Self Manicure At Home

If you’re tired of stressing over chipped nails, booking salon appointments, and paying out for services you can learn to do yourself, you might be looking to learn the art of a self manicure at home!

Want to try your hand at perfecting your polish? Learn how to give yourself a manicure today…

Why Self Manicure At Home?

There are plenty of reasons you may want to learn how to give yourself a manicure! Of course, a self manicure is cheaper than visiting the salon which over time, if you’re a regular salon-goer, can save you lots of money!

On top of this, it can save you time too!

You don’t have to book an appointment or wait around for a nail technician to become available. When self manicuring at home, you choose whenever suits your schedule and can fix your nails whenever they need it.

In addition, learning how to give yourself a manicure can be super therapeutic, and indulging in regular self-care can be an amazing way to unwind after a hectic day or week.

How To Give Yourself A Manicure – What You Need:

You don’t need too many specialist tools to self manicure at home. But, it may come in handy to have access to the following:

• A bowl of warm, soapy water
  
• A soft hand towel
  
• Cuticle tools, such as a cuticle pusher or cuticle clippers
  
• A nail file & buffer
  
• A base & top coat
  
• A nail polish colour of your choice
  
• A hand cream, cuticle oil or nail serum pen

If you have acrylic nails, learn how to safely take off your acrylic nails at home, without damaging your nails here!

How To Give Yourself A Manicure

Now you’ve gathered all the tools you need to self manicure at home, it’s time to give it a go!

Step 1

Firstly, soak your hands in the bowl of warm, soapy water. You can do this for as long as you’d like, so why not catch up on an episode of your favourite show while doing so?

Soaking your hands softens the skin, and allows for easier manipulation of the cuticles. You can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the water too, for a relaxing aroma.

Step 2

Once your hands are clean and dried using the hand towel, begin by pushing back your cuticles with your cuticle pusher. By pushing them back as far as they will comfortably go, your nail instantly appears longer and healthier.

If you would like to, you can use cuticle clippers to take off the excess cuticle that may appear after pushing them back. The key here is to be gentle, or you risk making your cuticles bleed.

Step 3

Then, file your nails to the desired length and shape. It isn’t recommended to use nail clippers, as the harsh motion can cause nail breakage, or for your nails to split.

The best way to shorten and shape your nails is with a nail file. After you’ve filed your nails, you can buff the tops with a nail buffer. Buffing will give your nails a smooth finish, and help your polish to spread evenly.

Step 4

The key to a self manicure at home that stands the test of time (and the test of all the things we put our hands through daily!) is to use a good base coat. A base coat helps your polish adhere properly, ensuring longevity.

Apply a thin, even layer of your chosen base coat, and wait for it to turn ‘tacky’ – not fully dry.

Step 5

Once your base coat turns tacky, it’s time for the fun part - the colour! As a rule of thumb (pardon the pun), longer nails suit darker colours, whereas shorter nails should be painted in more neutral, lighter shades. But of course, they’re your nails, and this is your self manicure – you make the rules!

When you’ve settled on a shade, paint a thin layer atop the base coat, wait for it to completely dry, and then follow up with a second layer.

It’s better to paint in multiple thin layers than one thick one, as it allows the polish to dry in stages making your finish more durable.

Step 6

When your last coat of colour is dry, follow up with a layer of your chosen top coat, to seal all your hard work in. When your nail polish is 90% dry, add some cuticle oil or nail serum, like Cel’s Nail Serum Pen around the edges of your nails and cuticles.

Cel’s hypoallergenic Nail Serum Pen is packed with natural ingredients such as Ginseng Stem Cells, Safflower, and Chrysanthemum extract which work to hydrate the cuticles, fight fungal infections and promote the growth of stronger, healthier nails.

You can also use a nourishing hand cream to further soften and hydrate the entirety of your hands.

Ta-Da! You did your first self-manicure! Well done!

Should you follow all the steps to self manicure at home, you’re not only carving out some valuable self-care time, you’re creating a beautiful manicure that can last for up to two weeks!