How to: Nail the perfect nail
By Chloe Herrick
It's official! Summer has come and gone, leaving us with the last traces of coral nail polish chipping off here and there.
Now it's time to prepare your fingers for some new shades appropriate for the coming cooler months. Follow our DIY manicure and guide to nail perfection.
Step one
We want to start with a clean slate, right? Well first, remove any nail polish that is still on your nails with some acetone-free nail-polish remover. Doing this will also get rid of any dirt and oil, making way for your rockin' new colour!
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Step two
Now pop some warm water into a medium-sized bowl and soak your hands in the water for around 10 to 15 minutes. This will soften up your cuticles and moisten them if they are dry. Dry your hands thoroughly.
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Step three
Now use a nail file to file nails, filing in one direction only. File them fairly square at the tips and straight along the cuticles.
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Step four
Massage some cuticle moisturiser or oil onto your cuticles, then, using a cuticle stick, push your cuticles back — gently, please.
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Step five
Now the nail bed is completely ready for polish. Start with a base coat. This will be clear, fast-drying and will dry matte and dull. A base coat may seem like a pesky step that will take up more of your time, but, it will make your polish last so much longer so you really can't miss this step!
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Step six
You're finally ready for your new colour. Begin in the centre of the nail, taking it slow and let the brush widen over the nail. Next, move outwards towards the cuticle, filling the nail with colour with about three slow strokes.
Try to avoid letting the polish bleed into your cuticles because this will make your colour look messy. Keep the polish about 2mm away from the cuticles and you should be safe. After the first coat has dried, apply another quick thin coat and let that dry completely then follow with a slick and shiny top coat.
Hot hues!
We all know the winter months are an excuse to rip out those bold rock 'n' roll shades and things have not changed. Spoil yourself with deep purples, navy blues, gunmetal greys and, of course, black! For a funky twist, add metallic silver or gold tips to any bold polish in a French manicure style.
Tips
- Are you too impatient to wait for your colour to dry?
Put some icy cold water into a bowl and plunge your nails into the water. This will seal the top layer of the polish and prevent smudging for gals on the go.
- Is your nail polish gluggy to the point where you can barely use it?
Try adding a few drops (just a few) of nail polish remover to your polish, this should loosen it up so that you can use it again. To prevent glugginess in the future, keep your nail polish in the fridge; the cooler temperature is said to keep it from clogging up.
- Keep the thread of each polish bottle as clean as possible.
If polish starts to settle here, the lid will get harder and harder to open, not to mention the fact that it will not be as airtight as it should be. This could lead to your polish drying up before its use-by date.
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