Home-manicures

At the present moment, when many of us have to stay indoors, a manicure and/or pedicure is something that can be sorely missed by many of my lady-readers I’m sure!  Nothing makes you feel more fab than putting on your make-up, dressing beautifully and classy, and having your nails (and yes hair) done.  Apart from the situation we are all in at the moment, manicures can be time-consuming and make a real dent in your bank balance!

Have no fear though, because I came across some easy DIY’s for a manicure in the comfort of your own home.  These nail polish hacks are not only easy to do, but will give you the salon-style look without breaking the bank.

The French-tip cheat 

First paint your nails with a base coat.  Once it has dried completely, wrap an elastic band (about a quarter of the way) down your nail.  Use this as a guide for creating the perfect tip.  Now apply the top coat – pastel shades are quite in fashion; or you can opt for the more classic white.

Revive your polish

Has your favourite nail colour become thick and gloopy?  Have no fear – pour a small amount of nail polish remover into the bottle, and shake it well.  This will thin out the varnish. Et viola; your nail polish is good to go!  

Just a tip, from personal experience.  The older the nail polish, the thicker it becomes and you might have to pour in much more varnish.  Sometimes it works but sometimes not.  In that case, rather buy yourself a new nail polish (as the older, thicker one doesn’t last on your nails that long either)!

Tailor-made shades

You can reuse your old, almost finished eyeshadows, by simply crushing them into loose powders and mixing them with a clear polish.  Quick, easy and there you have your own, new, unique nail colour.

Save your chipped manicure

Did you ever have one of your newly polished nails chip?  By adding a cool “dipped in glitter” tip, you can easily hide the chip(s).  Just blob a little shimmery polish onto the end of your nail and then brush it downwards to create a sparkly ombre effect. It also looks great just on its own.

Bye-bye blunders

Painted over your cuticles by mistake?  Just clean the area with an old lip brush or small paintbrush, dipped in nail polish remover!  Cotton wool can also work, but be careful not to use a big piece – and don’t be in a hurry either! 

Quick-dry tip

We all had, at some stage, been in a hurry or “I’m going to be late” situation.  There are a few tools on the market that says it’ll dry your nails quickly, and there are nail polishes that promises “quick dry.”  But, what if neither of it works as promised?  No worries!  Air dry your painted nails for a minute, then simply dip them in ice water for two minutes.

Make it stay

The experts suggest to first paint a base coat onto your nails, before putting on your nail polish.  Not only will this prevent your nails from staining, but it can help the polish to stay on for longer (similar to painting your nails with a top coat afterwards).  However, if you don’t have either one in your cupboard, or you want to try out a new shade first, you can wipe your nails with a cotton pad dipped in vinegar before applying your nail polish. This will strip the nail of any excess moisture that can lead to air bubbles and also helps the nail polish to adhere better.

Preventing stains 

In the beforementioned paragraph, I wrote about using a brush dipped in nail polish remover, to get rid of nail polish on your cuticles.  BUT; if you’re short on time, just rub some Vaseline or aqueous cream around the cuticles before putting on your nail polish, to catch any stray brush strokes.

Glitter polish tip

Some ladies just love sparkly nails.  Making them look great and last longer, however, is another story.  First apply a coat of plain coloured nail polish and let it dry completely.  Once dry, paint a few strokes of your favourite glitter polish onto a make-up sponge and dab it over the coloured coat.  Top it off with a top coat and sparkle! 

Soak off dark colours

Light nail polish colours come off quite easily; it is the darker ones that can be trickier. For the latter, soak a cotton ball or cotton pad in nail polish remover and place it over each nail for 10 seconds. This will allow the nail varnish to dissolve and slide off the nails easier.

Peel off glitter

Struggling to remove those tough-to-remove glitter shades?  Just pour some PVA glue into an old, empty nail polish bottle and use it as a base coat.  When you want to change your manicure, you simply peel off the nail polish.  But remember: don’t bite your nails!

Banish stubborn nail stains

Simply mix a little baking soda with warm, almost room temperature water and soak your hands for 10 minutes. Those nail stains will soon disappear before your eyes!

Whether you want to try out new tricks and colours, or always struggled with nail stains, or not knowing what to do if one of your newly manicured nails got chipped, I do hope that this article inspired you to treat yourself and/or your daughter, to a homemade manicure and some pamper time!