How to create a professional manicure/pedicure
It's all about your cuticles. Rough, thick, dry cuticles make manis/pedis look unprofessional.
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Have you ever noticed how much nicer a salon manicure is compared to when you do it yourself? What is the difference? Cuticles. Seriously.
I have taken a nail course and I didn't even learn how to do this well. I have paid for a gazillion manis/pedis and haven't figured out the secret. Here's *a* secret (there are probably more).
Photos to come, I promise. I have used cuticle nippers, slicers, and wooden sticks and still the salons do a better job. And, finally! here's what works. You will need..
Liquid cuticle remover. It's not very expensive. I bought a 16 oz. bottle at Sally's a long time ago. I just didn't know how to make it work well.
A pumice stone stick. This was the magic thing I didn't know I needed. Very inexpensive at Sally's beauty supply. It's like a super refined piece of cement, I guess. It will last forever.
The cuticle remover is liquid and messy. Soak a cotton ball (use real cotton-it's most absorbant) and let it sit on a nail for a couple of seconds. It's the easiest way to manage the product.
No nipping with nippers or slicing with a cuticle razor. I have usually cut myself. I actually cheated and did my nails before I made this tutorial, but you can kind of see what I did.
The result is a nicely primed nail bed that is ready for painting.
Bonus: If you are a nail biter (I used to be), having nice cuticles will lessen your desire to bite because there is nothing ragged to bother you.
Tip: Once your polish has dried, make it a habit to rub in either a cuticle oil or some other good cream now and again to keep your cuticles smooth between treatments. I happen to use China Glaze oil.
I'm not the most steady nail painter and red is a challenge, but I think this turned out all right (maybe a tiny cleanup needed). Notice no paint on top of thick skin at the cuticle. Looks more pro.
I'm updating this guide with a step. Notice how the stone got a little scungy with cuticle in my last video? The stone becomes dull if you don't clean it. The next video shows a solution for this.
Easy. Now my nails are all primed to try another nail art! Ranger, the background dog, says hi!
- 1.0 Pumice Stone Stick
- 1.0 Cuticle Remover
- 1.0 Cotton Ball
- 1.0 Bottle of liquid cuticle remover
- 1.0 Emory board (or sand paper)