I do a manicure every Sunday night, and I'm generally quite picky about the nail polishes I'll use, because they have to last for 7 days with no chipping and minimal tip wear. OPI, China Glaze, Zoya, and Nubar are my main "go to" polish brands, though I do have some Essie, and just ordered some Misa to try.
First, I pick out polish color(s) from my two bins of nail polish that I keep in one of the veggie drawers in the fridge:
Then I pick out my nail art items, and add them to my manicure tray. My nail art "stuff" is all in the top drawer of this dresser in the bathroom (the bottom drawer is for dirty laundry...mostly towels). There's a cutting board on top for slicing clay canes, and two sets of pedicure stones that I haven't used yet, but are supposed to be nice and warm between the toes when heated in warm water.
Next I remove my old polish. Most of my manicure steps are done in this chair, with that tray on my lap - comfy for TV watching!
After the old polish is removed, time for a slathering of lotion, followed by a paraffin dip to the wrists:
Then after my hands are all nice and moisturized, I file my nails, and buff the tops lightly (to remove any excess oils from them). Sometimes I use my crystal file, others I use the electric file/buffer you see on the right:
Then I polish, decorate and top coat, with half-time drops to help it dry.Total time spent on my nails is about 2 - 1/2 hours per week. But it's totally worth it, of course.
What's your manicure routine? Do you have one?
5 comments:
This is a great blog post idea. Do you mind if I post one too?
Thanks Asami - please do post one of your own! I hope more of us nail bloggers will do posts like these (Brooke has done one, I know, and I think Colette has too). Can't wait to read yours! :-)
You keep your polish in the refrigerator? I wish I had a paraffin bath. Does it help with dry cuticles?
Lucy - yes, I find that keeping it cool keeps it from getting thick so quickly. The only thing I don't keep in the fridge is base/top coats, water-based polishes, and Moodies (since I don't know if it would adversly affect the color changing properties). Otherwise, everything else goes in the fridge. :-)
The paraffin bath does help with my cuticles - it really helps the lotion sink into my skin. I love it, but since paraffin isn't exactly eco-friendly, I'm looking at other options, such as soy wax, possibly.
love that I got a "peek" into where you do your nails! I love that!
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