Home manicure: 2 steps to prepare your nails

Rediscover white nails

For a beautiful manicure that lasts, it is essential to prepare your nails before applying the polish. They may be yellowed or have a discolouration. This happens with some varnishes or when you forget to put a base.

To remove staining from the nails, prepare in a small bowl:

• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• The juice of half a lemon

Mixing the baking soda and the acidity of the lemon will create a small, harmless chemical reaction. Add lukewarm water to halfway through the bowl. Then put your hands in and wait at least 5 minutes. Then rub your nails with a brush before rinsing. The coloring will start to leave and then go away as it goes. To do this, do not hesitate to repeat this operation during your next manicure.

File and polish your nails

File your nails in the shape you want. To prevent them from splitting or breaking, always file in the same direction, and not on both sides as you would usually tend to do.

In order for a varnish to be beautiful and last longer, the base on which it is applied must be smooth and without roughness. In order to smooth your nails, two or three steps are necessary after filing them: renovate, polish and, in some cases, shine. 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 tools, or in the form of 2 or 3 files are available everywhere.

Getting your nails done: applying varnish

Why apply a varnish base?

Even if you have healthy nails, it is essential to apply a base coat under your colored polish. This aims to smooth the nail before applying the color, it is also a shield that prevents pigments from reaching the nail. All this on the condition of applying a real base and not being satisfied with a transparent varnish.

There are simple varnish bases and others that allow to heal:

• Ridged nails
• Yellowed nails
• Brittle nails
• The split nails

You can also apply a base as a clear varnish, for a simple and neat manicure.

How to apply your colored varnish?

To obtain a dense color that meets your expectations, two coats are generally necessary. Whether for the first or for the second coat, be sure to apply your varnish thinly. Too thick a layer takes longer to dry and will then be more fragile.

To avoid getting too much, wipe one side of the brush on the rim when removing it from the bottle. Apply the other side to your nails: first on the middle of the nail, then on the sides.

Wait until the first coat is completely dry before applying the second. To be sure, brush one of your nails with another. If you still feel it sticking a bit, wait a little longer.

Why do you need to apply a top coat?

We already knew the base well, but the top coat arrived later on the cosmetics market. If the base protects the nail, the top coat protects the varnish. Its purpose is to make it shine, to create a barrier against snagging and thus to make the manicure last longer.

For a top coat to be effective, it is better to choose it from the same brand and from the same range as its varnish. Designed together, they have a better chance of staying on the nail longer. As for the base, a simple transparent varnish will not have the same faculties, even if it can play the role of top coat from time to time.

Fine-tune your manicure

Before resuming your activities, make sure that your varnish is completely dry, otherwise you will have to start all over again. Then run your fingers under very cold water, the varnish will set even better.

Finally, apply a cream on the hands, insisting on your fingers and on the cuticles.

With varnish, even the strongest, a small hitch is inevitable. To keep your manicure longer, a touch-up is of course possible. But if they all start to flake off, it’s time to remove your polish and get a manicure again.