How to Do a Manicure at Home

Co-authored by Mia Rubie

Last Updated: January 3, 2023 References

Nail Care

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Painting Your Nails

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Nail Art

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

ARTICLE

VIDEO

If you crave a good manicure but don't want to spend money at a salon, try giving yourself one at home. Be sure to trim and condition your nails before painting them for the most professional-looking finish. With the right tools and some patience, you can do a beautiful, salon-caliber manicure at home.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Nail Care

1
Gather your supplies. You might have to spend a little money up front to get everything you need for a gorgeous at-home manicure. Investing in tools and products that will last months or years will definitely save you money in the long run. Have everything in one place before you get to work on your nails. Here's what you need:
- Nail polish remover
- Cotton balls
- Cuticle pusher or orange stick
- Nail trimmers
- Nail buffer
- Nail file
- Cuticle oil or hand cream
- Base coat
- Nail color
- Top coat
2
Start with clean nails. If you're wearing old polish, remove it with some nail polish remover and a cotton ball. If you're wearing acrylics or gels you don't want to keep, you'll need to remove those, too. After removing your polish, wash your nails and dry them completely before you begin the manicure process.
- Look for a nail polish remover that doesn't contain acetone, an ingredient that can dry out your nails and make it more difficult to get them in tip-top manicure condition.^{[1]
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- If you're keeping your nails long, be sure to clean them well with soap and warm water.
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3
Trim and file your nails. Use nail clippers to trim your nails to the length you want. Longer nails are pretty but difficult to maintain. If you want shorter nails, don't trim them too quick. The whites of your nails should extend past the tips of your fingers. File your nails by gently dragging the file across the nail to make each nail look evenly shaped.^{[2]
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- When you file your nails, be sure not to drag the file back and forth over your nails. Gently drag it in one direction only. This keeps the fibers in your nails from getting weak.
- Popular nail shapes include square or oval tips. For square tips, level off the tips of your nails so that they're straight across with rounded edges. For oval tips, file your nails into gently tapered oval shapes that are rounded at the tips.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Mia Rubie
  Nail Artist
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
4
Buff your nails. Buffing smooths your nails and provides an even surface for your nail polish. Use the side of your buffer with the coarsest sandpaper first. Gently run it across the surface of your nails to smooth out the ridges.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.} Do the same with the medium grade surface. Finish with the finest grade surface.^{[5]
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- Don't press too hard or buff too much. You don't want to thin out the surface of your nails.
- You can also wait to buff your nails after pushing back your cuticles. This is a good choice if your cuticles extend over a large portion of your nail.
5
Soak and push back your cuticles. Soak your nails in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. Add a few drops of soap or scented oil if you'd like. This will soften your cuticles and make them easier to push back. Use the cuticle pusher to gently push your cuticles back toward your skin.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
- Don't push too hard. Try to keep from tearing your cuticles. You want to keep them intact because they protect your nail beds from getting infected.
- Never use a cuticle trimmer. Manicurists often use these in salons, but they leave your fingers prone to infection. They also often cause bleeding. You can still get a beautiful manicure without trimming your cuticles.
6
Apply oil or cream. This is a good chance to give yourself a light hand massage, for a classic salon experience. Rub the oil or cream into your hands, fingers and nails. Let it soak in for about five minutes. When you're ready, take a cotton ball or cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover and run it over your nails to remove the extra oil or lotion and allow your nail polish to stick.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Painting Your Nails

1
Apply the base coat. Carefully cover each nail with your clear base coat to provide a good surface for your nail color. The base coat will help ensure that your color looks even and doesn't streak. Let your base coat dry for five minutes before continuing.
- Base coat is usually clear, but sometimes it comes in a neutral shade. Either way is fine.
- Some base coats dry with a slightly tacky surface. This helps the nail polish adhere to your nail.
2
Apply your nail color. Roll the bottle between your hands for about 10 seconds to blend the color and remove any air bubbles. Open the bottle and paint your nails using a thin, even coat. Dip the brush into the bottle and swirl it against the rim of the opening to remove excess polish. You want to load one small bead of paint on the brush. Paint a vertical line down the middle of your nail. Paint stripes on either side to fill in your nail completely. Continue until your nails are all painted.^{[7]
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- Shaking the bottle creates air bubbles, so make sure to roll it instead.
- As you paint, hold the brush at a slight angle and press gently to fan out the brush bristles.
- Avoid applying a large drop of paint and spreading it around. This will result in an uneven coat of paint.
- Keep the finger you're painting steady against a table or work surface.
3
Let it dry and paint a second coat. The first coat should dry completely before you move on to the second coat. Paint your second coat in the exact same way. Start with one vertical stripe, then fill in the sides. Continue until your nails are all painted. Let the second coat dry completely before moving on.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
- The second coat will normally take longer to dry than the first one. Be patient at this stage.
- You can help it along by holding your nails near (but not right next to) a fan.
4
Touch up the sides. If you accidentally smeared a little nail polish on your skin, dip a cotton swab in some nail polish remover. Carefully rub it over the paint splotches to remove them. Avoid touching the cotton swab to your freshly painted nail.
- You can buy touch-up pens that help you do this more precisely.
- If you're right-handed and you're trying to use your left hand to touch up your right hand (or vice versa) steady your hand by resting it on a table.
5
Finish with a top coat. This is a clear, smooth coat that will help your manicure stay in place for at least a week. Skipping the top coat will result in a paint job that chips much more quickly. Apply the clear top coat to all of your nails.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.} Let it dry completely. Your manicure is now finished.^{[10]
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- At this point you can add extras like a stick-on or some gems.
- You may want to paint a second top coat over any stick-ons you use.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Nail Art

1
Do a French manicure. This classic style looks pretty for everyday wear or a special occasion. The bases of your nails are painted a neutral color, while the tips are painted white.
2
Paint a marbled manicure. This gorgeous look is not as hard to do as it might seem. Water marbling is a fun technique that incorporates more than one color for a beautiful impressionistic look.
3
Do dip dye nails. A painted color fade never goes out of style. It's a subtle way to have fun with your nails without going overboard with designs. Try fading your nails from white to red, yellow to green, or doing a full rainbow.
4
Try a seasonal look. Celebrate your favorite seasons and holidays with beautiful nail art. You can go with a simple holiday-themed color scheme, or try something more difficult like one of these designs:
- Snowman nails
- Easter bunny nails
- Beach nails for summer
- Spiderweb nails
5
Create nature-inspired designs. Do you adore pandas? Are you a flower child? Show off your personality by painting your nails in a nature-inspired pattern. Here are a few cute, easy designs to try out:
- Panda nails
- Owl nails
- Cheetah print nails
- Flower nails

Expert Q&A
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Question

What kind of nail file should I use?

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Mia Rubie is a Nail Artist and the Owner of Sparkle San Francisco, a nail studio based in San Francisco, California. She has over eight years of nail artist and management experience and is known for her push-the-envelope designs and artistic eye for colors. Her clients include Sephora, Target, and Vogue. Her work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and StyleCaster. She holds a BBA focusing on Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from San Francisco State University. You can find her work on her Instagram account @superflynails.

Mia Rubie

Nail Artist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

You don't want it to be super rough. Basically, you want it to be coarse enough that it can remove material, but not so harsh that it's going to crack or damage anything.
Question

Is the nail buffer mandatory?

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Mia Rubie is a Nail Artist and the Owner of Sparkle San Francisco, a nail studio based in San Francisco, California. She has over eight years of nail artist and management experience and is known for her push-the-envelope designs and artistic eye for colors. Her clients include Sephora, Target, and Vogue. Her work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and StyleCaster. She holds a BBA focusing on Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from San Francisco State University. You can find her work on her Instagram account @superflynails.

Mia Rubie

Nail Artist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Well, nothing is technically mandatory, but yes. It's a good idea to buff your nails. It'll give you a nice, smooth texture.
Question

Can I revive old nail polish?

Lindsay Yoshitomi
Nail Artist
Lindsay Yoshitomi is the nail artist behind the blog, Lacquered Lawyer. She was featured as one of Nail It! magazine’s “Bloggers You Should Know,” and has been on the cover of Nail Art Gallery Magazine. She has been practicing nail art for over 15 years.

Lindsay Yoshitomi

Nail Artist

Expert Answer

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Yes! Add some nail polish thinner to old nail polish that's too thick. Make sure you use nail polish thinner and not acetone or nail polish remover since they won't do the same thing.

Warnings

Don't bite your nails.

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Don't store your nail polish in direct sunlight.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Lindsay Yoshitomi
Nail Artist
Expert Interview. 12 July 2019.}

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