My Manicure Routine

Hi my lovelies!!! Today we are going be walking through what I typically do through my manicures. This will not be how to apply nail polish. This is strictly just so I can go through how I use my favorite goods through a Manicure. This is strictly grooming! :)

1. I start by cleaning my nail bed free of all the oils and nail polish. I use acetone and a cotton pad to  clean my nails off. 

2. Then I soak my nails in some warm water with olive oil for about 10 minutes. 

3. After soaking my fingers in water and olive oil, I go and wash my hands.  (Do y'all really need a picture of that?) Im sure you all know what washing your hands looks like!!! LOL

4. Now, on to the manicure part. I always like to start with doing my cuticles. I like to use a cuticle remover to help ensure I get all the dead skin off my cuticles. 

Sally Hansen- Instant Cuticle Remover

I will place this all over my entire cuticle area's on all 10 of my fingers. You will notice that it will start to feel a little tingly. I like to leave this sitting on my nails for about 5 minutes.  ( I don't really think that young children need to be using this but I would definitely say that parental supervision should be a must while using this product)

You are going to want to use this side of your cuticle pusher to push back your cuticles. 

5. Get your handy dandy cuticle pusher ready... This one is mine. I know it looks strange. This was seriously the only one I could find when I was at the store looking specifically for one. I like to use this and really get the dead skin off my nails and just push them back as much as possible. I mean don't hurt yourself or anything like that. It's not that important! LOL Just push them back to your comfort! 

6. Now time for the cuticle nipping. You are going to want to CAREFULLY take your cuticle nippers and slowly and gently nip away ONLY THE DEAD skin folks. Just to clean them up a bit. Curious to know what Cuticle Nippers are...

Cuticle Nippers

Here they are... Like I said before, be careful with these as they are very sharp and will cut you if you run your finger across it just right or nip skin that isn't supposed to be nipped. *Disclaimer* Children, please let your mommies or daddies help you with this part. These are not something you should be handling with out adult supervision! 

7. After nipping all your cuticles, I like to go and wash my hands one more time to get the cuticle remover off my fingers. (LOL if Y'all need a picture for this I am going to be seriously worried)

8. Now, lets give our finger nails some lovin'.  This is the time where if I feel my finger nails need be trimmed I will cut them now. For that I like to use a double sided nail clipper. 

Here you can see that these clippers are double sided

These are my clippers they are made by Revlon. I think I picked them up at Wal-Mart. I love these clippers because not only are they double sided but one is a curved clipper and one is a straight edge clipper. I love to use the straight edge clipper on my finger nails because I tend to file my nails square shape. This just helps with that process. So any who, continue to clip all 10 of your fingers to your desired length. 

9. Now that our nails are the desired length... It's time to file them from any jagged edges or unevenness. 

Nail File

I love these types of nail files because I am strongly right handed and seriously dysfunctional with my left hand. This really helps me keep the straight edges on my right hand. So let's file our nails to our liking! 

10. Now we need to buff our nail beds.  We want to make sure our nails are completely bare and free of any oil, cuticle remover, or soap before we polish our finger nails. 

8 sided buffing tool

I will use this awesome handy dandy tool to help with any ridges I have on my nail bed or to help get any left over residue from earlier in our manicure. So BUFF BUFF BUFF away...

11. Now my cuticle pusher is two sided. I don't know if you all have two sided one or just two separate tools but, either way we want to get the pointed side of our cuticle pusher and clean the under parts of our nails. 

Will look like one of those took scrapers they use at the dental office (says the girl who not only worked in a dental office but her entire family works in a dental office and for whatever reason I couldn't think of the name of that tool- Dental people help me out! )

So lets get all the icky's out from underneath our nails. YUCKKKOOO!

12.  Now we are almost done with our manicure. At this time I like to use my favorite nail strengthener .

OPI- Natural Nail Strengthener

I like to use this one. I apply two coats of this to my bare nail bed. Then let dry completely. This drys pretty quickly.

13. Once your nails are dry... this is the time when I would apply my nail polish color. In this case I am not going to be applying one... We are just going to move right in to the top coat. So after, you have applied your nail strengthener let's apply our top coat. 

Sally Hansen- No Chip Acrylic Top Coat

I really like this top coat by Sally Hansen. You really can't go wrong with them. They have been in the business a long time. Their  products are pretty solid as far as I am concerned. I tend to go between this top coat and the Hard As Nails one. That one is really good as well. This one gives my nail really good shine especially when I have a nail color underneath. So apply your top coat and let dry completely. This one may take a little bit longer. 

14. Once nails are completely dry and not tacky at all what-so-ever. I like to put a really good hand cream on my hands. I take off my wedding ring and just really massage the lotion in my hands. 

Nivea Creme

I love this Nivea Creme. This is my all time favorite creme. I use this as my all over body creme and as my hand creme. I will tell you this, it is quite thick and very moisturizing. I use this because I am very very dry. This gets the maximum moisture in my hands and helps prevent against cracking my finger tips. Which I tend to get in the colder seasons. Then I am completely opposite on the bottoms of my feet. I tend to me more dryer on my feet because of wearing sandals during the summer. So works great for that as well. They sell this stuff every where. I get my small tins and big large bottles from Bed Bath & Beyond. 

15. Now my hands are all moisturized, I am going to take it one step further and use a cuticle cream around all my cuticles. You could totally be done with your manicure at this point however, this is just what I choose to do during my manicures. 

Burt's Bees- Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

When I first opened this I was totally expecting this to be a cream. Seriously, this isn't a cream. This is more like the consistency of wax. However, I love it! I will take a little out and rub this all over my cuticles and fingers. I am quite liberal with it because as I said before I am quite dry. You by no means have to use as much as I do. 

16. After I have let my cuticle cream really seep in to my skin (usually by this time I have made my way to bed at this point and I always leave my cuticle oil by my bed) I will lay there and apply a cuticle oil over my cuticles again. 

OPI- AVOPLEX- Cuticle Oil To Go

So I have to admit, I am slightly obsessed with this oil. I have about 3 of them. I am guilty. LOL I have one in my purse and I have one next my bed and I have one as part of my "manicure & pedicure" kit. This stuff smells so good... I think I love it for that reason mainly. I love that it makes my fingers look so nice and polished.  I will put this on multiple times a day... I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff!!! I think I purchased mine at Ulta. I am sure if you don't have an Ulta you can find it online or in other stores like Bed Bath & Beyond. Bed Bath & Beyond is carrying some crazy stuff in regards to beauty. I love going there for that reason. Anyways off topic. LOL GET SOME! 

That is my full manicure routine. I pretty much do the same thing with my feet only they take longer. I will save my pedicure routine for another day. I hope you enjoyed spending time with me and having some girl time doing Mani's with me.  Until next time! Night Night Folks!