Manicure

Things you require for Manicure:

Nail scissors

Emery board (nail file)

Buffer and buffing paste

Cotton wool and buds

Tissues

Enamel remover

Small dish with diluted disinfectant (dettol)

Orange stick

Cuticle knife

Cuticle nippers

Cuticle cream

Cuticle remover

Small bowl for soaking your hands

Moisturiser

Base coat

Coloured Enamels

Topcoat

MANICURE PROCEDURE

1. First make sure that your hands and nails are clean. Remove any old enamel that you may have on your nails with the cotton wool and enamel remover.

2. Decide on what shape you would like on your nails, cut them if needed, and then use your emery board to file them. File your nails into the most crack-resistant shape: a square with rounded corners.

3. Take a cotton bud and remove a very small amount of buffing paste from the pot and smear on the top of your nail. With the buffer, buff your nails. To get a natural shine, use a buffer that offers three or four polishing textures. Start with the coarsest surface and end with the finest one.

4. With another cotton bud, remove a small amount of cuticle cream and apply to the cuticle of each nail. Massage this in circular movements.

5. Soak your hands in warm soapy water containing an anti-bacterial liquid soap.

6. Dry your hands carefully pushing back the cuticles with the towel.

7. Put a tipped orange stick into your cuticle remover and wipe over each cuticle and push back each cuticle in circular movement.

8. Wet your cuticle knife to carefully lift the cuticle from the nail plate.

9. Use Cuticle nippers to remove excess cuticle.

10. Re-soak your hands then pat dry. It is important to remove cuticle remover from your hands after application. Dry and apply a good moisturiser all over the hand and arm up to the elbow, as this is a place everyone tends to forget.

11. Squeak clean the nails with cotton wool and enamel remover again to remove any oil from the moisturiser that is left on the nail plate.

12. Now apply nail enamel. Don't shake your polish! Roll the bottle between your palms (like Manicurists do) to get rid of the air bubbles and stir the enamel.

13. Apply your base coat and wait for it to dry. Pick your coloured enamel and paint on, wait for the enamel to dry and apply the topcoat to coloured enamels. If you do not wish to paint your nails then just quickly go over them again with the buffer for a lovely shine.

14. One last thing, use your orange stick and enamel remover to remove all traces of enamel left on the skin to make a really neat job.

A few important tips

Eat a well balanced diet to get that shine on your nails.

Apply hand cream after putting your hands in water, also as extra treat for them at night apply a good moisturising cream.

Use an oily enamel remover, as this will prevent moisture loss from the nail plate and stop your nails drying out.

Have regular manicures to maintain your nails. Or as I said before do one yourself!

Wear gloves to protect your nails from detergents and chemicals, e.g. washing up, also do not forget the cold outside and then there is the gardening and the housework!

Don't wait for polish to set. To speed-dry, run your nails under cold water-not a blow-dryer-for three minutes after applying the final coat. Cold hardens enamel faster than heat can.

Never trim you nails right after taking a shower or bath. Water softens nails and makes them shred during clipping.