As the cost of living continues to rise to scary levels, there's a few things we can do to keep the monthly budget in check. We're talking about DIY beauty treatments, and that means at-home manicures aswell.
Whether we're dyeing our own hair , practicing a bit of face massage, or mixing up face masks from the contents of the kitchen cupboard, it's never been more essential to get some sound (and professional) advice on DIY preening. Because making it up as we go along tends not to work out so well...
Wondering how to do a manicure at home? We turned to founder of The Gel Bottle Inc., Daisy Kalnina, and influencer and Max Factor Nail Ambassador, Iram Shelton, to give us all the manicure tips you need and talk through step by step how to achieve pro nails in the comfort of your own home.
Read on for how to master giving yourself a manicure at home...
Your Home Manicure Kit:
- Sanitising spray
- 100% acetone
- Nail file
- Buffer
- Cuticle remover
- A cuticle pusher and nipper
- Nail polish remover wipes
- Base coat, colour of your choice and top coat
- Cuticle oil
Iram's Top Tip: Always use a base and top coat and always leave at least a minute between each coat of polish. I really like the Maxfactor Xpress 60s range as the colours are highly pigmented and dry in 60 seconds - perfect for those who don’t have much time to paint their nails.
Shop Your At-Home Manicure Kit
How To Prep Your Hands And Nails Before A Manicure
Before getting started on your manicure at home, it's important to make sure your hands and nails are in tip top condition and ready for their glow-up.
'I find that people often leave their manicure to last and end up with messy looking nails,' says Shelton. 'The best thing to do would be to take your time. Always prepare the nails before applying polish, starting by pushing back the cuticles and shaping the nails. This will help with the longevity of your manicure and will of course take your manicure to another level.'
Kalnina suggests giving your hands a good old scrub before you get going as well. 'Exfoliating your hands before the treatment can leave you with extra smooth hands and fingers,' says Kalnina. 'If your cuticles are extra dry you can fill in two manicure bowls with warm water and let them soak for a few minutes.'
Iram's Top Tip: I'm really loving glossy monochromatic nails at the moment. The deep jewel colours are my absolute favourite. Maxfactor Mellow Merlot & Backstage are in my top 10.
How To Trim Your Cuticles Correctly
Let's be honest, who actually trims their own cuticles when they're painting their nails? Exactly. But, according to Kalnina, it's a key step in getting a professional finish to your manicure.
'Try to be gentle when trimming and pushing back the cuticles, sometimes we are way more heavy handed on ourselves than others, but we don’t want to end up with sore cuticles!'
How To Shape And File Your Nails Correctly
We're all guilty of taking to our nail with glass file and frantically sawing back and forth to achieve a smoother edge, but turns out, that's not great for our fingertips.
'To file your nails you should follow one direction, from one of the edges towards the centre and the other way around,' advises Kalnina. 'If you file back and forth you can cause them to split.'
Between coffin, ballet slipper, squoval... the list goes on, it's hard to know which nail shape is right for you.
'I’m loving the short soft square or squoval nails at the moment because I just find them easier to maintain,' says Shelton. 'If you have a busy lifestyle and you’re always using your hands it’s hard to stop a nail from breaking or chipping when it’s on the longer side.
I find shorter nails easier to maintain and they can look really chic when painted. This shape is really easy to create at home and can be achieved on even the shortest nails.'
ELLE Edit: Joyful Nail Polishes
HERMES Les Mains Hermès Nail Polish
Gucci Vernis à Ongles Nail Polish
How To Do An At-Home Manicure Step By Step
Not sure where to start with painting your own nails? Let the pros talk you through it, step by step. Simply follow Kalnina's instructions below:
- The first thing you should do is sanitise your hands.
- Then add cuticle remover to soften up your cuticles and push them back with the cuticle pusher.
- With the cuticle nipper, trim any excess skin.
- With a nail file, file you nail into your desired shape.
- Buff the whole nail plate surface with a buffer to get rid of any texture on the nail plate.
- With a lint free wipe soaked in acetone, clean your nails to make sure there’s no nail dust on the nail plate.
- Apply a base coat.
- Apply two coats of your favourite colour.
- Apply a top coat
- Finish by applying cuticle oil and massage it in.
Iram's Top Tip: Avoid messing up your opposite hand by resting your hand flat on a table, then rest your pinky finger on the hand you’re painting with on the table aswell. This will keep you steady whilst you’re painting.
How To Clean Up An At-Home Manicure
We've all been there, we rushed the job, smudged our carefully applied nail art and now there's nail polish everywhere, including our slippers. Luckily, it's easily remedied.
'Using a brush dipped in acetone or a nail polish remover to clean up your manicure is probably the most underestimated trick in the book,' explains Shelton. 'As a professional even I make mistakes so I always have my brush ready at the end to tidy up. It makes a huge difference.'
10 Of The Best Nail Polish Removers For Squeaky Clean Nails In Seconds
Manicurist Green Flash Gel Polish Remover
Nail polish removers don't have to be packed full of potent-smelling chemicals that burn your nostril hair off, in fact, Manicurist's vegan and cruelty-free formula is free from acetone plus 11 other toxic nasties.
Mavala Crystal Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover
'My advice would be to always use a non-acetone remover as acetone can dehydrate the nail plate and weaken the nails,' advises nail expert Lynn Gray. 'Mavala have launched a crystal nail polish remover which is non-acetone, non-flammable, odourless, colourant-free and biodegradable. This is much kinder to nails.'
Chanel Le Dissolvant Douceur Gentle Nail Enamel Remover
This nail varnish remover does much more than look seriously chic atop your dressing table. Vitamin E and argan oil intensely nourish the nail-bed while the rest of the ingredients get to work on lifting off every trace of polish. It's one of the gentlest (and most luxe) out there.
Dior Dissolvant Abricot Gentle Nail Polish Remover - £17.50
If your current nail polish remover leaves you with flaky nails and peeling cuticles, swap it out for Dior's Dissolvant Abricot. Ultra-gentle and filled to bursting with nourishing, hydrating ingredients, it cares for your nails as it zaps every last scrap of colour.
Somewhere along the line a genius combined the tube of cotton pads with the nail varnish remover in one handbag-friendly pod. Simply take one of the soaked pads and remove your chipped manicure on the go.
With a super gentle formula and a scent that doesn't hit you in the nostrils wit pure alcohol, this nail polish remover is non-oily and works a treat at removing even the most stubborn varnish.
This is basically like a squeegee for nails. The internal sponge is drenched in a gentle yet effective remover, so all you need to do is dip and twist and they'll emerge perfectly clean. It's great for tending to your talons on the go.
Sally Hansen Strengthening Nail Polish Remover - £8.99
We're still loyal to Sally Hansen's Strengthening Polish Remover years after discovering it. Why? A few drops gets rid of dark colours in next to no time at all and it isn't harsh on brittle nails thanks to the added vitamin B5. It'll last you ages, too.
How To Remove A Gel Manicure
If gel manicures are your thing but a return to visit to the salon to have it removed isn't so much, it can be all too tempting to pick off those grown out gels. BUT, please don't! The pros won't be happy.
'To remove gel polish at home it is extremely important to follow the directions /tutorials coming from professionals to avoid damaging your nails!', cautions Kalnina.
ELLE Edit: At-Home Gel Nail Kits
Mylee PRO Salon Series LED Gel Nail Polish Drying Lamp
Step 1
'First you need to grab a nail file and make sure you completely remove any shine from the surface of the nail.'
Step 2
'Open some soak off clips and place your lint free wipe already folded inside the clip, then pour acetone into the wipe and make sure it's well saturated.'
Step 3
'Place the clip on your finger so the wipe is facing the nail and close to secure it.'
Step 4
'Repeat on all ten nails and wait 10 to 12 minutes.'
Step 5
'When the time is up, remove one clip at a time and gently scrape the gel off using a cuticle pusher; if there’s any stubborn bits of gel on the nail plate, soak for a little longer.'
Step 6
'With a buffer, gently buff off any imperfections on the nail plate.'
The Best Nail Art From Fashion Week AW22
