Nails

Pretty nails

Pretty nails say a lot about a person. You take the time to care about yourself. Taking care of your nails is important. Cleaning under your nails should happen daily, especially before and after you cook or when you have been playing outside. You DON'T want to know what can be under there. Wait, maybe you do... Dirt (that we can see), germs from cleaning up after using the bath room, raw meat (after cooking) and if you forgot to use a Kleenex well that can be under there too. No one wants any of that to go anywhere near your mouth. So wash your hands often and remember under your nails!

I have wood tables at my house, so before you start working on your nails cover your work space with plastic. I use a new trash can liner, you know... a garbage bag.

I cover the plastic with an OLD, not a nice or new one, towel. Ask first to know which one you can use. This feels better than the plastic and helps with any spills.

Here are the supplies I used: nail clippers, emery board, orange stick, nail brush, cuticle remover, clear top and bottom coat polish, nail oil and blue nail polish. I wanted it to show clearly.

Chipped nails aren't pretty.

Remove old polish.

That looks better already.

 Now wash your hands, use a nail brush to get under your nails.

After you've washed them you think they are all clean, right? Take an orange stick (I'm not sure why they are called this as the color isn't orange... maybe it is made from the wood of an orange tree.. I don't know. Do You?) and clean under your nails, see what got left behind.

Icky!

Clean under all of your nails, then clean the orange stick, it gets used more.

Apply cuticle remover to base of nail, (where they grow from at the bottom).

 PLEASE follow the direction on the product.

Using the orange stick gently push back cuticles, be careful this can hurt if you push to hard or to far.

Wash again using nail brush, with soap, to wash off all of the cuticle remover. Never leave cuticle remover on nails. It must be washed off.

After washing off the cuticle remover I apply a nail oil to moisturize my nails and cuticles.

 This brand is all nature oils.

Rub oil into cuticles and nails.

Using an emery board, or file, takes practice. Discovering the shape you like and how long you want your nail takes time. Experts recommend a blunt flat topped nail.

 I like mine with just a little curve to them. Length depends on you and how well you take care of your nails.

After you file and shape your nails it is time to wash them again, removing all the file dust from your nails and cleaning under them to make sure you didn't miss something. Wash them really well so you get a nice polish to them.

Dry your hands and nails well. Start with a clear base coat. Begin a 1/3 of the way down your nail.

Gently push the brush to the base of the nail without touching skin, now pull the brush to the tip of the nail. Repeat until all of the nail is covered. Let dry, this will take time.

The color coat is the same. Start 1/3 way down your nail, push to base without touching skin pull to tip of nail. Repeat until covered. Let dry.

Okay... getting it right takes practice, boo boos will happen. Remember that orange stick. Well once your nails are dry we are going to use it again.

Using a small piece of cotton from a cotton ball wrap it around the tip of the clean orange stick. Dip the cotton covered end into polish remover.

Carefully use the orange stick to remove boo boo.

Finish with a top coat of clear polish. This project takes time. don't rush it or you will not like the results.

Very pretty nails!

After your pretty nails are all dry, please clean up your mess so you can do this again.