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How to do a manicure at home

A little history:

I have a problem with spending $80 a month on my nails, though I did so for years. A nail salon is the easy answer to a manicure, and whatever monopoly the Vietnamese have on nail salons, it holds, and so a Vietnamese nail salon (around the corner, always, no matter where I lived) is where I was regularly headed on Thursday afternoons (manicure day!).

When I finally decided to crunch down and pay off my debt (2005), I had to take a serious look at my spending habits and quit buying all the frivolous things that I had become accustomed to throwing my money at. It had become so bad that I was paying for manicures with credit card. At that point I knew it had gone too far.

SO - I sat down and thought about all the things I learned from watching the little ladies do my nails for so many years. And then I went shopping.

The total cost of ALL the nail supplies I bought was something like $40, which would pay for themselves many times over in the coming years (EDIT: actually, at drugstore.com the total would be $41.73 with free shipping. My memory serves me correctly!). After doing my own nails for two years now, I’ve developed a good technique and a fair bit of talent in manicures, and it’s time to talk about it here

The Products:

To begin with, you’ll have to buy supplies. All of the things you need should be available at any drug store, but just in case they aren’t, I’ve added links. (Please accept my apologies for the crappy picture below. My digital camera is presently sans battery-charger and so I had to use my webcam …euhh.)

Cuticle Remover ($7.99) - to soften/disintegrate cuticle skin
Nail Clippers ($2.39) - I recommend ones with a grip but ones without will work all the same
Cuticle Pusher/Cleaner ($11.99) - for pushing cuticles down and cleaning under them (and under nails). If you prefer, you can use an orange stick (also pictured, below the number 3). I use a metal one because orange sticks get dull and gross
Cuticle Clippers ($13.99) - for cutting off softened cuticles
Nail File ($2.19 for 2) - I suggest the kind that has “fine” grit on one side and “super fine” on the other
Coarse Buffer ($1.00) - I couldn’t find one online, but it’s the rough buffing block that they use at nail salons to smooth out acrylic nails. I got mine for a dollar at the nail shop around the block.
Stepped Buffer ($2.18) - a four- or five-step process for gradually buffing your nails with finer and finer grain until they shine

The Process:

I listed the items above in the order that I use them. There’s no need to do your nails in that EXACT order, but some orders of steps make more sense than others. I’ll share mine, and you can change it up however suits your fancy

First, I rub cuticle softener on my nails. I like to let the softener soak in for a minute or two, so after this step I usually go to the bathroom/have a cigarette/grab a snack to fill a couple of minutes before really getting started.

Second, I clip down my nails OR I push down my cuticles. It depends on my mood When clipping nails, it is always a good idea to clip LONGER than you actually intend your nails to be. I have found out the hard way that clipping nails short to start with means ending up with extremely short nails after filing and correcting filing and adjustment filing… you get the point. Always leave room for error, and err on the safe side.

Then I push down the cuticles. I try not to ATTACK!!1 them, as strong as my loathing for cuticle skin is, because they will hurt afterwards. After they’re all pushed down (including all the butterfly-wing-thin “layers” (if you will) that cling to the nail) then it’s on to step four - the cuticle clippers. I cut down all the cuticles as smoothly as I can manage. When I was starting out this was a pain in the ass and I always ended up bleeding or raw, and they looked choppily cut. But never fear! With a little practice and a lot of patience, I’m now an expert at this step It’s also my favorite (as perverse as that might sound… it’s immensely satisfying).
Now it’s time for the nails. Your cuticles look beautiful, and the nails need to follow suit. I file a square nail, but whatever shape you prefer, decide how you want them to look BEFORE you start filing. Start with the rough grain, then move to the finer side. I read once in a beauty magazine that Sarah Jessica Parker files her nails all in one direction for a smoother edge. I tend to agree with her when it comes to the fine-side filing, but in my experience it doesn’t matter when you’re still in the coarse-grain filing stage. Once you’re done with the coarse-grain side, run another nail under the one you’re filing to loosen/pull-out any sneaky bits of nail that are still clinging on.

Lastly, but still importantly, it’s time for the buffing. Start with the very course block to rough out all groves and bumps on your nails. This will be the most important step; all other buffing steps are pretty mindless. After you’ve finished, move on to the step-by-step process of buffing/shining your nails. The different stages of the multi-staged buffer will be marked on the block. I find that a quick 5 seconds on each nail for each stage is enough - perhaps a little longer on the last and final shining step.

Polish:

I usually don’t polish my nails if I’m on a schedule, but if I’m, say, watching a movie to pass the time or listening to a podcast or what-have-you, I might just go for color.

As I’m sure you know, OPI makes fantastic nail polishes that last a long time and finish smooth. If you use them, or Revlon (another reliable brand), be sure to use a base coat and top coat. This will fasten the nail polish to your nail AND seal it in to prevent chipping and wear. The exception to this is nail polish that states blatantly “all in one” or “no base/top coat required!” If it says that, DON’T use a base/top coat. It will either prevent the polish from drying completely or cause bubbles to form in it, both of which are a pain in the ass to deal with.

If you’d rather go the easy way, I love, love, love Revlon’s Colorstay Nail Polish Duos (which I own in Always Flaunting, Always Wild, Always Starlet, and Always Sheer Buff).

These sets rock my socks. Because they’re formulated to go together, the never bubble up or take forever to dry. AND they come in fantastic colors. Brilliant.

And… that’s all, folks! Feel free to ask questions or whatever. <3

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Filed Under Random Tips, Tricks, and Advice

Comments

6 Responses to “How to do a manicure at home”

Heather on May 23rd, 2008 11:41 am

Thanks for sharing! Just discovered your blog today and am loving it! On the post I linked over from, you said you also learned to cut your own hair. Can you elaborate on that process like you did with your nails?

I, too, am trying to scrape and claw my way out of debt, and have reduced a lot of my frivolous expenses, but I still pay an exorbitant amount of money in the hair salon! I am looking into using home hair-dying kits, and would also like to cut my own hair. I have long hair that just needs to be trimmed, so it shouldn’t be too hard. But I heard you have to use REALLY sharp scissors. Do you have a kind you’d recommend?

Thanks for all your great information on your post!
Crystal on February 9th, 2009 9:32 pm

Loving your blog - found you from your weight loss videos and just want to shout out a word of encouragement that you are doing GREAT things here and there and EVERYWHERE (according to google~ :~)
admin on February 9th, 2009 10:26 pm

Hi Crystal. Thank you!! <3
Amy on May 5th, 2009 2:49 pm

I have a hard time deciding where to draw the line on personal treats like manicures. I sometimes feel like receiving a good pedicure, for example, gives me a real boost. It makes me feel good about myself, taken care of, and relaxed. From taking myself out of the house, sitting in that massage chair, feeling pampered and posh, to looking at my pretty toes throughout the rest of the day. And while its something I could do at home (and most often do), how do you find that balance between saving and spending money on something that isn’t necessary but might have an overall positive impact on you? Another example would be massages. I don’t get them but man I would love to. I can one see how I should take that 50 dollars that I could spend on a massage once a month and put it in savings or invest it instead. But I can also see how a massage can be multi-beneficial to you emotionally and physically and perhaps improve your overall effectiveness at other tasks. You know what I mean?
Can investing in certain ‘unnecessary’ things (gym membership, massages, new clothes) sometimes work towards investing in your self improvement/ esteem and then overall effectiveness and earning power down the road?
admin on May 6th, 2009 9:19 pm

Hi Amy

I think it is sometimes necessary, but you have to determine what’s really going to help you. For example gym memberships are really a great way to use your money (if you use it) because you will be improving yourself overall and over a long time, FOR a long time. Manicures do not fall into the same category in my brain. However, if they are your form of relaxation, then perhaps they are in the same category by helping you reduce your stress.

In general, when I was getting out of debt, I found that I could cut out a LOT of luxuries and still keep some. When I was living EXTREMELY frugally, I still budgeted in my 24hF membership and my Blockbuster online rental service, because I use both and wanted to keep them. But manicures was something I could start doing myself (while watching all those Blockbusters :P).

<3
Frugal Tips to Survive a Recession | beingfrugal.net on May 21st, 2009 3:02 am

[...] Do your own manicures. [...]