The Basics - The Fool-Proof Manicure

Many girls love to take an indulgent break from their busy schedules and sneak away for a quick manicure, but what's a girl to do when there's no salon open during her free time? While some love all the extras that come along with manicures (luxurious, hydrating massages, masks and wraps), a quickie mani at home can leave your nails looking just as fabulous in a major time crunch.

The Perfect Manicure

I skipped right to the basics and compiled a fool-proof step-by-step guide to getting fabulous nails in a flash.

Step One: Stripping it ALL off

Soak a piece of a cotton ball (never drench the whole ball, its unnecessary and wasteful) in your favorite acetone-free nail polish remover and wipe off all traces of your old polish. I love this nourishing Cutex ($2.99) remover for its nourishing qualities and pleasant smell. If cotton balls are too messy for your liking, these lovely individually packaged Deborah Lippman  remover wipes ($12) are the best to get the job done. Best of all, one sheet gets rid of all the polish on all ten nails.

Step Two: Buff and Shape Your Nails

The perk of doing your nails at home is getting the perfect shape you desire at that very moment. You may want to round off your nails if you're wearing an elegant neutral shade or square your tips to give a little edge to a daring shade. These Tweezerman printed filemates are such beauties; they smoothly shape your nails and feel comfortable in the hand. I always look forward to fun Tweezerman collections  -- how irresistibly cute are their designs. 

True course buffers can be quite intimidating for newbies. I suggest trying a "safe" buffer that features multiple textured sides which help you achieve salon quality nails in a few minutes. The curved design of this exceptional Tweezerman nail tool ($3)  is a must for ever nail girl and becomes a secret weapon in achieving the perfect manicure.

 Step Three: Polish your nails (THE.BEST.PART!)

Between the glitters featured in The Glitz Gift Set ($39) to the irresistible metallic mixtures in The Ritz ($39) trio, NCLA has all your polish concerns covered this season. The winter allows you to break out of your neutral polish rut and shine in these textures in stunning, cool hues. My absolute favorite is smokey gray with multi-colored flecks of silver sparkles and the beautiful large flake rose gold glitter (what a beaut!).

Step Four: Finishing Touches 

After your nails are perfectly polished, dress them in a final coat of extra shiny top coat. Jin Soon Top Gloss ($18) top coat is the ideal choice! A coat of this quick drying, ultra glossy polish leaves every manicure looking professionally done and sparkling. For the final touch, drench your cuticles with a good essential-rich oil. Julep's Cuticle oil ($18) is my go-to product; the size is small enough to throw in a cosmetic bag, smells lovely and leaves cuticles extraordinary hydrated. If you're on the go, the Essie Cuticle Pen ($14) is a must. This nourishing shea butter concoction soothes and heals battered, dry cuticles and also works as a great hand moisturizer. You'll thank yourself for this step as cuticles tend to dry out more than usual in the harsh, windy, cold winter months. 

Now that you have the blueprint to a perfect at home manicure, there is not excuse to sport  less than fab nails in 2013! Get polishing!


On another note: 
Happy 2013 my dear readers! 
Thank you for stopping by! I am so excited to have you lovelies along for the beauty ride! 
Looking forward to the exciting posts ahead!

Stay tuned x