My nail care routine is simple, yet effective and won’t break the bank! For reference, I paint my nails about 2-3 times per week and I do this routine once a week. Due to genetics, my nails are naturally strong so I don’t have to worry about correcting weak or brittle nails. Consistent nail oiling is key for all nails to be healthy and flexible and I oil my nails at least 6 times a day, toenails included!
My Nail Routine Breakdown w/favorite products:
- Remove old lacquer
- I use pure acetone and cotton balls. I unravel the cotton ball and split them into 5 equal sized pieces. Saturate each piece with acetone and place on top each nail for about 10 seconds. This method allows the polish to glide off easily and is great for removing darker colors and glitters.
- File nails
- At this point, I file my nails with a glass nail file from Mont Bleu. Filing my nails is actually my least favorite thing to do so I make this quick and just maintain the shape my nails naturally grow. I couldn’t imagine filing ALL 10 nails into a new shape, sounds like torture to me.
- Push back cuticles
- This step is pretty self explanatory as all I do is apply a drop of cuticle remover to each nail and use a wooden orange stick to gently push back my cuticles. I apply the cuticle remover, let it sit for 1 minute, and then wipe away with a damp cloth. Cuticle remover should not be left on the skin.
- Polish Application
- Before I apply base coat, I quickly swipe my nail plate with some rubbing alcohol to remove excess oils that may stop the polish from adhering.
- I use 1 coat of base coat. The base coat I use varies by the brand of nail polish am I wearing as I try to use complete lines of polish, but regardless the base coat I use the most is the O.P.I. Natural Nails Base coat. I haven’t experienced any staining with this base coat. I let the base coat dry for 5 minutes.
- After the base coat is dry, I apply as many layers of color as needed, increasing the dry time for each extra coat of color. The color coat dry time is as follows: 1st coat = 10 minutes, 2nd coat = 12 minutes, 3rd coat = 15 minutes.
- After the color coat is dry, I apply top coat. My most used topcoats are the Olive and June and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat, although there are many more I would like to try. I let the topcoat dry for 15 minutes before I finish off the manicure with cuticle oil and hand cream.
- Remember to wrap the tips of your nails with base coat, 1 coat of color, and topcoat!
- Skin/nail oil and Hand Cream
- I use a homemade oil and an urea-based hand cream.