HOW TO DO A GREAT MANICURE AT HOME

10 Must-know nail tips and hacks on how to do a great manicure at home

Some of us may have the time and money to get their nails done regularly by a professional, but for most this is strictly a home activity. There are hundreds of tips and tricks out there, thousands of shades and colours, and nail designs to try…But there are also many annoying things that could happen, from a broken nail just after you freshly painted it, to smudges and whatnot. Here are ten home manicure tips you need to know:

1. A broken nail 
That’s perhaps the worst thing that can happen. Unfortunately, if you’ve just painted your nails, you’ll have to remove the polish before fixing the nail but you can paint it afterwards. You need a small piece of a paper teabag and some nail glue. After smoothing the break with a file, put a drop of glue on it and press the paperbag piece over it. After it dries, paint the nail.
2. Quick drying
If you don’t have time to wait until your polish has dried naturally, just dip your hands in a bowl of icy water. It hurts, that’s true, but if you’re late and need to go out in five minutes, that’s your solution. Just a couple of minutes in the icy water and your nails will be nice and dry. Take breaks, so you don’t freeze your fingers!
3. Make your own glittery polish
If you can’t decide on a glittery nail polish, why not make your own? Just pop down to the nearest craft shop, get some glitter and then pour some in a bottle of clear topcoat. Shake and apply. You can also use glittery eyeshadow instead of glitter.

4. Make cleaning easier with Vaseline
Few of us have the steady hand of a pro, so we make mistakes, which then need cleaning. It’s a tough job and can mess up the whole nail, so to make it easier, rub some Vaseline around your nail before starting with the painting. Afterwards it will be much easier to remove anything that’s gone outside the nail’s limits.
5. Neon on white
If you want your neon polish to be brighter, first put a white base coat. It will really make the neon colour stand out wonderfully. And if you want dots to go with that, make your own dotter by simply sticking a pin into the eraserhead of a pencil, then dot away.
6. Vinegar for longer-lasting polish 
That’s right, if you want your nail polish to stay on your fingers longer, rub some vinegar into your nails before painting, then wait for it to dry and paint them. Don’t worry about the smell, it will evaporate soon enough.
7. Strengthen the polish with two base coats
To avoid that irritating chipping at the top of the nails, when applying base coat add a second layer only on the top half of the nails, making sure it goes over the edge. This will seal the polish and prevent, or at least delay, the chipping.
8. User a rubber band for a French manicure

If you want an easy French manicure, use a wide rubber band and loop it over each nail in turn, with the other end held on your thumb. This will help you avoid the messiness and the mistakes. If the band is too long, tie it in the middle.
9. Old, wet eyeshadow brush can smooth a smudge
If you’ve just painted your nails and touched a nail to something that’s smudged the polish, you can fix it with an old, flat, soft, wet eyeshadow brush (don’t use your most expensive one though), some people even lick the spot to fix it, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Nail polish doesn’t taste nice!
10. Get rid of the stubborn glitter in five minutes
Removing a glittery polish can be a hassle, which you can spare yourself. Soak cotton pads in nail polish remover, put them on your nails and fix them in place by wrapping each one in a piece of tin foil. Leave this on your fingers for five minutes, then remove.