A HOLIDAY MANICURE!

A manicure is a cosmetic treatment for the hands and nails. It usually involves the shaping, filing, clipping, pushing and removing of every unwanted tissue hanging around the nail. If you want to take it a notch up; treatments, massages could be done and further more the application of nail polish. Some manicures can include the painting of pictures or designs on the nails or applying little decorations and jewels to make it look nicer. Other nail treatments may include the application of artificial nail, tips, or acrylics, some of which are referred to as French manicures.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s put together what we need.

• non-acetone nail polish remover and cotton ball
•  nail file
• buffing block or buffer
• sugar scrub to exfoliate 
• orangewood stick (cuticle remover) 
• cuticle oil 
• moisturizer 
• nail polish (base coat, color, and top coat)

Step 1: Start with a clean canvas.

Before you start, make sure your fingernails are polish free using a non-acetone remover (acetone can be very harsh and stripping! Have you ever wondered why your nails are getting whiter, scaly and harder? Well now you know). Next, use clippers and/or a file to gently shape your nails to your desired length and shape. Emery boards could be really damaging. So get a proper nail file. Next, smooth the surface of your nails with a buffing block(buffer). It will also remove ugly yellow stains we all get from wearing too much dark polish!). Follow up with the smooth buffing side for a high shine! 

Step 2: Soak and scrub.

Soak hands for two to three minutes. Now, time to exfoliate! Mix one tablespoon of sugar with one tablespoon of baby oil gel and gently scrub away the dead, dry cells. It smells really nice and it leaves your skin feeling like silk. Rinse and pat dry.

Step 3: Care for your cuticles.

Soften your cuticles by rubbing a bit of oil on them. By now, your cuticles should be nice and soft, so go ahead and push them back with your orangewood stick (cuticle remover) to get a really nice shape. You can also use this tool to clean up dirt from under the nail. Now the fun part... massage! Grab a vitamin-rich moisturizer and spread it on. Before moving on to step four, swipe the nail beds with non-acetone polish remover to remove any oil and moisturizer. The key to long lasting polish is super clean nails! 

Step 4: Don't skip the oh-so-important base coat.

Apply a base coat to smooth any ridges and create an even surface for your color. One thin coat will do it! 

Step 5: Polish away.

Paint on two thin layers of polish, allowing your color to dry completely between each coat. To do it like the professionals (that's the whole point, right?), swipe polish down the center of the nail first, then on each side. The key is to make the layers of polish as thin as possible, which will aid in longevity and help the polish dry more quickly.

Step 6: Shine on.

Applying a top coat does more than add shine. It also smoothes away any flubs and flaws, which is often a total lifesaver. Just one coat is all you will need. To quickly refresh your manicure throughout the week, add another layer of top coat. It makes a huge difference, trust me!

Step 7: Relax and don't. touch. anything.

Now, just chill and resist the urge to do anything except lay on the couch and watch Ebony Live TV. You deserve it (and your freshly painted nails do too). For a picture-perfect finish, add a few drops of cold water onto the nails. Although this is completely optional, it will definitely speed up the drying process a whole lot more.