The Essential Nails At Home Guide! (PART TWO)

Don’t forget to read How To Paint Your Nails Like A Pro At Home! (PART ONE)

After re-sizing and re-shaping your nails (using the nail file), applying cuticle oil and cleaning your nails (with acetone-based remover), applying the base coat is a must.  Many go for an extra step, specifically targeting the cuticles by either cutting them off or applying a cuticle-remover product.

The best thing you can do for your cuticles is cuticle oil! Don’t cut, don’t remove them! They play a huge role in protecting the nails & nail bed, the better you’ll take care of them, the better they’ll serve you! Use your nails to simply push them back from the nail bed, that’s all you need to do!

Now back to the base coat! You need to allow your base coat to dry for a long-lasting result. (different base coats have different drying times. I just leave mine for half an hour or until it’s not dentable anymore – sometimes I’m just so out of ideas, I keep my base coat on for an entire day while browsing endless nails galleries for inspiration!)

Now it’s time for a classic pink-ish nail polish! For those who still have no idea what to paint on their nails or no time to put together a fancy mani, you can keep your pink-ish polish as a neutral manicure and seal it with quick drying polish, calling it a day!

I use OPI’s Step Right Up. I’ve always been partial to pink-tinted neutrals from OPI (I’ve been addicted to Hearts & Tarts for over 5 years!) and if I’m feeling in the mood for French, I always use OPI’s Rosy Future. Soft pink nails are like tutu skirts on your fingertips! So airy and delicate, always feminine, classy and chic! Don’t be afraid of this color, find the right soft pink for you and wear it, you’ll notice the stylish effect that’ll produce, especially in combination with the immaculate white for French tips (I use OPI Alpine Snow).

But then there are days when you’re not feeling in the mood for a tutu. For those days, use the neutral lacquer! Either white-tinted or a lovely shade of beige, neutral polish will get you safely through any and all occasions. I use OPI’s Step Right Up and Tickle My France-Y. The endless palette of neutral nail polishes can be dazzling at first – how many neutrals can there be, after all? It’s a tricky choice to make as the polish must match the wearer’s skin tone – call this lacquer your ‘nails foundation’ and think of it as such!

…end of PART TWO (read PART ONE here). Come back tomorrow for PART THREE and don’t forget to follow Seasonails.com : Gorgeous Nails Any Season!