Do-It-Yourself Manicure

I love getting manicures! What's not to love, right? Sitting there, chatting with your friends while getting pampered! Just because you can't afford to get them done by a professional doesn't mean you can't have pretty nails! Giving yourself an at-home manicure can be fast and cheap. You'll even feel pampered because you'll be having "me" time. Gather your girlfriends, some cute polishes and get ready for some pampering!

1. Remove any old nail polish.

2. Soak hands in a warm soapy water for 10-15 minutes.

3. Cut nails to desired length and file them.

4. Buff your nails.

5. Push your cuticles back. You can get this tool at any drugstore, it looks like a tiny wooden stick.

6. Apply a clear base coat. O.P.I. makes a good one:

O.P.I. Natural Nail Base Coat

7. Apply nail polish. Shake the bottle before using. Start by painting a stripe down the middle of your nail and then fill in the sides. After the first coat is dry, apply a second one.

8. Apply a top coat to prevent your polish from chipping and to give your nails a glossy appearance.

O.P.I. Top Coat

9. Apply a drop of cuticle oil on your cuticles.

Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil

10. Moisturize your hands. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream works wonders on dry hands and can be found at any drugstore.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula

Stay tuned because I will be soon posting some of my favourite nail polish shades!