Share your secret manicure tips

I don't get manicures any more, but occasionally I'll slap a coat of polish on my fingers and toes when I want to feel pretty.That's usually how it looks, too -- slapped on.

I see moms with immaculately manicured nails. Pale and precise French manicures. Trendy polish in bold dark colors. Delicate flower designs on their toes. And I wonder how they can keep their nails looking so beautiful.

I stopped getting manicures years ago because about 10 seconds after walking out of a nail salon, I would knick, smudge or otherwise mangle my newly painted nails. With dishes to do, laundry to fold and kids to take care of, I feel like I have neither the time nor the lifestyle to have picture-perfect hands and feet. Plus, I vacillate between wanting bright, shiny nails and feeling self-conscious about having bright shiny nails.

Hello, moms with beautiful manicures, what's your secret? Rubber gloves? A live-in manicurist? Indestructible nail polish that costs $50 a bottle?

Comments

[JillyBean]

I had a dear friend show up at a meeting in early December with a GORGEOUS French manicure. I was astounded as she has just as active a lifestyle as I do. She told me all about her "Gels". I had to have them.
I had had acrylics in the past and they are quite a time commitment in the curing process and they can get brittle and peel. Gels are bullet proof and good to go 2 minutes after the Technician is done. I get French tips and they last 3-4 weeks. And they ARE bullet proof. They don't chip like a regular polish job, so it's a better value.
I garden and cook and do dishes and all the Mom stuff and I only wear gloves when I'm gardening. They still look nice to the outside world even when you know they need to be done. I start fairly short; the French will give you the illusion of a longer nail from the start.
BTW: My friend and I were just going to do it to have nice nails through the Holidays. We both still have them. It really is nice to have a little pampering - once a month, for an hour - that actually stays with you.
And I do occasionally get a pedi with one flowered big toe. I let them get pretty ragged before I go for the next one. I go to 2 different places - one for the nails, another for the toes.

[wendy]

GREAT question! One I've been wondering myself, now that it's flip-flop season. Where do you guys go and how much does it cost? I'm a total novice.

[Heidi]

The secret to my perfect French mani? - Desitin. ;0)

[Rachele]

The secret to a great mani is a great manicurist. I have just moved to pdx so I can't tell you who is the best here. In Denver, however, the property next to my urban house was purchased by a salon/spa. Being a champion of convenience, I started going there, walking across the parking lot instead of driving a few miles to my old salon. I "lucked" into the fact that the two best manicurists in Denver had chosen to rent space at that salon. Previously, my manicures would last maybe 3-4 days so I saved them for special occasions only. Well the prep work that these manicurists did was unbelievable -- feathering away and trimming bits that I couldn't even see under strong light. The result was manicures that lasted 10 days minimum, 20 days at best. I never got hangnails anymore either. I couldn't believe it. When I asked what the secret was -- the order of the polish coats? The under or over coats? They just laughed and said, it's just ALL in the prep work. Has nothing to do with the polish. Who knew?

[KarenP]

I'm a cheapskate and can't manage to justify the 20-50 bucks for a professional pedicure. Besides, I can barely get away from the kids to get my hair cut every couple of months, so I can't imagine finding time for a mani/pedi every month. So I'm a do-it-yourselfer.

My fingernails, I don't do so well on, so they're not the best, but I do have fun with my toes. I typically do them in the evening after the kids are in bed when I have a few hours to let them "cure" before putting them between the sheets. I'll do them in front of a movie or while I'm reading a good book so I can let each coat dry before the next layer. I must be doing something right, because they usually still look nearly perfect about 3 weeks out. The main reason I redo them is because they're growing out at the bottom, not because of chipping or wearing away.

My procedure:
1. Get a good TOENAIL clipper (the big ones, not the little fingernail clippers) and clip them straight across. I do clip just a tiny bit off each corner afterward to keep them from poking into my toes.

2. Soak them in the sink for a few minutes and then use cuticle remover on the cuticles, pushing them back gently--I just use my thumbnail. Never got the hang of those orange-wood sticks you're supposed to use.

3. Wash and dry your feet thoroughly. You can use a foot scrub at this point if you want to get rid of dead skin/calluses.

4. Get some of those funky toe-separators or just weave a twisted Kleenex between each toe. This keeps the toenails from touching each other until your polish dries.

5. I always start with a base coat, typically something that prevents staining so my toenails don't turn that funky yellow color when I take the polish off. (I think Sally Hansen has something called "No More Stains Base Coat"). Use just enough to get even coverage and don't let it puddle up around the edges. If you do, it will take forever to dry and your polish will peel off at the edges because it's not adhered to the nail.

6. The base coat usually dries pretty quickly, so by the time I'm done with the second foot, the first it about ready for polish. Again, apply just enough to evenly cover the nail without letting it puddle up against your skin. The color may be thin and wimpy after this first coat, but that's okay. The second coat will do the trick. Resist the temptation to glop it on thick. If your polish is old and gloopy, it won't work well. Time to buy a fresh bottle.

7. I know at the salons, they seem to put the second coat on right away, but it never dries right for me if I do that at home. I try to let the first coat dry for at least 15 minutes or so while I enjoy my book or my movie. Keep the toe separators in while you wait so your toes don't bump into each other.

8. When the first coat is thoroughly dry, add a second coat of color. With practice, you'll get better at "staying in the lines," but don't worry if it's not perfect. I'll give you a hint for cleaning it up later.

9. Follow the second coat right away with a Quick Drying Top Coat. To me, this is THE secret to a great-looking pedicure that lasts a long time. They have lots of them out there. Just look for something that says it dries quickly and adds shine. Just because it says "dries in 60 seconds" though, don't think it's "cured" in 60 seconds. They just mean it dries to the touch. Even then, I don't touch it, but it does seem to help it harden up sooner.

10. Once you have the top coat on, you still need to let it cure for at least an hour before letting it get knocked around (wearing shoes other than flip-flops, going to bed, etc.).

11. To clean up the "slip ups" of polish around the nail, I wait until the next morning. You can soak your feet again in warm water, or I usually just plug the drain while I'm taking my morning shower. By the time I'm done showering, my feet are covered in a few inches of water and my toes have soaked long enough to soften things up. Using my fingernails, I can easily scrape the extra polish off the skin around my nails. Be careful to peel/scrape it from the nail bed outward, away from the nail. If you peel inward, toward the nail, you may end up peeling polish off your nails.

Hope this works for you! I included a lot of detail, but it doesn't really take that long. Easy to do while watching a movie after the kids are in bed.

Good luck!

[marianne]

Wow! Thanks for all the great info, KarenP. Jillybean, can you tell us more about gels? How can they stay nice for so long? Do you have to fill them in like with acrylics? How much do you pay for a full set?

[JillyBean]

Wow KarenP! Impressive post!!!
Gels: well, it's all about the chemicals so you probably can't share this post with EnviroMom!
Whatever combination of materials they use (a powder and a liquid) forms this fabulously hard shell. For the French, they put white tips on your existing nails and trim them out to your specifications. Then they put the white tip gel coating on top of the tips. After they are done with the second hand, they are ready to start on the first hand with the pinkie/natural colored gel coating that goes over the main part of the nail. There is little or no pausing between steps - it sets quite quickly. Then they trim, file/shape and buff. Finally, they put this super shiny thick top coating on top of all of it and you feel like you're ready for the red carpet.
They will ask you about tip shape - natural oval/round vs flat across. Flat is a bit more fashionable/trendy but the corners of the nail become to sharp when they grow out - for my comfort. I do a combo: rounded corners, flat tip.
I usually get the fill and backfill because I let them go for so long. I need a new set every 5 months. It costs between $30-$40. Right now they are too long, the shine is off my nails, I have one broken tip that I clipped off when dead-heading a hanging basket and if you look closely you can see the grow-out from my cuticle line. But to the person I had lunch with yesterday, they are still gorgeous.
I go to Priscilla Nails on Barbur & 35th. And I am going this afternoon - it's been 4 weeks!

[Amy]

The gals at the nail salon next to the Hillsdale Noah's Bagels do a fabulous spa pedicure for $20. Expect to spend about an hour there because they give really long leg massages (mmmmm....). And the pedis last a month before they really start looking scrungy. I haven't had a mani there, but I want to because it includes a head/neck massage! Be aware that while they take credit cards, they won't let you charge the tip for some obscure reason. Also, you have to either bring your own buffer and toe separator or buy a set for $1, but you can then bring it with you each time you go back.

[Hema Robert]

You can give yourself a professional manicure at home. All you need to do is, search online simple tools and tips of the professional manicurists use. Do it for 1 or 2 times and then it would be very easy for you, such that you can do it once in a week with out any difficulty.

[hemarobert]

Let me tell you some tips on how to give yourself a manicure. You can give yourself a professional manicure at home. All you need to do is search simple tools and tips of the professional manicurists use. Avoid using a seesaw motion. Push back cuticles. Use a cuticle moisturizer if they do not push back easily after soaking. Add a second coat for deeper color.Finish the manicure with a top coat of clear polish.