The Perfect Manicure and Pedicure

Shopping List for Gorgeous Nails

1.) Cuticle Stick with a Rubber End
2.) A Cuticle Conditioner - Can Be an Oil or Cream
3.) Quick Dry Base Coat (Clear or Opaque)
4.) Quick Dry Top Coat (Clear)
5.) Nail Buffer
6.) Large Emory Board - No Metal Files, They Can Damage Nails and Leave Ragged Edges

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you start off with clean nails. Clean nails will help the nail polish to bond better with the nail, and help ensure a lasting finish. If you have any nails that are obviously longer than all of the others, then I suggest you use a small pair of nail scissors, not clippers, to give them a trim before anything else is done.

I do not suggest using nail clippers on your hands for a reason. They tend to make fragile nails split, because they do not "bend" with the nail when it is cut off, which stresses the rest of the nail and can cause splitting and breaking when pressure is applied, especially if you tend toward breakage. Once the nails have all been evened out to about the same length with a pair of nail scissors, the nail filing begins.

Begin filing gently with an emory board style nail file. I prefer to use the larger emory boards rather than the small, because they covers more surface area and can be more easily manipulated. Gently file the rough edges of the nails where you have just cut, angling it only slightly around the outer edges, for a somewhat squared look instead of completely rounded, which tends to look fake. Also, nails typically grow better and faster when they are kept in a squar shape, but you can use your judgement as to your shape preference and the degree of the shape.

The next step is to use a rubber tipped cuticle stick, and gently shape and push backthe cuticles. Some people, like me, barely have any cuticle at all, and can skip this step. Others may have thicker, more noticeable cuticles and they are the ones that need to focus on grooming and conditioning them more. One you've shaped and gently pushed back your cuticles, dab a drop of conditioning cuticle oil and rub in.

Use a makeup brush or just a piece of tissue and dust off any dust leftover from filing. You might want to wash your hands so that none of the nail dust or the cuticle conditioner interferes with the application or adherence of the nail polish. The next step is crucial to the longevity of your manicure and pedicure, since it forms a base which provides optimal adherence of your polish to your nail surface.

Lightly buff the surface of your nails with the correct side of a nail buffer (this will be the very fine side, and may even be marked - be sure not to use the rough side as you will end up with tiny scratches on the surface of your nail!), just enough so that you do not see as much luster on the surface. Now, take your preferred sheer base coat polish and add a light layer of it on to the nail. Wait a full minute and half at least, and then you may begin to apply your solid nail color of choice.