How to Do a Mani/Pedi at Home

Nail salons are a thing of the past…like Spandex workout shorts and colorful sweat bands.  Today’s working woman is all about DIY…so here’s how you can rock beautiful fingers and toes without smelling like methyl methacrylate.

DIY Mani/Pedi’s!

Step One:  Soften Your Skin

Soak your feet in warm water for 10 minutes to soften calluses and relax cuticles.  Use a foot file or pumice to scrub problem areas on your feet.  Try to stay clear of callus shavers or graters, since they can tear your skin and have been known to make calluses grow back faster.

As for your hands, soaking them in water causes your nails to retain moisture, which slows down the drying process when you paint your nails.  If you want smooth hands, try applying a heavy-duty lotion to your hands at night.  Put on some cotton gloves and wake up with wonderfully soft hands.  If your cuticles are a disaster, rub some hair conditioner on them and put the cotton gloves on.  By the next morning, your hands should look beautiful.

Step Two:  Cutting and Filing

I speak from experience here…cutting nails  on an angle can cause painful hangnails or ingrown nails, which are maybe the worst things ever.  Instead, cut your nail straight across the top for length, then use a file to shape and smooth corners.

Step Three:  Cuticle Care

Using a cuticle cutter or shaver is a thing of the past.  These can easily remove the viable protective skin instead of only the dry dead part of your cuticle.  Instead, use a cuticle solvent to help loosen the dead skin that needs to be removed.  Because these solvents are meant to exfoliate, some may even lift stains and whiten yellow or stained nails!

Step Four:  Polishing

We all love that thick awesome hand moisturizer; however, it can make it harder for the polish to stick to your nail.  Don’t rule it out, though.  Moisturizer is essential in helping your nails from peeling and looking ragged.  After applying your moisturizer, use a cotton swab soaked in polish remover to “clean off” your nails before you paint them.  This allows for the moisturizer to stay on your hands while giving you a clean and clear nail bed.

Every girl has a method in polishing her nails.  Here’s what the “pros” recommend:  “Apply thin layers of base coat, polish, and top coat, using this technique:  Hold the brush close to, but not touching, the cuticle in the center of your nail, and swipe to the end; then apply on each side.  Next, lightly run the brush across the tip of the nail so the polish wraps over the edge.  This will help protect it from chips.”

Top your color with two coats of lacquer and let dry for 15-30 minutes.  Just because the top feels dry doesn’t mean you can’t get scratches…so pop in a movie and enjoy taking it easy!

Knowledge is power!  Learn fun facts, hints and tips, and creative ways to use every day items with “The Buzz” posts on Thursday.