How to Do Your Nails Like a Pro
Did you know you can make nail polish dry faster with cooking spray, or give yourself a perfect French manicure at home with a Band-Aid? Read on for these and more incredible DIY manicure (and pedicure!) tips.
Bruce and Jeanne Lubin
Neat Nail Polish Remover
Use an old pill bottle as a quick nail polish remover! Place several cotton balls or an old make-up sponge inside and add a bit of nail polish remover. Then when you have to remove old polish, just dip your finger inside the pill container and twist.
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How to Brighten Stained Nails
If dark nail polish has stained your fingernails, here’s a quick fix: Plop a denture-cleaning tablet into a glass of water and soak your nails for a couple of minutes. The stain will come right off.
Roll, Don’t Shake, Your Nail Polish
Did you know that shaking a bottle of nail polish isn’t the best way to properly mix it before applying? Shaking can cause air bubbles, which can be a pesky problem when you’re trying to paint your nails. Instead, roll the bottle between your palms, which will mix the polish without creating air bubbles.
DIY French Manicure Trick
If you’ve ever wanted to do your own French manicure at home, but had no clue how to get those perfect crescent shapes at the top of your nails, we’ve got an incredible tip for you! All you need is a Band-Aid wide enough to cover your nail. Stick the end of the Band-Aid on your nail, exposing just the amount you want to paint. Then apply the polish, and move the Band-Aid onto the next nail. (You may want to heat the Band-Aid with a hair dryer to make sure it peels off cleanly.) Now the only thing left to do is wait for your nails to dry—and show off your new French manicure!
How to Keep a Straight Edge Along Your Nail Line
Painting your nails at home? For a salon-fresh look, before you begin, first apply petroleum jelly (or Chapstick) to your cuticles and to the skin around your nails. When the polish is dry, wipe away the jelly along with any stray polish on your skin. Or, if you don’t have petroleum jelly, dip a bobby pin into nail polish remover and dab along the edge of your cuticle when you’re done painting for a cleaner line.
Quick Fix for Smudged Nail Polish
You just got a perfect pedicure at the salon, and suddenly you bump your toe against the leg of a chair, smudging the polish. Before you get too upset, quickly lick one of your fingers and run it over the smudged nail, applying a bit of pressure if needed. Surprisingly, there’s a chemical in saliva that reacts with nail polish and can smooth over these little mishaps.
How to Make Nail Polish Dry Fast
If you have just enough time to touch up your nails before you leave, but not long enough to dry them, try this lifehack. Make your nail polish dry more quickly by spraying your final coat with cooking spray. The oil will help them dry faster, and it will moisturize your cuticles too! Who knew?
What To Do if You Spill Nail Polish
Spill nail polish on wood furniture or floors? Do not reach for the polish remover, which can leave even uglier stains on wood. Instead, grab a bottle of hair spray (yes, hair spray) and apply generously over your polish stain, leave for 20 seconds, and wipe away. Repeat as many times as it takes to abolish the polish! Hair spray works wonderfully on clothes and carpets too, although you should always test a patch before you treat the material.
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The suggestions offered here are for informational purposes only. The Authors and Publisher do not accept liability for damages arising from the use, attempted use, misuse or application of any of the suggestions included on this website.