Your complete guide to an at-home manicure

Remove your rings and wear an old T-shirt. Spread a scrap piece of paper or an old cloth to protect the surface. Don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.

Remove all existing nail polish from your nails with an acetone-free nail polish remover.
Pro Tip: To remove nail polish from the corner of the nails where it’s hard to reach with a cotton ball use a cuticle trimmer wrapped in a cotton ball then dip it into your polish remover, it will save you a lot of time and effort. Or use a Q-tip!

Trim your nails if needed and file to your desired shape. Do not trim your nails too short to avoid any ingrown nails.
Pro Tip: Opt for a more rounded shape when filing your nails to keep them from breaking easily.

Now use your nail buffer to buff the surface gently.

It is essential to soak your clean nails to soften the nail beds and cuticles. Use a bowl of warm water and soap to soak your nails thoroughly for 5 minutes.

Apply cuticle cream or oil and then use a cuticle pusher to push back the cuticles gently. Use the other side of the cuticle pusher to clean under your nails if there’s any dirt.

Now use your body lotion or hand cream and massage it onto your hands to lock in the moisture. Massage your hands for a few minutes until the cream is absorbed.

Apply a thin base coat to prep and top it with a nail polish of choice. Add 2 or 3 layers until you get a beautiful smooth, shiny finish, and then finish up with a topcoat.

Reapply moisturizer to finish off and help your nails dry quickly.
Pro Tip: Use olive oil on your nails to make them dry a lot faster.