Having a manicure is a great way to treat yourself and your nails. There’s the right way to manicure as well as the lazy way. To get your nails looking great, you should ensure you follow the professional manicure steps. There are no shortcuts when it comes to beauty and skincare. You have to follow the necessary steps to achieve the look you are going for.

How to do a professional manicure step by step

The first thing to do is to remove the old nail polish.

Never be tempted not to. The best way to remove your old polish is with a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover. This works best when you hold the stacked cotton pad over the nail for a minute so it absorbs the polish before wiping it off. This also ensure you wipe off your nail polish neatly without it spilling over to the sides of the nail.

Apply Cuticle Cream

Once the old nail polish is off, you should apply cuticle cream. This does wonders for your nails, especially when you lay your hands on the right one.

Shape the Nails

You should shape the nails using a nail file. Only use a scissors if you want to really reduce the length of the nails. Best to share with a nail file from edge to centre at an angle. File the tip downwards by holding the nail file vertically.

Buff and Colour

A good buffing of the nails is your next step, then colour. A base coat, 2 coats of colour and a top coat work great if you have the time. Most times, I just buff and apply a clear polish, and I am good to go. It all depends on the look you are going for. Also, it is best to paint from bottom to top vertically and make sure you are using good quality nail polishes to achieve the desired results.

I am not a fan of the quick nail polish drying method, I like to put my foot up and do nothing for a few minutes after painting my nails. However, if I need to do something with my hands, I wait until my nails are touch dry and then I run a cold water tap over them for a few seconds. This method helps the nails dry a lot quicker.

Do you have any professional manicure tips to share? Please sound off in the comments section, let’s hear all about your tried and tested nail care tip.