Believe it or not your hands say a lot about you, whether you have nails chewed down to the cuticles or claws big enough to scratch someone’s eye out, people will be noticing them. So what better way is there to make a perfect first impression than with beautifully manicured nails?
Follow our step-by-step guide for a quick, cheap and easy alternative to visiting a salon.
What you will need:
A bowl of warm water
Cotton wool pads
Hand cream
Nail file
Nail polish base
Your favourite nail polish
Cuticle stick
Nail polish remover
Soap
Towel
Nail clippers/scissors
Nail buffer
The Guide:
1. Remove any old chipped paint with nail polish remover, and then give your hands a good scrub with soap and warm water.
2. Clip your nails to a suitable length; short nails often look better with nail polish.
3. File your nails in a single direction, rather than back and forth as this can ruin the nail.
4. Gently buff the surface of the nail; this will give you a smooth surface on which to apply the polish.
5. Use the cuticle stick to gently push the cuticles back from the nail.
6. Put your hands back in the bowl of warm water, to give them one last clean. Massage in the hand cream.
7. Apply the base coat, this will give the nail a good foundation and ensure it's much easier to apply the polish.
8. Wait until the base coat is completely dry (leave it for at least two minutes) and then apply the polish. Ideally apply the polish in three straight stokes, one down the middle and one down each side. Never apply the polish length ways! Apply the polish just above the cuticle.
9. Leave the polish to dry and then apply a top coat in the same manner. Try to make sure the polish is completely dry before you apply the top coat or it'll all smudge.
