Manicure at Home

Manicures are a treat that most girls don't want to give up. They're relaxing and usually last longer than doing your nails at home.  Let's face it though, times are tough and manicures have become a luxury that most of us can only splurge on a couple of times per year. So, why not just treat yourself to a mani at home? Here's how: 1. Start out with two dishes of warm, soapy water to soak your hands in. Soak for 2-3 minutes. 2. Pat your hands dry with a towel.  Use Essie's Cuticle Pen to soften your cuticles and prepare them for removal or to be pushed back. At this point if you usually clip your cuticles go ahead and do that, if you'd rather not, then just push them back. 3. Now it's time to exfoliate your hands. Use a nice scrub like One Minute Manicure Spa Treatment where a little goes a long way. Or, if your budget is a little tighter, try Qtica Smart Spa Sugar Scrub. 4. Now it's time to file. Use your favorite nail file, or if you don't have one you can get one here. Shape your nails however you're comfortable, but the "it" shape right now is the Squoval. Square your nails at the top but curve them a bit at the sides to get this hip new shape. 5.  Give your hands a little massage using CND's Scentsations Hand and Body Lotion. When you're done, wash your hands thoroughly. Use a brush to scrub any excess debris off your nails. 6. Start your mani with a ridge filling base coat like Essie's Fill the Gap Ridge Smoothing Base Coat or Zoya's Get Even Ridge Filling Base Coat. Next, paint on two coats of your favorite color. Use Essie's Corrector Pen to fix any spots where you may have gotten polish on your finger. Finally, use Zoya's Armor Top Coat to lock in your color.  If you're in a hurry you can use a rapid-dry spray like CND's Solar Speed Spray. Will you be trying this trick at home? Do you have any tips? Leave us a comment!