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Your First At-Home Manicure

File, prep, paint and seal - a salon-style manicure on your own sofa, with a press-on option too.

🌟 Try it⏱️ 45 min🌸 25 petals

What you’ll need

  • Polish remover and cotton pads
  • A glass file or fine emery board
  • An orange stick or cuticle pusher, and cuticle oil
  • Base coat, a colour you love and top coat
  • A small flat brush (an old lip or eyeliner brush is perfect) for clean-up
  • A towel or paper to protect the table, and good light

Step by step

  1. Prep. Remove old polish, file to shape, push back cuticles, wash and dry hands.
  2. De-grease. Swipe each nail with remover or rubbing alcohol. Hand cream and oils stop polish sticking - this tiny step makes manicures last days longer.
  3. Base coat. One thin layer. Let it dry for a minute or two.
  4. Colour, coat one. Wipe one side of the brush on the bottle neck. Place a bead of polish a little above the cuticle, push it gently towards the cuticle, then do three strokes: middle, left side, right side. Thin coats are the secret.
  5. Cap the edge. Lightly run the brush along the tip of the nail.
  6. Wait 2–3 minutes, then coat two the same way.
  7. Clean up. Dip your small brush in remover and trace around the edges to fix any flooding. This is what makes it look “salon”.
  8. Top coat, capping the edge again.
  9. Dry. Polish feels dry in 10 minutes but stays soft underneath for an hour or more. Avoid hot water, rummaging in bags and doing up buttons. Quick-dry drops or a bowl of cold water (after 5 minutes) can help.

Prefer press-ons?

Press-ons are a brilliant, low-commitment way to try length and shape.

  1. Push back cuticles, lightly buff the shine off your nail surface and wipe with alcohol.
  2. Size every nail first - pick a press-on that covers your nail side to side without touching skin. If between sizes, go slightly bigger and file the sides.
  3. Use glue for longer wear or sticky tabs for a few days (and reusability).
  4. Press each nail at a slight angle from the cuticle down and hold for 30 seconds.
  5. Avoid water for an hour or so.

To remove, soak in warm soapy water (with a little oil) until they slide off - never prise them off.

Making it last

  • Reapply top coat every 2–3 days.
  • Wear gloves for washing up and cleaning.
  • Use your finger pads, not nails, to open cans and press buttons.
  • Small chip? Fill in a tiny bit of colour and top coat over it.

💝 Keep exploring