Okay we might play hooky on the weekend sometimes but otherwise we love a fresh coat. According to Dutch Harper’s Bazaar editor in chief Cécile Narinx every woman should treat herself to a monthly manicure and we totally agree. But where do we find the time? So we DIY; the bathing, the filing, the polishing. Let’s sum up all the do’s and don’t.
Do's
Always start a manicure with a bath. A little lukewarm water, a few drops of oil and a soak for five minutes. It’s a bore as you can’t hold your mobile to check your Instagram but this leaves your hands feeling very soft making it well worth your while to follow through on the rest of the manicure.
Use a glass file. It has a finer texture, which protects and closes off the nail rim. You can’t file your nails too short and can only file in one direction but you can remove ridges. Besides it’s very hygienic as the file is so easy to clean.
Use a base coat. Seems unessential but it’s a great base for the color and ensures your natural nail doesn’t take on the color of the polish.
Take your time. You might have a polish that dries in 10 seconds but in reality it’s always more. Work in layers, let it dry sufficiently and you efforts won’t go to waste as quickly. Yes, this is mother Josselin speaking.
Don'ts
Don’t file in both directions, choose one. If you go at it both ways your nails are in danger of splitting.
The metal file is your cheapest option but not your best. Rather use a cardboard file. There’s the chance of splitting your nails when using a metal file.
Don’t cut your cuticles. It might cause infections, not nice.
Leave the remover that contains acetone at the sidelines. Acetone is very hefty, it will remove the polish in one wipe but also dries out the skin. There are enough options out there that don’t contain acetone or have substituted it with macadamia oil. This oil cleanses thoroughly and nourishes as well.
Okay in the weekend we sometimes play hooky, but otherwise we really love a fresh coat.Cécile Narinx also believes that every woman should treat herself to a manicure once a month and we actually agree with that. Only, it’s the time, right, the time. So we start with bathing, filing and polishing. Let’s summarize the do’s and don’ts.
Do's
– Always start a manicure with a bath. A little lukewarm water, a few drops of oil and then let it soak for five minutes. I understand it’s difficult because you can’t hold your phone and check Instagram, but it makes your hands very supple and much nicer to do the rest of the manicure afterwards. – Use a glass file. This one has a finer texture, which closes and protects the nail rim. You can’t file your nails much shorter with it because you can only file in one direction, but you can remove the ridges with it. Moreover, it’s very hygienic because you can easily keep the file clean. – Use a base coat. Seems unnecessary, but it actually provides a good base for the color and ensures that your natural nail doesn’t discolor.
– Take your time. You might have a polish that dries in 10 seconds, but in reality, it always takes a little longer. So work calmly in layers, let it really dry well, and only then will you enjoy it the longest. Yes, mother Josselin speaks.
Dont’s
– Don’t file back and forth, but choose one direction. If you keep filing in all directions like crazy, your nails will split faster.
– The metal file is the cheapest option, but not the best. Preferably use a cardboard file. The chance of splitting your nails is quite high with the metal variant. – Don’t cut your cuticles. That causes infections and that doesn’t seem very nice to me. – Leave remover acetone remover aside for now. Acetone is very harsh, so in one swipe you will remove your nail polish, but acetone is also very drying for the skin. Your nail can really turn white and that means you are drying out your skin a lot. There are good variants available, without acetone or with macadamia oil. That cleans very well, but also provides care.
