Sunday DIY: At Home Manicure...

There's nothing quite like having freshly manicured nails but for those of us who have neither the time nor money to get them done professionally all the time, perfecting the at home manicure is a must!

You will need:

Nail clippers

Nail file

Cuticle trimmer

Cuticle stick

Base coat

Nail polish

Top coat

Cuticle oil

Hand cream

and a bowl of warm soapy water

All of these are easily available about boots and worth investing in to keep your nails in tip top condition.

1.  Start by using the nail clippers to trim your nails to a uniform length, I usually take them reasonably short as my nails are prone to breakage.  Now using your nail file, file them to your desired shape (square, round, oval, squoval (great word!) - oval tends to suit everyone).

2.  Place your hands in the soapy water for 5 minutes to allow your cuticles to soften.  Using the cuticle stick, push cuticles back and trim using your cuticle trimmer.  Try and be gentle whilst doing this as cuts can be painful and infections can occur, (you have been warned ladies!)

3.  Next apply your base coat.  I've used Nails Inc Kensington Caviar basecoat.  Even if you decide to skip your topcoat NEVER skim your basecoat as it protects your nail from becoming stained but also gives your polish something to cling on to, making your manicure last longer, so it's win win really!  Allow to dry then apply your colour of choice.  Allow to dry again and add your topcoat, I've used the Nails Inc Kensington Caviar topcoat which gives a lovely gloss to my nails.

4.  Finish off my popping a little cuticle oil onto the nails, I've used the O.P.I. Avioplex oil which has a lovely melony smell and has really sorted out my dry nails!  I finally used a little of the Cath Kidston hand cream to leave my hands soft and pampered!

All of these products are easily available at Boots, so stock up and spoil yourselves in the sun this Sunday afternoon!