Manicure Monday: How to make your Manicure last longer on natural nails

So its my first blog for Mani Mondays and I think it would be best to start of with the basics! I'm sure there are plenty of ladies out there wanting to get the most out of their DIY manicures and I can tell you how in 10 easy steps...

You will need:
 
White sander block
Nail file
Non acetone remover
Cotton pads
Orangewood stick
Cuticle cutter (optional)
Base coat
Top coat
Nail polish colour of your choice
Nail Clipper (optional)
Small Bowl (optional)
Cuticle oil (optional)
Small towel (optional)

Step 1:
Remove any polish on your nails, then file your nails to the desired shape and length (Remember to file your nail in one direction - not like a saw! If you want to remove a lot of length then you might want to use a nail clipper first to save time)

 

 
Step 2:
Push back your cuticles using an orange wood stick  (If your cuticles are quite hard and over grown you should soak them in a bowl of warm water at this point for about 5-10 minutes to help them soften. TIP - Rub some cuticle oil into your cuticles before you soak them)
 
 
 
 

Step 3:
After you have pushed back your cuticles you may have some cuticles left you need to nip off (which essentially is dead skin) Be very careful as you don't want to nip your live skin as you will bleed. Take care to only nip off the dead skin that is clear/white in colour. Repeat on both hands. If this all sounds a little scary you can skip this step! But practice makes perfect as they say!








 
Step 4:
Make sure your hands are dry if you have soaked them. Then using a white sanding block remove the shine from the nail by gently rubbing it across your nail plate (Again only moving in one direction) Repeat on both hands.








 

 
 
Step 5:
Remove any excess dust and oils from your nail with a cotton pad with some acetone free polish remover (Acetone free remover is kinder to natural nails)

 

                            
Step 6:
Apply a base coat. I like to use a sticky basecoat such as Orly Bonder. CND Sticky basecoat is good too! Basecoats are important because not only will it help protect your nails possibly being stained by coloured polish it will give your colour coat something to 'anchor' to. Repeat on both hands






Step 7:
Apply your chosen colour in two thin coats, if it still looks patchy u can add a third coat but just make sure its thin has you don't want the polish to get 'gloopy' on your nails as it will take FORVER to dry and will probably end up smudging.

Step 8:
Apply top coat. I like to use Orly Wont Chip, but a fast drying topcoat is good for manicures at home. A good top coat will 'seal' everything in, and give your manicure a salon shine finish!







Step 9:
If you have got polish all over your fingers at this point u can wrap the end of your orangewood stick in a bit of cotton wool, dip it in your polish remover and clean up your edges.

Step 10:
Wait for them to dry! If you are at home you can use a hair dryer on a cool setting to speed up the process! Nail polish takes hours to fully dry and set on your nails so becareful with your fresh manicure for as long as you can.

AFTER CARE: Don't forget to use gloves when using cleaning products or washing up, not only will this help protect your nails but also the skin on your hands, as cleaning products have strong chemicals in that u shouldn't want on your skin anyway! You can apply your topcoat everyday or every other day to help prevent chipping and also use a cuticle oil or other moisturising oils such as almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil every day to keep your cuticles soft and moisturised this will help with healthy nail growth and dry/split cuticles.

Well that's it! I hope the steps are easy to follow, if u need any advice please feel free to comment below or follow me on instagram @mim_nails

Peace and Love

Curly Mim