For some, beautiful decoration for the hand is a ring. Personally, I find it to be best when you have well taken care of fingernails. You just need to make them stand-out and emphasise their natural beauty.
I decided to make a separate post on this subject. All in all, well taken care of and nourished fingernails are important. Perhaps, you’ll find my proven method for beautiful manicure interesting. Are you curious how to take care of nails with no help from manicurist? Read my article and find out:
- How does classic manicure look like?
- How to create classic manicure?
TIMELESS CLASSIC!
Many of you do not know how classic manicure looks like, though — which I think is funny — does it on regular basis. Yes, it’s true my ladies. Classic manicure is simply nourishing nail treatment involving providing proper shape, filing, cutting out cuticles and polishing nail plate.
The interesting thing about classic manicure is that it doesn’t need to be finished with nail polish. Most commonly it ends with nail conditioner, oil or top coat. The aim here is so that nails after this treatment look healthier and well taken care of. Not always what shines and draws attention is pretty. I definitely like classic manicure, no nail polish involved. And even if, then I prefer some delicate nude or soft pink and I do not care for my manicure to stand out.
Benefits of classic manicure:
- Affordable and non time-consuming.
- Looks elegant and feminine.
- You can feel like the Queen of England 🙂
- you take care both of appearance and health of your nails.
CLASSIC MANICURE STEP BY STEP
If you wish to have a classic manicure, it does not require a visit at manicurist. Obviously, this option always involves additional costs. The treatment can be performed at home because classic manicure doesn’t require any special skills. You may not be able to create complicated patterns, but the classic is pure minimalism which you can certainly handle.
How to create classic manicure? You’ll need:
- nail polish remover (acetone free is best);
- paper file and buffing block;
- cuticle softening cosmetic, e.g. oil, butter;
- spatula and nail clippers and a wooden stick to push cuticles;
- nail conditioner and optional nail polish;
- nail oil and hand cream.
Step 1. Remove old nail polish — before you get to cutting and moisturising it is necessary to remove old nail polish. I can personally recommend acetone free nail polish remover because it is way more gentle on the nail plate and does not cause dryness.
Step 2. Cut the cuticles — some do it only after filing the nails, I prefer to cut my nails after cuticles are removed because then I see how nails will look right after filing them. Cutting cuticles shouldn’t be done “dry”, so to begin with you should apply proper softening cosmetic. I usually use nail butter or oil as these perfectly moisturise and ensure softness. Then I push back my cuticles with a wooden stick and cut the excess with cuticle clippers. Important: do not cut cuticles too deep because then it tends to build up.
Step 3. Cut the nails — cleansed nail plate can be now cut to obtain the desired length and shape. It is best to cut nails with small scissors as these have an appropriate shape and you have less to file afterwards.
Step 4. File and polish nail plate — cutting nails is not all as often nails are ragged and uneven. Use a paper file to provide the desired shape — the shape I mostly opt to is oval or almond. Avoid metal files and be cautious about the electric file; easy to cause more harm than good. The manner of filing nails is also important. It is important to do it in one direction to avoid damage. After you provide nails with the appropriate shape, you need to prepare them for the classic manicure, i.e. buff it, so they would be smooth and shiny.
Step 5. Nourish — prepared nails need to be nourished. A proper level of hydration can be ensured by good nail conditioner or natural oil (e.g. argan oil in my case). Classic manicure should finish with rubbing in a large amount of moisturising hand cream because the treatment involves not only the nails but also hands.
Step 6. (Optional) apply nail polish — optional position is to provide nails with chosen colour. Classic manicure has its own rules so it should rather be colourless or in colour of beige, delicate pink or peach.
BONUS:
Recipe for a home-made cuticle softening cosmetic!
Necessary components: glycerine, distilled water, your favourite vegetable oil. Handy can come to use some emulsifier which will allow for water and fat to mix — you can get it at the shop with semi-finished products. However, it is an optional ingredient. Even if you will not include it in the cosmetic, the action will remain same, only that you will have to shake the bottle before every use. Amount of fat (glycerine and oil) and water should be exactly the same, which means that, for example, half a glass of water has to be mixed with half a glass of fat. Add as much emulsifier as it is requested by the manufacturer. It depends on the product but proportions are determined on the packaging. All ingredients mix till you gain unanimous and smooth mass.
Home-made product for cuticle softening should be used before you proceed with the manicure so that it would be easier to remove cuticles, moisturise and soften the skin around nails.
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