i get a lot of questions on how i do my mani’s but since i am too scared to do a vlog post…here is a mini tutorial with pics:

these are my manicure must haves: sally hansen miracle cure or essie’s “feed me” for my base coat, opi top coat, nail brush, cuticle cutters, nail clippers, opi rapid dry spray and a file. i also forgot to photograph nail polish remover. i normally use cutex remover but i have found that butter london’s nail laqcuer remover does a fabulous job removing red polish. i still haven’t found the miracle remover to take off glitter polish, but if you have…PLEASE leave a comment! oooooh, i also forgot to photograph my essie correcter pen. it is a must have…especially for my nail stamp mani’s.

step one: i ALWAYS remove my nail polish right before i shower. then i use a nail brush to scrub my nails so my cuticles are nice and soft. first i push them back with the end of my cuticle cutters and then i pull them back out to cut them. that sounds really gross…lol. then i cut my nails with a slight point to them (see above pic) and file. my cuticles always look jacked up at this point in the mani as you can see above.

this is what my nails look like after i have filed them and washed my hands (above).

step two: paint on your base coat. i was using essie’s “feed me” because my nails have been cracking and peeling but i have since switched to sally hansen’s miracle cure. i’m not sure if it is helping yet. i may switch back to nailtiques which i know works really well for strengthening. again…if you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments! =)

step three: paint two coats of your favorite nail polish. i am wearing essie’s “sew psyched”. btw, you can see my five favorite nail polish picks for fall here (total shameless plug). the trick to having a professional looking mani is by making sure you DO NOT paint your cuticle. i start in the middle of my nail with my first stroke and push back ALMOST to the cuticle, then i swipe the excess polish off into the bottle and continue to do the sides of each nail. your first coat does not have to be perfect because your second coat covers any missed spots. then i follow up with opi’s top coat. i usually wait a few minutes between each coat and finish by spraying my nails with opi’s rapid dry spray. i love this stuff. i used to use their oil drops but actually like this better. and it totally moisturizes your cuticles too. and there you have it! that is how i do my mani’s!

i also get a lot of questions on how i do my nail stamping, but that is a whole separate post! but for those of you who have asked, this is the kit i have. i have also purchased additional nail image plates. but all you really need to purchase is the stamper, scraper and an image plate which is a lot cheaper. next i want to try out the magnet manicure!!! =)

categories: beauty-full, fun manicures16 comments

16 Comments ( Reply )

  1. Marusya V
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 8:23 am

    Really love your mani dear.. should get that magical kit:)
    Kisses,
    MV

  2. Christine
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 8:42 am

    Love this – it reminds me of asian-influenced jade!

  3. Autumn Van Weir
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 8:43 am

    SO cool!!! They look awesome!

  4. Liz
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 8:50 am

    I LOVE your mani! You have totally inspired me to try to do my own again! (I really suck at keeping polish on because of peeling nails – but you had great suggestions for that!)
    🙂

  5. Jessica Zigenis
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 8:54 am

    I always shy away from my fabulous sparkles because it takes me a full hour to remove. It’s a darn shame, because sparkles are so necessary in life sometimes. And that OPI Rapid Dry spray is a godsend. I want to marry it. Thanks for sharing this! I’ve always admired your manicures and thought it was amazing that you choose to do them yourself. Hats off to you my friend!

  6. D'Rae
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 9:12 am

    I have heard of many people using foil to remove their glitter polish. http://honeylushy.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-remove-sparkle-nail-polish.html

    I haven’t tried it yet so I don’t know if it works for sure.

  7. Danielle Spradlin
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 1:41 pm

    Have you tried the crackle nail polish yet? I bought some and can’t seem to get it to look good. It looks like a three year old did my nails when I use it.

  8. Paul
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 2:35 pm

    Brilliant finish. I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of the colour by itself , but with the gold nail art on top it looks absolutely wonderful.
    Gets my vote !
    🙂

  9. Trina
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 6:40 pm

    I use the Miracle Cure too for my problem nails but I haven’t noticed that it’s helped and my bottle is almost gone.

  10. Heather G.
    Sep 09, 2011 @ 9:30 pm

    Looks great!

  11. Kristy
    Sep 10, 2011 @ 6:31 am

    PLEASE do a post on how you do that stamping! That is incredible! Silly me only thought that was possible in a nail salon with air brushing!

  12. Anna
    Sep 10, 2011 @ 7:05 am

    How amazing!! Your nails are always done perfectly and so its only right the queen of manicures shows us how its done 🙂 I actually LOVE that Essie colour you have on! Side note: You shouldnt be worried to do a vlog!! I’m sure you’d be great at it. You’ll never know if you dont do one so I say just go for it 🙂 We only live once right?

    Anna xo

    http://lifesshinyprettythings.blogspot.com/

  13. Pencil Skirts and Lattes
    Sep 10, 2011 @ 6:46 pm

    your nails always look amazing!! I’m so bad at this it is scary… and for some reason every single time I do my nails, I get into some type of cleaning/organizing frenzy right after and inevitably mess them up. sigh. 🙂 great post, going to try that spray!

    -Sarah

  14. Kara
    Sep 11, 2011 @ 2:55 pm

    That is really cool! I have to try the stamping now.

  15. My Dressy Ways
    Sep 12, 2011 @ 12:51 pm

    Have you tried vitamins? I’m not very good at taking them regularly, but when I do, I notice a huge difference. My nails were peeling BAD this summer so I started a pre-natal vitamin about a month ago and the difference is HUGE. Still a little peeling but not nearly as bad as it was before I was taking the vitamins. (It’ll help your hair too.) I just keep it on my vanity and made it a part of my nightly routine. It helps!

  16. Chelsea
    Sep 12, 2011 @ 1:25 pm

    I just bought this Essie color the other day. Can’t wait to try it out! Perfect for fall.

    http://onechicdame.com/