12 Steps to the Perfect DIY Manicure

Bright, beautiful nails are a must-have springtime accessory, but getting manicures done every time your polish chips can add up fast. Believe it or not, you can perfect the art of the at-home mani following these 12 essential steps. Don't get intimidated! You'll notice you'll get better and faster each time.

1. Remove any polish & wash hands - Use a flat, protected surface to avoid spills and drips, and you might also like to try polish remover wipes. Acetone free polish is more gentle and should work perfectly fine on plain nail polish.
   
   
2. Clip, file, and buff - To avoid doing any damage, make sure to use proper tools to clip your nails, and file with a relatively fine grit and in one direction for the square or rounder shape you want. Use a real nail buffer, not your emery board, to lightly buff the tops and sides.
   
   
3. Soften cuticles - Apply a cuticle softener or oil and feel free to do a warm water soak to soften and prep your cuticles.
   
   
4. Push back but don't cut - Use a cuticle pusher such as an orangewood stick (metal is not really necessary) to gently push the cuticles back. Despite what we've learned from our nail techs, you should avoid cutting your cuticles. Their purpose is to protect the nail against bacteria, and cutting them not only asks for infection but also puts their growth into hyper-drive. Simply pushing your cuticle back will give you healthier, lower maintenance cuticles over the long run, so stick to your guns.
   
   
5. Exfoliate & wash hands - Gently massage a hand scrub into hands, wrists, and even forearms to remove dead skin cells. Use a soft nail brush to clean under the nails. Wash and dry thoroughly.
   
   
6. Moisturize & massage - Use your favorite cream to moisturize your hands and give yourself a little massage. (Just because this is DIY, doesn't mean you can't include some TLC!)
   
   
7. Use polish remover - To make sure the oils from the moisturizer don't affect the polish, clean only the nails with a swipe of polish remover.
   
   
8. Apply the base - Apply one thin coat of clear base coat. If possible, wait 2 minutes before the color coat.
   
   
9. Apply the color - Now for the fun! Pick your favorite hue (or hues!) and make sure to get the brush all the way down to the cuticle and along the sides when applying. The first coat should provide good coverage.
   
   
10. Apply 2nd coat - After waiting 2 minutes, apply the second coat. This should be lighter than the first coat. If you are using a light glaze, however, you may find a 3rd coat necessary.
    
    
11. Apply good top coat - The top coat protects all your hard work and lets your mani last longer, so investing in a good one can be worth it. Again after waiting another 2 minutes, apply the top coat. A thin layer applied once is all you need, and make sure to do a quick swipe across the tips of you nails.
    
    
12. Clean up & let dry - Use a bit of remover-soaked cotton wrapped onto your cuticle pusher or a remover pad folded into a triangle to precisely clean up the edges and any mistakes. Let yourself dry for at least another 5 minutes. Then gently touch the flat of one nail to the flat of another and feel for any tackiness. If you feel them stick at all, they are not quite dry and need a bit more time.
    
    

Voila! You've just created spa perfect digits while watching your favorite primetime show! As you get better, you'll find discovering your next favorite color is really where all the fun and cost should be.