5 Things You Need For The Perfect At-Home Manicure

Manicures are a great way to practice self care but sometimes it doesn’t always work out to go to a professional salon. Whether it's just not in your budget or you simply don’t have the time, you can still keep your nails looking amazing. Mastering a manicure is a skill that will serve you well. Of course, painting nails is not as easy as professional nail techs make it look. With a little practice you can create a beautiful manicure all on your own. Here, we're listing all of the tools required to give yourself the perfect at-home manicure.

1. Nail File

Start your manicure by trimming your fingernails with nail clippers, unless you prefer to keep your length. When it comes to filing, you'll want to start off using your file to whittle your nails into your desired shape.

2. Buffer

After you have filed your nails, it's time to buff them in order to create a smooth surface to piat on. You will need to use a nail buffer across each nail for a few seconds, moving back and forth until the nail is smooth.

3. Cuticle Oil 

Keeping your cuticles hydrated with an oil or serum is a step that is healthy for your nails and great for a self care evening. There are so many cuticle products that can help strengthen nails and smooth your cuticles to make them more manageable and less prone to breakage.

4. Nail Brush

After applying oil and gently pushing back your cuticles, it's time to wash off said oil. This is where your nail brush comes in. If you were in a salon, this would be when your nail tech might ask you to go to the sink and scrub your nails with a nail brush. 

5. Polish (base coat, polish of choice and top coat)

Finally, time to polish your nails! Begin with a thin layer of base coat. This will help you achieve a more even color application. Let the base coat dry for at least one minute before moving on to the next step. After your base coat, apply two coats of your nail polish, waiting several minutes between each coat to prevent dents and bubbles. To finish up your manicure, apply a topcoat to help seal your color, make it shine, and prevent any potential chipping.