How to Give Yourself a Basic Manicure

Intro: One of the luxuries women and men will often times forego in an effort to save a few dollars is having a manicure. Although it's relaxing to have someone else do your nails, the fact is with the economy in its current state, people may not be able to justify that extra $20 or so dollars to have their nails done. This article will show you in three easy steps how to do your own nails.

Step 1: Start the manicure off by soaking your finger nails in warm soapy water for a few minutes. This will soften the nail, as well as the cuticle. Pat them dry and file them. Never file like a see-saw across your nail but file from the outer corner of the nail to the center of the nail and then do the same on the other side of the nail. File all your nails until they look even.

Step 2: Once you have the nails filed like you want them, dip them back into the warm, soapy water and rinse off the dust from the filing. Pat them dry and push the cuticles back with a cuticle stick. If any of the cuticle raises up, snip off the excess with cuticle clippers. Apply cuticle oil to all of your cuticles. Gently rub in the cuticle oil on each nail.

Step 3: Now that your nails are filed and your cuticles are taken care of, you are ready to apply nail polish. For men, you can either skip this part or simply apply a thin coat of clear nail polish for a professional shine to your nails. For the ladies, brush on a base coat and let it dry. Once dry, apply two coats of the color of your choice. Let the nails dry some before applying the second coat. Then, apply the top coat for extra shine and protection.

Tips: Please see my article "How to Give Yourself a Basic Pedicure!"

Warnings: Don't cut your cuticles too far back as you will bleed and have a chance of infection.

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