6 Biggest Self-Manicure Blunders
Picture a bright and sunny Saturday. After ordering a nice tall iced latte, you look down at your nails and think “it sure is a nice day to get a manicure”. This time however, you want to save on a few coins by trying to do the manicure yourself. It might seem simple just to purchase a few cute nail lacquers and plop on the polish. Who’s judging right?
Well sis if you want to tackle this DIY mani and make it look like you just left the nail bar, check out these top 6 manicure blunders that you should avoid.
Cutting it Close
Ouch! Clipping your nails doesn't need to be painful. Make sure that when you're grooming your nails to not cut them too far down into your nail bed. Whether you choose to use scissors, clippers, or just a nail file, remember to take your time and try cutting them at an angle. Clipping your nails in small sections as you go along the top will help aid against your nail bending. Although this may seem straightforward, some people damage their nails and injure themselves by cutting into their skin.
Biting your nails is also a HUGE no no. We want the nails to grow and look healthy. Make sure to smoothly file any jagged edges they may have been left after clipping. Also, be kind to your cuticles and push them back or gently clip them if there is enough skin.
Not Sealing the Deal
Sis, we cant express it enough how important it is to apply a base and top coat to your gel manis. Some of you may know this but surprisingly we had no clue this was necessary when we first began doing our own nails.
A base coat in our opinion, acts like a primer/protector for your nails. If you've ever applied high pigmented nail polish colors such as with reds, you may have experienced some staining. Applying a base coat before painting your nails should guard against that. Using a top coat on your nails after drying your last coat of gel polish, "seals the deal" while adding shine.
Not Buffing and Filing
Attention beauties: Do NOT skip this step. Buffing helps to smooth the surface of your nails which in turn will allow your nail polish to have a more seamless application. Your nails should be dry when you buff them and free of any polish. It isn't pictured above but, we recommend using an actual nail buffer to buff out your nails. You can find one here: amazon.com or at your local beauty supply store.
Also, what is a manicure without shaping your nails? Filing your nails will whip them into shape and we're here for a simple square or almond shape.
Color Change 😖
How annoying is it to purchase a nail polish that looks totally cute in the bottle but when you apply it to your nails it's not giving the same energy? Yes, we've been there. It's always best to do your research on the brand that you may be considering your purchase from as well as reading as many reviews as you can online.
Also, try doing some research on colors that compliment your skin tone. Especially when trying out colors like reds and nudes.
Not Letting Them Dry
This happens so many times and we don't have enough fingers to count them on. We're in a rush doing a quick manicure or simply rushing to answer that important text. Either way, we look down at our hands only to find that our polish has gone from cute to smudged in a matter of seconds.
Ugh!!!! With that being said, we are so thankful for our handy nail drier. Girl, when we say we struggled back in the day using our little fan to dry our nails....😫 The timer comes in handy since for gel nails it's only 30 to 60 seconds and you're done. They have UV/LED. We wont bore you with a breakdown of UV versus LED however, once you purchase a nail drier you'll never look back. Check out this super cute one from amazon.com
Upkeep
It's definitely tough to keep your manicure out of the elements however, it is a MUST. Chipping can happen at a slower pace with proper care and maintenance. If the luster of your nails begins to fade, reapply your top coat. Never use too many oils on your hands or scrape your nails. The normal time frame to redo your nails is typically 2 -3 weeks.
If you made it this far, why not leave a comment? We promise that it wont chip your nails. Let us know if you have any tips on how you maintain your manicures.