7 Quick Tips for the Perfect at-Home Manicure ...

1. Slow down

I’ve never been very good at at-home manicures until very recently, and I attribute it to this tip. I was always in such a rush to get my nails done that I’d try to get it done as fast as possible, but that’s possibly the worst way to go about an at-home manicure. Simply slow down and take your time and your manicure will look like you just left the nail salon! Give your nails time to dry between coats and you will almost completely eliminate smudging!

2. Take Folic Acid

I’m a huge advocate for folic acid supplements, for both my nails and hair. If I ever break a nail or cut it too short, taking folic acid for a few days will completely eliminate the problem. If you need to grow your nails out, and fast, take folic acid supplements for a few days. You will notice a visible difference quickly.

3. Cuticle Oil

I used to think that cuticle oil was a waste of time, but it’s currently one of my favorite parts of at-home manicures. If you really want your manicure to feel salon-fresh, cuticle oil is the way to do exactly that. It softens your cuticles and makes your hands feel so nice!

4. Paint Your Dominant Hand First

I always try to adhere to this tip, but sometimes it’s easy to forget! That being said, though, it is easily one of the most important tips to a perfect at-home manicure. It can be hard to paint your nails with your non-dominant hand, but it’s even harder when you have a fresh coat of paint on your nails. If you paint your dominant hand first, you won’t have to worry about smudging nearly as much!

5. Dry between Coats

The last time I got a manicure at a nail salon, I paid close attention to what they did so I could try to replicate it at home. What I noticed the most was that they put a fan on your nails in between coats. I’ve been replicating that ever since, and it always leaves my nails looking like I just got a salon manicure! I let each hand dry before I start on the next hand, and it has revolutionized my at-home manicures!

6. Stick to Two Coats

It took me a while to really come to terms with this tip, because I didn’t want to believe it. Do you ever find a nail polish that you really love, but it doesn’t exactly live up to its bottle expectations? To remedy that, I would usually put on as many coats as possible until I could get the desired color. Do not do that. It turns your nail polish into a goopy mess. If your nail polish doesn’t look like the color you want after two coats, it may just be better to mourn the loss of the color you loved so much.

7. Fix Smudges

Chances are you have a tiny makeup brush that you never use. If you don’t, they’re at the drugstore for approximately 99 cents. Take your tiny makeup brush and dip it in nail polish remover. Clean up the edges of your nails and other mistakes you’ve made. This is another tip I’ve often seen employed at the nail salon, and it’s so simple, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself!

What are your at-home manicure tips? Do you use any of these? I’m always looking for new tips, so please let me know in the comments!