32 Amazing Manicure Hacks You Should Know | Makeup Tutorials

You don’t have to be a nail artist to have reliable manicure hacks. Doing your nails is actually as easy as counting 1, 2, 3 or reciting A, B, C. You must remember maintaining well-groomed nails is of extreme importance. It’s what others see in you first. Your personality also shines through your nails. Whether you like it or not, the first basis of people’s judgement on who you are depends partly on your well-manicured nails.

Proven And Tested Manicure Hacks To Live By

This post was originally posted on Nail Designs and shared with permission

Many people I meet complain about how costly it is to get their nails done. There’s the price of maintenance to consider plus the rate of getting a really good nail art. The charge for the services, however, shouldn’t hinder anyone from having well-groomed nails. There are many manicure hacks you can do in the comfort of your home.

These are the things you should know if you want to keep your nails looking pretty and clean without breaking your budget. Cool, right? Beautiful nails need not come with hefty price tag. All you should have are dependable manicure hacks to recreate what nail salons can you.

Ready to uncover the secrets to pretty nails? Read this.

 

1. Manicure Hacks | Perfect Nail Shape

The root of having good-looking nails begin with the perfect nail shape. There are several shapes you can create. First is round, which is ideal for those with short nails. Square is another type, which is where all the sides of your nails are parallel to each other. A mix between the two shapes would be square with rounded corners. It looks more natural than the square shape. The fourth is the oval. It’s ideal for long nails. Then there’s the square oval; a mix between the two shapes. The almond comes next, which is good if the edges of your nails are not parallel. The pointed stilettos, meanwhile, is suitable for very long nails. There’s the edge, which is only possible when done with false nails. Finally, there’s the pipe, which is another crossbreed between the square and almond.

 

2. Manicure Hacks | Clipping Nails

When clipping nails, make sure your finger tips are wet and the clippers itself are wet. This makes the trimming a whole lot easier. Plus, the nails won’t be flying off anywhere.

 

3. Manicure Hacks | Prepping Nails

Prepping your nails is no rocket science. It’s super easy! The first thing to do is to clean those nails using a cotton ball dipped in polish remover. The, push back your cuticles and shape the hangnails. Remember, do not cut the cuticles! Clip the nails to the length of your choice, shape and smoothen rough edges using an emery board, and buff the surface of the nails. Finally, apply rubbing alcohol to remove excess oils.

 

4. Manicure Hacks | Fixing Broken Nails

Chipped nails are unsightly! No matter how careful we try to be, broken nails will always be part of our lives. The good news is you only need three items to fix them: acrylic powder and liquid, brush, and clear base coat polish. For a tutorial on how to fix your broken nails, read this.

 

5. Manicure Hacks | Nail Stains Removal

The stains on your nails are nasty! Good thing you don’t have to live with it. All you need are toothpaste and a nail brush (or an old toothbrush you no longer use). Get your nails as clean as you can then apply toothpaste on the nails. Carefully brush them. If there are more stains left, repeat the process again.

 

6. Manicure Hacks | Nail Whitening Soak

Whiter nails are achievable using some of your basic household items. Mix ½ cup warm water, 4 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Soak those nails in the mixture for a minute or more, and you’re done.

 

7. Manicure Hacks | DIY Cuticle Cure

Cuticles are on the nails for a reason; it protect nails from bacteria. So it’s only wise to take care of them too. Thus, the cuticle cure. Start with soaking your hands in warm water for 5 minutes. Push the cuticle back. Apply to the nail beds and cuticle a mixture of 3 tablespoon of lotion and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, which was heated for 30 seconds. Cover them with gloves (or clean socks). Do this routine just before hitting the bed.

 

8. Manicure Hacks | Hot Oil Manicure

Your hands and nails need all the TLC so pamper and give it nourishment. Hot oil manicure is a good relaxing treatment. Take equal parts of olive, castor, jojoba and grape seed oils together with Vitamin E, and heat them for just 10 seconds. Set this aside. Soak your hands in warm water for 5 minutes. Rub a lime on your nails then apply on the nails and nail beds the heated oil mixture.

 

9. Manicure Hacks | Polish Application

Start the process with clean nails. Apply a base coat to prevent chipping or staining. Let that dry first. Place a drop of nail polish at the center, just a little above the cuticle. Push the drop down but make sure to leave a gap between the color and cuticle. From there, move the brush upward all the way to the end of the nail. Go back to the base and brush the polish on the curves of the nails all the way to the very top. Do the same thing on the other side. If you need to apply more polish, do a second or third coat. Finish off with top coat.

 

10.  Manicure Hacks | Iced Water Soak To Speed Up Drying

Waiting for your nails to dry can get boring. Why wait then if you can speed up the process. Just pour really cold water (like really, really cold) in a container and place some ice cube. After you’re done painting your nails, dip them in the container for about 3 minutes.

 

11. Manicure Hacks | Gel Manicure At Home

Do you want gel manicure but don’t have time to go to the nail salon? Then, do it in your home. Getting a gel nail polish kit like this New Gelish Harmony Complete Starter from Amazon is a good investment. Check this DIY tutorial on how to do gel manicure to see just how easy it is.

 

12. Manicure Hacks | Newspaper Nail Art

Letters on your nails are just the cutest, right? The process is actually a lot simpler than you think. Take white nail polish as a base coat. Cut newspaper into small pieces just enough to cover your nails then soak them in alcohol. Place the soaked cut-outs onto your nails until the image has completed adhered to the nails. Finish with top coat. Here’s a detailed tutorial for this hack.

 

13. Manicure Hacks | Sharpie For Nail Art

Why limit yourself to using nail products when there are other materials you can use for your nail art? Welcome the Sharpie! This multi-colored markers are so easy to handle that it can give you the defined design you want. Just look at these Sharpie nail art and be amazed!

Continue reading to get the full list here!

Keep Reading On Our Sister Site Nail Designs!

 

Manicure hacks are very helpful to achieve those pretty nails. Try these tips and see how beautiful your manicure would look! With your nails covered, pair your look with this cute outfits for your date night and these makeup tutorials.

 

Are you ready to put these manicure hacks to the test? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below. Since you’re armed with nail basics, here’s a makeup hack to recreate Gigi Hadid’s look.

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Featured Image via hypnotic polish

Editor’s Note – This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.