Lifestyle

10 Invaluable Tips For the Perfect DIY Manicure

Never underestimate the power of a great manicure! Having your nails on point doesn’t only help you make a good impression wherever you go, it also boosts your self confidence and make you feel like an absolute goddess even when you’re grocery shopping.

Since manicures are not the cheapest thing in the world and most of the DIY ideas that you read about on the Internet require a lot more time and talent than you’d think, I’ve decided to write an article for those of us who can’t be bothered with complicated stuff but still enjoy having pretty nails.

Without further ado, here are the nail hacks you’ve been looking for all your life:

First of all, learn to apply nail polish like a pro

manicure

lacquerized.com

Have you ever wondered why the manicures that you get at the salon last you more than the ones you give yourself? Well, that’s because professional manicurists know the best way to apply nail polish, which is described just perfectly in the diagram above.

How about a DIY nail dotter?

dotter

The Beauty Department

You can create some truly amazing nail art designs with a dotter, but let’s face it, how many of us actually have one at home? So why buy one when you can just stick a pin into the eraser of a pencil?

Now that’s what I call an easy manicure

manicure

Simple Nail Art Designs

Wanna get an awesome manicure but you’re not in the mood for complicated stuff? Well, if you’ve got a fan brush on hand, you can create this real’ awesome design. After you’ve applied nice base coat, choose two or three different colors an apply a dab of each on a plate. You want the lines to be thin enough, so make sure that you don’t get too much polish on the bristles when you dip the brush into the colors.

Check out this video for more details:

Getting glitter polish off your nails is pretty hard, isn’t it?

manicure

wackylaki.blogspot.com

Glitter nail polish is definitely one of the prettiest things in the world, but getting it off your nails can be a total nightmare, given that you need about half a bottle of acetone to do it, not to mention a lot of rubbing, which can be quite damaging to both your skin and nails. Good news is, white glue can make for an excellent and super cheap peel off base.

Mermaid manicure? Yes please!

manicure

pose.com

I’m all for fancy, intricate nail art, but more often than not, this takes a lot of time, not to mention a lot of talent and precision, which is why I am madly in love with ingenious, lazy people approved kind of ideas like the one above. Basically, what you need is a loofah, an old sponge, some glitter and, well… five minutes tops.

This is the best way to restore your nails to their former glory after removing dark polish

manicure

soulsneverwrinkle.net

Dark nail polish looks marvelous – and quite fierce to be honest – but pigment does go all over your fingers when you try to get it off your nails. Oh, and the actual nail stains are even worse! Anyway, if you want to get rid of all this, all you have to do is mix baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and hot water in a little bowl, dunk your fingers in it and voila – you’ve got the blank canvas that you need for your next killer manicure.

Use this instead of acetone to fix a clumpy nail polish

manicure

sopolishedireland.blogspot.com

We all have that one extremely cute, but really old nail polish that we’d love to use but can’t, because it’s clumpy AF. You can thin it nail polish remover, but that would ruin the nail polish, not to mention that your manicure won’t last long enough either. If you use nail polish thinner instead of remover, however, you won’t have to deal with any of these problems.

The gold sharpie is pure brilliance

manicure

thebeautydepartments.com

For cute patterns that you wouldn’t normally be able to do with nail polish – unless you’re a manicure mastermind – use a metallic sharpie. It will make your nails game real’ strong, and if you’re already wearing a gel base coat, you can always remove the sharpie with alcohol and draw a new pattern.

Black gel pens work brilliantly for more intricate patterns

manicure

nailartcouture.com

You do have to allow the pen some extra time to dry before you apply the top coat. Half an hour should be just enough.

The best – and cheapest – manicure setter you’re gonna get your hands on

manicure

pintester.com

When I first heard about this hack, I couldn’t believe it myself, so I had to try it and guess what? It works so damn well! All I needed was a mist of this bad boy over my freshly done nails and I was good to go. My polish dried faster than I expected and remained smudge free while I ran some errands. What else could you possibly wish for?