before bed. We recommend using Creative Nail Design's Solar Oil or Jessica's Phenomen Oil for essential moisture!
• Mistake three: Cutting cuticles- contrary to what you may believe, your cuticles do serve a purpose, and that is to act as a barrier against bacteria. So, clipping your cuticles actually increases the risk of skin and nail infections- not good! Instead of making this mistake, dip your hands in warm water and push your cuticles back while soft using a washcloth or a soft Q-Tip.
• Mistake four: Skipping base coat- without a base coat, your nails can easily become stained and can quickly dry out from use of nail polishes. Make sure you regularly use a moisturising base coat on clean, dry nails and let the base coat dry before applying your varnish. We recommend using Jessica's Rejuvenation or Restoration or CND's Toughen Up!
• Mistake five: Leaving nail polish on for too long- the awful thing about nail polish (as much as we absolutely can't live without it!!) is it has the tendency to dehydrate nails and once the polish begins to chip, it can also peel away a layer of your nail. Instead of letting your polish chip 'til it's gone, make sure you remove it using a good nail polish remover- we recommend CND's Acetone-free Enamel Remover for effective removal of enamel of nail varnishes.
Another thing to remember is to try to keep hands and nails free of oil before applying nail polish. This will ensure longer lasting varnish, giving you fabulous, healthy-looking nails :)
