Paint Your Nails Like a Pro

IMG_8805 resized — Be For Beauty tells how you perfect a manicure

Be it high-shine, chic matte or glossy, colouring your tips (and toes) can double your style quotient. Follow our 5-step routine to become a colour-pro at HOME.

Start with a clean slate: If you already have polish on, it’s wise to remove it the night before so that your nails get sometime to breathe. No matter what the formula, a nail polish remover can leave your nails dry. Use Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, to moisturise your nails and keep your cuticles healthy too.
Image: Richa Singh for Be For Beauty

Clip and file: Come morning and it’s time to paint like an artist. The ideal time to trim your nails is right after you bathe since they are really soft that time. You can even soak in the hot water and a pinch of salt if you’re doing it at another time of the day. After filing your nails, don’t cut your cuticles if they are protruding—just push them back. Cuticles help protect your tips against fungal infections.
Image: Be For Beauty

Prep yourself: Before you begin, check for leftover nail polish. If you see some on the sides of your tips, the safest bet is to use a cotton bud soaked in acetone. Next, coat the skin around your nails with petroleum jelly so that if you end up painting outside the lines, you can get rid of it by simply rinsing your hands.

One coat at a time: If you’re using a really dark shade then use a base coat before you apply. Get OPI Natural Nail Base Coat, or Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Nail Hardener, Rs 675, which doubles up as a base coat and is a great fix for brittle nails. Instead of applying one thick, lumpy coat, apply a single coat on each tip; apply a second coat when your nails are considerably dry—this way you’ll avoid smudges and dents altogether.
Use 1 coat of base coat. Just 1.

Must have essentials: Want your favourite shade of tangerine to pop a bit more? Use a top coat like Inglot O2M Breathable Nail Polish Top Coat, Rs 675. If you like a gel finish (which is doing the rounds right now), try Colorbar Insanely Matte Top Coat, Rs 400, or Colorbar Disco Gold, Rs 350, a must-have to get some glitter for the festive season. Of course, going professional also means trying out your hand at nail art: make it easier by investing in Bourjois Dotting Tool, Rs 800: this double ended tool will help you doodle all you like.

Here is a helpful pin to keep you in check!