Salon Perfect Nails

 

Nails can talk more than girls gossip. Yeah that’s right. Nothing says “I look after myself” more than perfectly manicured nails adorned with the lastest “it” colour. And it doesn’t stop there, not only can nails look good, they can make you feel great, some would even say complete. 

But manicure, easy as it is to say, can be very tricky! First of all you’ve got  ten nails to perfect - and we’re in to double numbers already. Secondly, you’ve got to use both hands just as precisely and paint a teeny tiny area. So, to save time and tears, this blog is here to gently guide you step- by- step on how to perform a salon perfect manicure.

Manicure

Remove old nail polish

 

Wash hands and scrub nails 

File nails

Use a professional nail file! They are called professional for a reason. These upper class files have been expertedly created to prevent nail damage and are worth investing in (I love the crystal glass nail file by OPI). When filing your nails abide by the following rules and you cant go wrong:

Support the nail being filed with your thumb. Never use a sawing action – this will disturb the nail layers and cause split nails. Heat is produced in  the nail plate, causing drying which results in flakiness and the rocking movement can cause long term damage.  Avoid filing the sides of the nail as this can weaken the nail and effect the desired shape – I would recommend shaping nails similar to how the cuticle grows. Gently file from the outside inwards along the free edge, working each side alternately and quickly.The ‘ideal’ shape is considered to be oval, the strongest shape is square and the weakest shape is pointed. Once you have your desired shape, gently file the free edge of the nails downwards to seal and smooth the layers, this will prevent flaking and peeling. 

Cuticles

My first piece of advice is TAKE CARE and treat your cuticles gently!  Apply cuticle oil (Olive oil is great) to each cuticle and massage in (get that blood circulating) then soak your cuticles in a bowl of warm water with a  moisturing hand soak or oil for 3 – 5 minutes. 

Dry hands and apply a cuticle remover product to each cuticle (cuticle remover is slightly caustic, so it should be left on for the shortest length of time neccessary to complete the work and then it should be  removed either with a nail brush or damp cotton wool) or you could use cuticle oil again. 

For cuticle work I recommend using a double ended metal cuticle tool (as shown below) which has a hoof stick at one end and a cuticle knife at the other. Take the hoof stick and gently push back each cuticle using circular movements to prevent damage to the nail. The cuticle knife must only be used to remove excess cuticle adhering to the nail plate. The blade must be wet at all times as this provides a protective cushion and it should be held at a angle of 45 ̊to prevent scratching the surface of the nail plate. Next up - cuticle nippers (also shown below), these must only be used to remove hangnails (those tiny torn pieces of skin around the fingernail that sometimes hurt like hell) and they must be held firmly, cutting the hangnail cleanly, without pulling and tearing. Always follow the natural curve of the nail fold or cuticle.

Double ended metal cuticle tool: Hoof Stick and Cuticle Knife

Cuticle Nippers

As a beauty therapist, my professional advice is to leave the cuticle knife and nipping to us! These tools can cause pain when used incorrectly and can cause permanent nail damage.

Hand cream

If you’re not going to paint your nails, now is the time to apply a moisturising hand cream  ( I love Hand Food by Soap and Glory), however if you can’t wait to paint I would leave this till tomorrow or hold on painting your nails for half an hour or so and relax...

Paint

Firstly, it is important to ensure that there is no grease/ dust etc left on the nail plate to create a barrier and prevent the enamel adhering to the nail. This is most easily achieved by wiping over each nail with a piece of cotton wool soaked in nail varnish remover, but this will dehydrate the nail. A less harsh alternative is using warm water – be sure to dry nails after.

A base coat must be applied first for several reasons – to prevent pigments in the the nail enamel  from staining the nail plate; to provide a smooth base for the enamel, making application easier; to help prolong the life of the enamel and to protect the nail plate by hardening it. 

Now for colour application – lightly wipe out both sides of the brush on the opening of the bottle. For a perfect polish - stroke nail colour down the center  of the nail, then apply another stroke of colour to the side of the nail, and finally apply a third stroke of colour to the opposite side of the nail. Smooth the surface of the nail with a final stroke of the brush. Then apply a second coat of nail colour, pulling colour over the tips of the nails. Clean up little mishaps around the cuticle with an ear bud or cuticle stick tipped with cotton wool, dipped in nail varnish remover. Finally shine, seal and protect by applying a layer of top coat (I love Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat), pulling it over the tips of the nails to seal in the colour. For pristine cuticles apply a drop of cuticle oil to each (I love Solar Oil). And Viola! Salon perfect nails! :-) 

 

Enjoy!

UG xx