Warm weather brings stronger nails (for some reason) and bare feet. Give yourself a manicure-pedicure at home. It’s easy; it’s budget-friendly; and if you invite some friends, it’s a party!

1. Remove any old polish. For natural nails, use a non-acetone remover. Cotton balls work better than tissues.
2. File your nails to desired shape. Try a shortish nail, straight across the top with rounded edges. File your nails in one direction starting at the edges and moving toward the top.
3. Soak your hands and feet in warm (not hot) soapy water for 4-5 minutes to soften cuticles. Use a pumice stone on your feet after they’ve soaked – get rid of the thicker skin and callouses.
4. Dot some olive oil (or almond oil or jojoba oil) on the cuticles and rub in.
5. Use an orange wood stick or popsicle stick to push back cuticles. Don’t cut your cuticles, which can cause infection and damage the nail.
6. Exfoliate your hands and feet with a body scrub or mixture of olive oil and kosher salt or raw sugar. Scrub for two to three minutes, then wash thoroughly. Don’t exfoliate newly shaved legs – yikes! Plan to shave later.
7. Massage your hands and feet with shea butter cream, or another favorite hand cream or lotion. Use the thumb and first finger of one hand to massage each finger of the other hand, starting at the base of the finger and massaging out toward the tip. Do the same with your toes.
8. Wipe your nails with a damp cloth to remove excess oils.
9. Apply a base coat and allow it to dry for 1-2 minutes.
10. Apply two thin coats of your favorite color, allowing them to dry between coats. Always apply polish by starting on the side of the nail. You should be able to cover the nail in three stokes, one on each side and one in the middle.
11. Apply a top coat and allow it to dry. Quick-dry top coats usually chip faster, so if you want your manicure to last longer, use a regular top coat.

Need a shorter routine?
Remove old polish, use olive oil on your cuticles, and massage lotion into your hands.

Need easy maintenance?
Choose a light color for the polish.

Photo by Alexsandro Pereira

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 at 9:09 am and is filed under Beauty, Budget & Finance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.