Doing your nails at home is a no-brainer way to save money on your weekly manicure. I find it takes less time and comes out the way you want it, not the way your manicurist thinks it should look. While there’s a ton of stuff that can go into a manicure, I narrowed it down to five key items you should have in your at-home manicure kit. Check them out below!
1. and 2. Cuticle Remover and Cuticle Stick
A cuticle remover is key to having a clean manicure. Skip the cuticle scissors and trimmers: cutting your cuticles will cause infections and cuts. To use, apply the remover to the nail bed. Then gently push back the cuticles with a cuticle stick. Remove the remover and you’ll have a pushed back cuticle that won’t leave you with hangnails. I like this one from ORLY.
3. Base Coat
Base coat is completely necessary for a long-lasting manicure. Some base coats, like ORLY Bonder, make your nails stickier so that the nail polish adheres better. Ridge filing base coat fills in any ridges and peeling nails for a smooth application. Ridge fillers are ideal when using a Creme, metallic or pearl nail polish. Those nail polishes show imperfections on the nail easier.
4. Top coat
Fast drying top coat will change your life. There’s no reason anymore to wait around for your nails to dry. Glisten and Glow HK Girl top coat is the greatest top coat. It dries the fastest, it’s incredibly shiny and doesn’t shrink at the tips like Seche Vite. If you like top coats that take an hour to dry be my guest, but HK Girl dries within 10 minutes to a rock hard finish. I’m able to go about my business without the worry that my nails will smudge.
5. Clean up brush
When you’re a beginner, painting your nails at home is a nightmare. Nail polish gets all over the cuticles and the skin and the lines around the cuticle are scraggly. Keep at it though! Your nail painting will get better if you do it consistently. Q-tips and a clean up brush will make your nails look more polished and salon perfect. Use the Q-tips for larger areas and the clean up brush right around the cuticles. This one from E.L.F. are $1.
What’s in your at-home manicure kit?
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