Manicure Basics

Manicure Basics:

First things first. 

1. Remove all nail polish.
2. Wash hands well, and scrub nails with nail brush.
3. Then use a sugar / salt scrub (this step is weekly)
4. Dry hands well and use a cuticle oil, rub it in and push back / remove cuticles.
5. File, buff, and smooth the nails.
6. Use rubbing alcohol, or nail polish remover to get oil off nail bed.
7. Hands and nails should dry for about 10 minutes.
8. Apply a base coat (average nails),or Ridge Filler (smooths nail polish), or Treatment (poor nail health)
9. Apply two coats of you favorite nail polish.
10. Apply your nail designs if any.
11. Apply Top Coat.

The way I polish nails are:

• If you're right handed: paint your right hand first starting with the pinkie, and work your way into your thumb, let it dry for a minute or two, and go on to your left hand working from your pinkie to your thumb. Repeat the process for the second coat. Vice versa if your left handed. 
• If you get any nail polish on your cuticles, or skin, I suggest removing it immediately. I use an orange wood stick with cotton on the end, as to avoid smearing whatever work or layers you just did. 

Base Coats that I Use:

• China Glaze: Strong Adhesion Base Coat
• Beauty Secrets: Ridge Filler (for rough nail beds, or for beginners)
• Sally Hansen: Nailgrowth Miracle Salon Strengthener (for short brittle nails) 
• Seche Vite: Recondition (for nails that break)

Top Coats that I use:

• Seche Vite: Dry Fast Top Coat (for any and all nail art) (contains Toluene, I've done my research in regards to the Toluene found in this top coat, and it is found to be harmless for the amount being used at a time, so I use it, if you prefer not to the Sally Hansen is comparable to this brand.)
• Sally Hansen: Hard as Nails Hard as Wraps (for easily broken nails, or brittle nails)

The oil I use for my cuticles is a Pure Vitamin E Oil

The Nail file I use on my self is a 7 way file 3 grit nail files, 2 smoothing files, and 2 Buffers