If you don’t have time to hit the nail salon but want gorgeous nails, you can have your cake and eat it too. Giving yourself a manicure is more than just swiping on nail polish, but it’s really easy once you’ve got the steps locked down.
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Founder of United Nails Supply, Pat Lim, shares six key steps to help you achieve a salon-perfect manicure at home:
Remove old lacquer using nail polish remover and a paper towel or cotton pad. Avoid using cotton balls that don’t provide much friction, making them poor removers. Try the Sally Hansen Strengthening Remover, $6.
Once dry, file your nails in one direction only, using smooth strokes as rough zig-zag filing can lead to split nails. Try the Sephora 4-in-1 Nail Tool, $8.
A base coat will hold your polish in place so it lasts longer (especially when you’re out all day!), as it creates an adhesive bond for the colour pigment. It also smoothens out the nail’s surface and prevents staining on your natural nail. Try the NARS Nail Polish Base Coat, $30.
Sweep on polish in three upward strokes from base to tip, starting from the centre then moving on to each side. Use one dip per nail and wipe away excess before reapplying to get the thinnest coats. The optimal drying time between each coat is two minutes.
Finish with a top coat that prevents water loss to keep your nails healthy and thwarts breakage or chipping. (It also adds a lustrous shine to the colour!) Try the Butter London Hardwear Shine UV Topcoat, $28.
Touch up after drying by gently rubbing out any smudges with a cotton swab and a dab of polish remover.
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As seen in the February 2017 issue of The Singapore Women’s Weekly
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- beauty tips
- manicure
- nail ideas