Ten: Paint Your Nails
The Polish I like to regularly use is the China Glaze color called China Rouge. I use China Glaze polishes in the salon all the time because its very easy to paint with.
The reason Ive chosen a red to paint in this tutorial is because if you can learn to polish with a red or a dark color, then you can learn to polish with any color. This is because a red/dark color will show up any imperfections.
Now, dip your brush into the polish, wipe one side completely and halfway down on the other side of the polish bottle rim. Ive found that this is about the right amount to cover the nail.
The first coat that you do is purely a guide to cover the nail.
So place your brush into the middle of the nail plate and push down towards the cuticle. This is to try and ensure a nice smile line and then pull back.
You dont want to go too close to the cuticle because you want to avoid flooding the cuticle so that it looks nice and neat.
And youre trying to apply in three coats.
When youve done the whole nail plate, cap the free edge. This is to prevent against chipping.
So again, go in the middle of the nail plate and push down towards the cuticle. You want a hairline gap between the polish and the cuticle.
Dont worry too much if you got any nail polish around the skin of the nail that can be removed.
Remember to place your brush in the center of the nail plate, push towards the cuticle and pull back.
You always do two coats of any color polish.
Do Bring Your Own Tools
You can take your own tools to a nail salon, even if you feel self-conscious. Germs can linger on salon tools that aren’t cleaned, like emery boards. If you choose to use the salon’s tools, they should be heat sterilized, soaked in clear antibacterial solution, or come prepackaged. Ask for a new tool if one falls on the floor during your appointment. You don’t want to leave the salon with a skin or nail infection.
How To Do A Pedicure At Home
Its an indulgent moment of self-care and has the benefit of giving you gorgeous, show-off toes a DIY pedicure at home is a ritual we all love. But do you know how to do a pedicure at home to salon-level glory? How do the experts manage to get everything looking so perfect and leave you with nails that dont seem to chip as quickly as when you do it?
Here we walk you through how to give yourself a pedicure that will rival the professionals.
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Consider A Pedi During Pregnancy
When you’re pregnant and feel bloated, and even your ankles are swollen, a pedicure may sound heavenly. Good news! It’s OK to pamper your feet. Pedicures are safe during pregnancy. Your nails don’t absorb the chemicals in nail polish. If the odors from nail products make you feel ill, try sitting near a window or an open door.
Get Rid Of Any Dead Skin
Okay, so, this is lowkey my favorite part. I know, I’m weird, but it’s way satisfying to see how smooth your feet get after rubbing everything off. After patting your feet dry, grab a foot file or a pumice stone and go ham on your calluses, removing any and all dead skin. Be sure to really focus in on your heels and any other calloused, hard areas. Scrape until your feet feel smooth, but don’t scrub your feet rawyou could end up causing irritation, which is never fun.
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Look For A Nail Care Technician Who Is Also A Reflexologist
Who doesnt love a good foot rub? Reflexologists do much more than just rub the feet, but everything they do is relaxing . Reflexologists report that their treatments increase circulation, promote relaxation, relieve aches and pain , lift depressed mood, alleviate swelling, and make falling asleep easier. Thats a tall order for a pedicure, but many people swear by their reflexologists, so why not give it a try? Reflexology is usually available at full-service spas.
How Do I Prep My Feet
You essentially want to follow the same protocol as the salons do, which means you should give yourself at least 45 minutes from start to finish.
“Start by removing any old polish with a gentle nail polish remover I recommend a non-acetone polish remover, as acetone weakens and dries out nail beds,” advises Jin Soon Choi, an editorial manicurist and founder of the New York City-based JINsoon Spas. “Fill your tub or basin with warm water and soak your feet in there for five to 10 minutes. To make the experience more spa-like, add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil.”
But if you’re in a rush, there’s a simple hack for saving time. “If you don’t have time to soak, you can always give yourself a pedi after a long bath or shower,” says Rita Remark, the global lead educator at essie.
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Five: Push Back The Cuticles
Next, you are going to push back the cuticles using an Orange Wood Stick wrapped in Cotton Wool.
The reason for the Cotton Wool is because if you use just the orange wood stick on its own, its too harsh and you can cause pain to your client/yourself.
To wrap the stick, open up a Cotton Wall pad, and twisting the Orange Wood Stick into the Cotton Wool like Candy Floss.
This Cotton Wool will just provide a bit more protection for the clients/ your own fingertips
Now, using the Orange Wood Stick, youre now going to gently push back the cuticles.
Youll find that the nail plate appears a little bit longer once you have pushed the cuticles back effectively.
Now, use a pair of Cuticle Nippersto tidy any excess cuticle you have. Be very careful with these nippers to avoidnipping your client.yourself.
Only remove any excess cuticle if there is any present. If you are working on neat cuticles, you may not have to remove much if any at all.
Be careful and just remove any excess cuticle. Again this will just make your polish look much better when finished.
The other thing youre looking to remove with the cuticle nippers are any loose bits of skin that hang off at the side of the nail. These are known as Hang Nails. You want to nip those to ensure they have been removed.
The Essential Steps Of A Pedicure
Pedicures may be the single most popular beauty treatment at spas and salons. After all, who doesnt want to have their feet rubbed down and treated by an experienced and talented esthetician? Pedis feel great, are good for your skin, and leave you looking your best. Although there are many different types of pedicures with various steps, these are the essentials that they all have in common. Note: The order of the steps may change depending on where you get your pedicure and what type of pedicure treatment you are getting.
Remove Nail Polish
It might seem obvious to remove your current nail polish before starting your pedicure, but many people overlook this first step. Use a cotton ball and acetone polish remover to clear all of the nail polish off of your nails. Try your best to avoid getting too much of the acetone on your skin or cuticles as it can dry out your skin. Once you have completely removed the polish from your nails you are ready for the fun stuff.
Soak Feet
Take Care of Cuticles
Exfoliate
Treat Calluses
Trim and File Nails
When you clip your nails clip straight across and use your file to achieve the desired shape. Dont cut too close or you will risk an ingrown nail. When you file your nails, try to go for a square shape with rounded edges as opposed to an oval appearance which can also lead to ingrown nails.
Massage Feet/Moisturize
Apply Polish/Let Feet Dry
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Everything You Need To Do A Salon Pedicure At Home
After spending months at home, you’ve probably already tried your hand at a DIY manicure. And now it’s time to tackle your toes.
While it’s a bit more involved than a manicure, an at-home pedicure doesn’t have to be intimidating — this beauty treatment is easier to nail than you might think. All you need are the right tools, a few ground rules and just a bit of patience. To recreate the experience you’d get at the salon, ET Style has broken down the art of the DIY pedicure into three steps: clean, prep and paint. Follow these steps for a thorough, long-lasting pedi that you’ll want to show off with those sandals you just scored on sale.
An at-home pedi kit also makes a thoughtful gift for the holidays! Round up the supplies, including your gift recipient’s favorite shades of nail polish, and put everything in a cute gift box or basket.
Below, ET Style’s guide to a no-fail at-home pedicure.
How To Perform A Professional Salon Pedicure
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Have tired feet. Having a pedicure can help to relieve your feet at the same time keeping it healthy. Here are the steps to perform a pedicure right at home without the salon expense
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Maintain Your Foot Health
The trick to making sure your feet are in the best shape? Constant care. Fortunately, there are a few low-maintenance ways to keep them healthy and ready for your next at-home pedicure adventure.
Go nail polish-free sometimes. Even after all your hard work, it’s critical to remove nail polish to allow your toes to breathe every now and then. When you have a week of low toe-exposure, take off your nail polish and let your natural nails have their moment. Remember that when nails aren’t properly oxygenated, they can stain yellowish and look less appealingwhich is why it’s important to remove all polish every now and then.
Spoil your feet with scrubs and treatments. Give your feet some extra love with scrubs, foot creams,foot peels, and a post-cleanse moisturizercheck out my picks below. If hand cream is all you’ve got, here’s a hack: Slather on a hand cream, slip on some socks, and let your feet soak in hydration.
Eight: Use Nail Polish Remover
Before you polish the nails, its important that you remove any grease from the creams and oils that youve used as part of the manicure.
So to do that, its best to use a Natural Nail Polish Remover on a Cotton Ball and go over all of the nails.
In my manicures, I always use Lint Free Wipes this is because Cotton Wool can be quite fluffy and it can be left on the nail. This will then show up as part of a polish. The lint-free wipes make sure that nothing is left on the surface at the nail.
I always use an Acetone-free nail polish remover when working on natural nails. This ensures less damage to the nails.
Just go over each nail, give it a good rub on top and underneath of the nail to make sure nothings on there that will affect the polish.
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Dont Forget To Moisturize
While letting the cuticle oil sit, its time to moisturize. Any body moisturizer will do, Ling Lin recommends using one of Alba Botanicas body lotions, like its Very Emollient Maximum Body Lotion . You’ll want to pay special attention to the back of your feet, according to Ling Lin, since they can easily dry out.
Now, you can move on to my favorite part: the hot towel. Make sure you dampen it under a faucet and wring it out before placing the towel in the microwave to warm it up. After 30 seconds, your towel will be ready to go. Simply wrap it around your feet for three to five minutes. If your feet are particularly swollen this summer, Aaron suggests adding about five drops of essential oils, like rose, thyme, or eucalyptus, to the towel to help reduce inflammation.
What Youll Need For A Diy Pedicure
To help you achieve a professional-looking DIY pedicure that lasts from the comfort of your own home, Anita Morello-Zappacosta, a 20-year nail veteran and the executive director for OmegaLabs and Tropical Shine, shares her advice. After you clean up your nails and learn the right way to file them you need to invest in the right supplies, which are: a footbath of warm to hot water your favorite body wash or foot cleanser an exfoliating foot product a foot file, a pumice bar, cuticle oil, a wooden stick to push back your cuticles, your favorite moisturizing cream, a clear base coat, your favorite nail polish, and top coat. If you need to replace the pedicure youve had for months, heres how to remove gel nail polish at home.
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Professional Pedicure: Cut And File Nails
After you’ve washed and dried your feet, it’s time to go for nail trimming. Remember that it is better not to give them rounded shapes because they may become incarnate, but you can enjoy a balanced cut, so that later when it comes to color it looks much more uniform. Of course, in addition to the cut itself, you need to file them. Since this step is essential to be able to eliminate rough parts or edges that are always protruding.
Don’t Shave Before A Pedicure
No matter how embarrassed you are, don’t shave your legs before a pedicure. Bacteria are more likely to get into your body through tiny nicks or cuts on freshly shaved legs. Certain kinds of bacteria live in tap water and can thrive in a dirty footbath. They can cause boils or other hard-to-treat infections, so wait until after your pedi to shave.
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How To Give Yourself A Salon
Do you miss your baby-soft feet? Do you, each morning, wake up to see them flakier and rougher than yesterday? Chipping polish unable to keep up with overgrown toenails? Youre not alone. Monthly pedicure appointments may seem like a thing of the past but your toes dont need to suffer. Lets take quarantine time to bring back happy feet. We spoke to the founder of The White Door India, Sana Dhanani, for her hacks for the ultimate at-home pedicure that you can give yourself.
The Best Nail Polish Remover For A Pedicure
Acetone, not polish remover, is your best friend. You can purchase 100 percent acetone at the drugstore, says Bautista. She likes the Quo acetone remover, available at Shoppers Drug Mart. It gets rid of all the most stubborn colours, quick! For tough-to-remove polish, like sparkles or glitter, you can soak a cotton ball with acetone, and place it on top of the entire nail plate. Wrap it up with a piece of foil for about a minute or two. The acetone will break down the polish, allowing you to simply wipe it off, she continues.
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Bring Footwear Appropriate For The Weather
Its ideal to wait eight to twelve hours after a pedicure before putting on shoes and socks. You cant wait at the salon that long, so it helps to bring some footwear that can help you deal with your walkout to your car and your walk back into your home in freezing cold weather.
After your pedicure, be sure to spend 10 minutes in the blow-dry booth to make sure your toes are completely dry. Dab them with some cuticle oil and gently wrap them in plastic wrap or plastic bags before putting on loose socks and shoes. Be sure you are wearing flats, not heels, because added height places added pressure on your toes.
Now that we have looked at the six dos to prepare for a pedicure, lets take a look at your six donts.
Trim File And Buff Your Nails
To trim your toenails, it’s best to use high-quality clippers made specifically for that purpose, such as Tweezerman Deluxe Toenail Clippers .
If you need to trim them, cut your toenails straight across to just above the skin. Smooth out the raw edge with a nail file, working in one direction until they’re even and have been formed to the shape you like. Tuttle recommends using a dual grit file the fine-grade surface is for smoothing the nail edge, while the coarser surface is for shortening and shaping nails.
And, of course, make sure to factor in your lifestyle when choosing the length and shape of your toenails. “If you are active, short, round toenails are best because longer nails tend to get bumped in your sneakers and lead to bruising, which can lead to losing your toenail,” Tuttle says.
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And When You Get To The Salon
When you get to the salon, dont let your technician use a foot razor to remove dead skin. Pumice stones are safe, but razors can damage the skin and cause infections.
Its also important to avoid callous peelers.
The problem with callous peelers is that they are also surgically sharp. It is easy for an inexperienced technician or even for an experienced technician to have a bad day to slice off too much skin and leave a path for infection. There is no shortage of germs lurking in even the best-maintained nail salons that can infect open skin.
Most states have laws prohibiting the use of callous peelers in nail salons. They are fine at the podiatrists office, but you should not allow them to be used on your feet during a pedicure.
Dont let your technician share emery boards. They cannot be sterilized. Make sure your technician is treating you with a new emery board, or, better yet, bring your own. You should make sure your technician is using fresh nail files, too.
