Top 15 Nail Tips & Tricks

I recently decided to take some of my favorite nail tips and tricks and turn them into a blog post for you guys! These pointers are all things that I 100% do and the products that I mentioned are ones that I truly love and am giving my honest opinions on! I hope you enjoy the post and that these tips and tricks are helpful!

1. Apply cuticle oil whenever you get the chance (I keep mine out and readily available so that I can apply it whenever I get the chance). My favorite cuticle oil is the Apricot Cuticle Oil by essie. It smells amazing and nourishes my nails with natural oils.
2. In addition to cuticle oil I apply the Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream about once or twice a week. This adds even more nourishment to your nails and cuticle area and smells wonderful as well. I recently have also been using Smith’s Rosebud Salve, which is another great cuticle cream.
3. Make sure not to use your nails when doing tasks that could break or damage them. This includes opening cans, peeling stickers, etc. I try to get around this anyway I can like opening a can with a spoon if need be!
4. Always always ALWAYS use a base coat. This is a huge step in getting the perfect manicure and it helps to prevent yellowing of the nails and makes for a longer lasting manicure. I use the Seche Clear Crystal Clear Base Coat.
5. It is super important to let your manicure dry completely before trying to get up and move around/complete any tasks. I know this is hard to do when there is so much to get done in the day but it really is necessary in order to prevent any dings, dents, and chips.
6. I love to use 100% acetone nail polish remover especially the CVS 100% Acetone Pro Strength (Beauty 360 brand). It makes it really easy to take off staining colors, glitter, and gel polish. If you do choose to use 100% acetone remover it is really important that you rejuvenate your nails with cuticle oil or cream since they will become more dried out than if using normal nail polish remover.
7. I use an e.l.f Concealer Brush that I got for a $1.00 at Target to clean up the excess polish around the edges of my nails. This is amazing and is less expensive than pointed Q-Tips, which I used to use and had to buy constantly.
8. Some say that when filing your nails it is important to only file in one direction, I file both ways and don’t see any difference! I just think it is important to make sure your file isn’t dull or old so that you can get the cleanest edge possible.
9. When painting a lighter polish color I sometimes apply a white base coat underneath (normally ‘Blanc’ by essie) so that the light color pops more and is not streaky.
10. I also try to wait longer for my nails to dry in between coats when painting a lighter polish color so that it lessens my chances of getting bald spots or streaks.
11. I used to not use nail brush cleaner and would clean my nail art brushes with nail polish remover but sometimes this would dry out my brushes and ruin them. In order to prevent this from happening I would recommend getting the Beauty Secrets Nail Brush Cleaner from Sally’s Beauty.
12. About once a month I take the time to go through my polish collection and shake/roll all of my polishes (yes this can be time consuming but it is worth it). This helps to prevent the polishes from getting goopy and drying up and also helps to make sure they have a longer shelf life.
13. Always make sure to wrap the tips of your nails with your base coat, polish, and top coat. This will help to prevent any peeling and chipping and can make your mani last longer.
14. I prefer to apply multiple thin coats of polish instead of one or two thick coats. Thinner coats help to even out the polish and create less bubbles and overall I think that the manicure looks better.
15. Last but not least the Many Many Mani Intensive Hand Lotion by essie is perfect for moisturizing your hand and nail area and has a nice clean and fresh smell. I try to apply this before going to bed especially in the Winter so that my hands don’t dry up.

I hope you enjoyed my top 15 tips and tricks for your nails! Make sure to comment on here or on my Instagram if you have any nail related questions or if you want to share any of your own tips and tricks!