Perfecting the At-Home Manicure with Côte

Côte Classic Set

With all of us limited to our homes during this uncertain and tricky time, simple beauty treatments, like manicures, can give us a sense of normalcy and relief from the added stress. Manicures are an ideal at-home beauty task as it requires a few tools and polishes you may already have in your beauty arsenals.

For some, an at-home manicure may seem like an intimidating effort better left to the professionals. Luckily, Mary Lennon and Leah Yari, the founders of clean polish brand côte, have shared their top tips on achieving the perfect nails right from your own home. Mary and Leah's expert, no-fuss tricks  will soon have any nail novice polishing their tips like a true professional.

Côte founders Mary Lennon and Leah Yari 

Grab your favorite bottle of polish and read on to get your nails in tip-top shape:

Prime Space
1. To create your own at home spa oasis, Mary and Leah encourage finding a tidy, airy space where you can neatly set your nail tools and items. This is not a time to rush but rather a moment to enjoy a bit of personal pampering. It's all about recreating a clean and spa-like setting in your unique space.

Clean Nails
2. For a proper professional polish application, clean nails are must. Use a cotton ball or round and remove any bits of old polish or dirt. They recommend a non-acetone remover as it is less harsh on natural nail. To ensure a completely clean nail plate, "follow up with a quick wipe of rubbing alcohol," says Mary and Leah.

Prime Before Color
3. Before we jump to color, priming the nails with a base polish is essential. The founders emphasize the benefits explaining "the base coat is important if you want your color to last". Before color polish, a single, thin layer of basecoat is all you need on each nail.

No. 77 | No. 62 | No. 16 | No. 26

Color!
4. Once the basecoat has dried, it's time for color. While some polishes feature brushes that are more accommodating to the nature shape of nails, Mary and Leah's expert technique helps achieve a professional application every time. They recommend beginning with a single swipe down the middle of the nail, continuing with a follow up swipe along the sides of the nail, coating the surface fully.

Waiting Game 
5. As highlighted at the start, now is not the time to rush. Waiting a solid 5 minutes before applying the second coat of color polish will help not only ensure a complete drying of the initial coat but "avoids pressure dings later," says Mary and Leah.

Non-Dominate Hands
6. With one hand down, we've all run into troubles when polishing with the non-dominate hand. Its all about polishing smart. "Make sure you anchor your hand against something like the table," says Mary and Leah. Securing your hand against something sturdy not only helps a shaky application but helps give you greater command of the brush.

Finishing Touch
7. After waiting for final coat to dry, seal the color with a top coat. While many opt for a glossy, try a fun alternative. "Consider a matte finish just to mix it up," says Mary and Leah.

Côte Starter Set

Images courtesy of côte