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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR A DIY HOME MANICURE & PEDICURE

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR A DIY HOME MANICURE & PEDICURE - Erin Aschow - ice cream & neon dreams

Well, here we are. We’re stuck at home, bored. Scrolling through our Instagram feed aimlessly. Dreaming of being at a movie theater or shopping at the mall. I don’t know about you, but I just looked at myself in the mirror and I’m a hot mess. It’s been great letting my skin breathe and living in yoga pants. But I cannot be seen hand modeling quarantine DIYs and recipes with a janky grown out manicure.

Don’t worry guys. I have actually mastered the art of the at home mani/pedi. About 6 months ago, I stopped going to the nail salon. Mainly because I was spending such an insane amount of money. A good manicure isn’t cheap. Throw in a spa pedicure and you’ve burned through a quick $100.

So, I started stocking up on Amazon products. After some trail & error, as well as major product testing, I’ve dialed in my DIY home manicure & pedicure. I’ve even had people ask me where I get my nails done… I’m that pro. Not to toot my own horn (ok I’m tooting), but I’m actually pretty impressed with how easy it is and how great they look.

diy home manicure & pedicure

There are two aspects we need to address regarding manicures. The functionality – obviously not a necessity, but we like when our hands and feet look good. And the therapeutic aspect. Spending an hour at the nail salon is totally relaxing.

But, we don’t always have the time or funds. And in times like these – there aren’t really any other options, other than to DIY it. You can get great manicure or pedicure in the comfort of your own home by doing it yourself – you just need to have the right tools. Let’s dive into everything you need to know for a DIY home manicure & pedicure!

Manicure & Pedicure Tool Breakdown

The Basics:

The Upgrades:

The Red Carpet Experience:

salon quality Manicure and Pedicure 101

Manicure:

  1. If you have any any polish on your nails, use nail polish remover to give yourself a blank canvas.
  2. Start your manicure by soaking your hands in a bowl of warm water. This will help soften your cuticles. Clean under and around your nails and nail beds. Exfoliate your cuticle area with a scrub.
  3. Next, gently push back your cuticles. If you don’t have a tool for it, a soft wash cloth will work. It’s best not to cut the cuticles because they help to protect the nails from bacteria and infections. But if you have any hangnails, you can trim them now.
  4. To keep your cuticles healthy, apply cuticle oil or coconut oil and massage into the skin. This is something that you can do daily, I like to do it before bed.
  5. Trim your nails to the desired length and shape.
  6. Next, file your nails.It’s important not to file back and forth. This can actually cause your nails to weaken, or splinter. Instead, file from one side to the center and then file from the other side to the center.
  7. Apply your favorite lotion (body lotion is totally fine) and massage your hands and forearms. I recommend doing this step now rather than at the end so you don’t risk ruining your paint job!
  8. Prep for nail painting by removing any lotion or oil.
  9. Start with a base coat: start with one thin layer to act as the foundation of your manicure. If you’re doing a gel manicure, you’ll want to use a dehydrator and bonding primer.
  10. Pick a nail polish or gel nail polish color. Start with the brush at the center of your nail and then paint down each side toward the tips. Next apply a second thin coat; two coats is the usual go-to for the best opacity and longevity of the polish. If you’re using gel nail polish, you’ll want to cure them – or dry them – using an LED light. Dry in between each layer. You can also use a light if you’re using normal nail polish to speed up the drying process.
  11. Apply a top coat and air dry or dry under the LED light.
  12. Clean up any nail polish that got outside the edges of your nails. You can wrap an orange stick or other nail tool with a small amount of cotton and dip it in nail polish remover.

Pro Tip: Paint your dominant hand first. That way, you’re nor trying to paint your non dominant hand when your nails are wet. Always move from your pinkie to your thumb to reduce smudges.

PEDICURE:

  1. Remove any old nail polish.
  2. Soak your feet. Fill a bath tub with warm water and soap (body wash is great), Epsom salts or a bath bomb for 15 minutes.
  3. Get rid of leads skin by using a foot file. Pay extra attention to the balls of your feet, the sides of your feet & heels.
  4. File & shape your nails. You can use a nail trimmer if necessary.
  5. Apply cuticle oil, then moisturize your feet & toes.
  6. Use toe separators or make your own using a paper towel. This makes it easier to separate your toes while painting.
  7. Like a manicure, start with a base if you have one. If you’re using gel nail polish, use the same instructions as above. Normal nail polish, you guessed it! Just follow the above info.
  8. Apply a top coat and air dry or dry under the LED light.
  9. Clean up any nail polish that got outside the edges of your nails. You can wrap an orange stick or other nail tool with a small amount of cotton and dip it in nail polish remover.

My Favorite Home nail care TIPS

These are the products I use weekly! I do a DIY home manicure & pedicure once every 2 weeks normally, but will usually do one a week.

I usually use either Clutch Nails or Static Nails. They’re the best “fake nails” around. I love the sizes, shapes & colors they both offer. You can get some really pretty colors and options with ready to go nail art. They don’t look cheesy at all.

When using fake nails, I file my nail a bit to create a rough surface. Then, apply nail glue to my nail and the fake nail before pressing. This makes them last a lot longer. You can also reuse the nails. Sometimes, I’ll opt to paint them with gel nail polish after a few uses or use nail foil to create designs.

Using a nail prep dehydrator & nail primer before doing your own gel manicure is a game changer. My gels will normally last about 2 weeks when I do them myself. I also love that when I do them at home, if one chips or comes off, I can easily fix it!

Having an LED nail dryer is also a major game changer. Not only do you need it for doing a gel manicure, it makes drying normal nail polish so much faster. I also love using my portable nail drill. It makes life so much easier when you’re doing your own acrylics or poly gels!

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