The coronavirus crisis has hit all beauty salons hard and numerous hair salons and nail salons have to remain closed indefinitely. So since getting our nails done by a professional is no longer an option, now is the perfect time to hone our skills. Do your own nails at home orcut your hair yourselfNot only can it be fun, but it can also act as a great distraction during stressful times like these, when self-care is more important than ever. In this article we have put together many helpful tips for you that will make getting the perfect manicure at home a breeze!
We've all painted our own nails at some point. But in order for the beautiful nail polish to really come into its own, your hands need to be cared for appropriately. While facial care has become a routine for all of us, hand care often takes a back seat and is neglected. Just like the face, the hands are constantly exposed to cold, heat, dirt and other factors and the result is rough and dry skin.
Do your own nails – what will you need?
A good manicure at home requires not only a little practice but also the right utensils.
- A small bowl of warm water and a hand brush
- Hand towel
- Nail polish remover without acetone
- cotton pads
- Manicure sticks, also known as rose sticks
- Fine, coarse and polishing files
- Nagelhautschere
- Nail oil or olive oil
- High gloss polishing file
- Moisturizing hand cream
- Basecoat und Topcoat
- Nail polish in the desired color
The perfect manicure at home – step by step instructions
We all want tobeautiful and well-groomed nails. However, a manicure at home is a complete wellness ritual and consists of several steps. It is important that you take enough time to avoid any minor injuries and inflammation.
- Completely remove the old nail polish –Before you do your nails yourself, it is very important to remove the old nail polish. Since acetone is too aggressive on the nails and attacks the keratin layer, we recommend that you use an acetone-free nail polish remover. Even if you don't wear nail polish, you should clean the nails with nail polish remover and a cotton pad to remove any oils or dirt.
- Handbad –Adequate hygiene is essential when caring for your hands and nails. A small hand bath softens the cuticles, moisturizes the hands and has a relaxing effect. To do this, fill a small bowl with warm water and add some dishwashing liquid. Soak your hands for about 3-4 minutes. For the ultimate wellness at home, you can complement the hand bath with soothing and calming scents and essential oils. Then dry your hands gently with a towel, apply some nail oil and massage in well.
Gently push back the cuticles and shape the nails into the desired shape
- Push back or remove cuticles –The hand bath made the cuticles soft enough and is much easier to push back. Since it protects the nail bed from bacteria and dirt and prevents various infections, it should never be completely removed. Using small orange wood sticks, the cuticles can be pushed back very easily and gently. To do this, simply push them back slowly and carefully up to the growth zone of the nails.
- File the nails –Whether short, round, square or almond-shaped nails – the variations of nail shapes are endless. First think carefully about which shape will work best for you and then you can start filing. It is best to use glass or sand sheet files for this. Metal files are usually too coarse and can damage the surface structure of the nails. For a nice result and to prevent the nails from tearing, you should always file slowly and carefully in one direction from the outside to the inside. Don't forget to even out the edges and borders too.
- polish nails –This step when doing your own nails ensures that the nail polish lasts longer and fits well. Take a polishing file or a buffer - both are available in any well-stocked drugstore. Now gently smooth the surface of the nails and you're done.
- Apply base coat –And finally we start with the fun part of doing your own nails. Applying a base coat is essential for a successful manicure. On the one hand, the primer protects the nails and on the other hand, it ensures that the nail polish can be applied more easily and evenly. Apply a thin layer of base coat and allow to dry completely. Make sure that you cover the entire nail with it.
- Apply the first coat of nail polish –Whether you apply one or two coats of nail polish depends on the color and opacity of the polish. For a beautiful result and to prevent the nail polish from running, try to apply only thin layers. Place the first stroke in the middle of the nail and only then paint the sides outwards.
- If necessary – apply the second coat of paint –Before you reapply the nail polish, you should make sure that it is completely dry. This usually takes 5 to 8 minutes. For complete and seamless coverage, sheer nude or pastel shades may require a third coat.
- Remove small mistakes –We've all been there - one hand has perfect paint, while the other has mishap after mishap. The so-called correction pens are used for this. However, if you don't have one on hand, this isn't a problem either. To do this, simply take an orange wood stick and wrap it with a bit of cotton pad. Then dip the sticks in nail polish remover and use them to carefully remove the mistakes.
- Finish with a top coat –The top coat is the final touch when doing your own nails. It seals the color and ensures a shiny and radiant result. However, applying it too quickly can completely ruin your entire manicure. Therefore, it is very important to only apply the top coat when the nail polish is completely dry.
Do your own nails – With these tips, your manicure will last longer at home
So that you can enjoy your manicure at home for longer, you should care for your nails appropriately even after painting them.
- Hand peeling –The dry heating air, cold temperatures or too frequent hand washing put a lot of strain on our hands and lead to dry skin. To remove dead skin cells and moisturize the skin, we recommend that you exfoliate your hands once a week. To do this, mix 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of olive or coconut oil and about 3-4 tablespoons of coarse salt in a bowl. Spread over your hands and massage gently for 5 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
- Hand creamyou should apply at least twice a day.
- Ölkuris particularly beneficial for those who suffer from brittle and dry fingernails. To do this, apply a small amount of olive or coconut oil to the cuticles and under the nails and massage in gently. You will achieve even better results if you put on cotton gloves and let the treatment take effect overnight.
- Wear gloves when cleaning –Aggressive cleaning agents attack the natural acid mantle of the hands and can cause eczema or redness.
Make simple nail designs yourself – cool and simple ideas
Colorful jelly nails, classic French or Ombre nails – our nails only come into their own with different nail designs. Below we have some great and easy ideas for you to freshen up your manicure.
- Nail tattoos and nail stickersare an incredibly easy way to give your nails that certain something. These are available in all shapes and patterns imaginable in all drugstores or online. Simply stick the stickers on the nail and you're done!
- Glitter –With glitter dust or glitter nail polish you can make your nails sparkle in no time.
- Lines and other geometric shapesare even suitable for beginners. All you need is several colored nail polishes and adhesive strips or washi tape. Simply stick the thin strips onto your nails, paint them, let them dry completely and then remove them.
- Or how about small, adorable onesHearts on your nails?All you need to create the perfect heart is a toothpick and nail polish in a color of your choice. Carefully make two dots of the same size next to each other with the toothpick and then pull each one down at an angle of 45 degrees and connect them. It's that simple!
The ultimate classic – do your own French nails
Simple, elegant and incredibly classy – French nails are the absolute, timeless classic among nail designs. With the right tips, you can easily do French nails yourself at home. There are several options for you to choose from.
- The first technique involves drawing a thin crescent moon freehand on the tip of the nail using white nail polish. However, a little tact is required.
- The second option is to use adhesive tape or adhesive strips specifically for French nails (available in every drugstore). Stick these on the tip of the nail and then paint over it with white nail polish. Wait until the paint is completely dry and peel off the strips.
- And for the third method, you only need a simple elastic band! Tie the elastic band into a knot in the middle, creating two small loops. Now place one loop on the nail that you are painting and the other on the thumb. Make sure you place the rubber so that only the tip of the nail where the nail polish goes on is visible. To prevent the rubber from slipping, apply the white nail polish slowly and carefully. Let it dry for at least 30 seconds and only then remove the elastic band. Repeat the process with the remaining fingers and finally just apply the top coat.
Make your own nail design – romantic nail patterns with flowers
How about some pink flowers on your nails? The pink and white combination looks romantic and creates a happy, spring-like feeling. It is an elegant yet very simple nail design that can be created in just a few steps. For this you will need the following materials:
- white, pink and purple nail polish
- a fine brush or toothpick
Make your own flower nail patterns instructions:
- First, apply two coats of white nail polish and let it dry completely.
- Put some pink nail polish on it and use the brush or toothpick to create the flowers.
- Use the purple nail polish to add the finishing touches to the flowers.
- Seal with a top coat and you're done!
Do your own nails at home – geometric nail patterns are very trendy
Minimalist geometric nail designs have been trending for years and we're not surprised - they look incredible. All you need is a nail polish in the desired color and thin nail strips or adhesive tape.
Make your own geometric nails instructions:
- First, place the nail strips on the nails in a V shape using tweezers.
- Apply the nail polish over it and let it dry completely.
- Carefully and slowly remove the nail strips with tweezers and finish with base coat.
Make your own fingernails – color block nail design instructions
The color block trend not only conquered the fashion world, but also decorates our nails! Silver and purple nail polishes are used in our instructions, but of course you can choose any other color combination. There are no limits to your imagination when choosing the nail polish colors. For this you will need the following:
- 2 nail polishes in the desired colors
- tape
- fine brush
Color block nails pattern instructions:
- First, apply a little silver nail polish on the nail next to the cuticle. Spread the color with the fine brush about the middle of the nail. Let it dry completely for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Now cover the lower half of the nail with a small piece of adhesive tape and paint the nail with the purple nail polish. Let it dry out and only then remove the tape.
- For an even cooler look, you can paint the line where purple and silver meet with a glittering lacquer. Seal with top coat and you're done!
