Do-it-yourself manicure

By Nikki Goldstein

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Our step by step guide will give you a glam manicure - the perfect '10'.

What you will need

Non-acetone nail polish remover;
Emery board;
Cuticle remover;
Small bowl water with mild liquid soap;
Cuticle cream;
Cuticle tool or an Orange stick (wrapped end in cotton wool);
Thick hand cream;
Base coat nail polish;
Cotton bud;
Colour nail polish;
Top coat nail polish

Hints and Tips

To get the right amount of polish on the brush, dip it into the bottle and drag it up along the side of the bottles opening.

How to...

Shape

Start by removing any old polish with a mild or non-acetone remover. If your nails are longer than a few millimetres over the top of your fingertips, you may need to clip them straight across the top of the nail, then file them into shape. With the fine side of an emery board, file under the nails into a softly rounded square shape. To achieve a modern look, leave a couple of millimetres of nail above the fingertips. Nail strength comes from the sides, so avoid filing those too much.

Soak

Dab a cuticle remover over the entire nail bed, then wipe or rinse off. Your cuticle is the soft skin that forms at the bottom of your fingernail where your nail cartilage and skin meet. Pushing it back promotes nail growth and health). Soak hands for approximately five minutes in a small bowl filled with warm water and a few drops of a mild liquid soap. This part of the treatment is designed to be relaxing, so make sure you set up your �home salon� so your hands can comfortably rest in the bowl. The warm water will soften the cuticles and make them easier to push back.

Treat the cuticles

Apply a cuticle cream. Once you�ve worked the cream or oil in well, gently push back the cuticles with either a cuticle tool or a good old-fashioned orange stick with its tip wrapped in a little cotton wool.

Moisturise

Using a rich and luxurious hand cream, massage your hands and wrists. To ensure the polish will stick to your nails, dab some nail-polish remover on to a cotton pad and wipe any excess cream away from your nails. Now you can choose your colour!

Polish

The trickiest part of a manicure is getting the polish right. Start by applying a base coat which helps prevent splitting and helps the polish adhere to your nails. Wait for the base coat to dry properly, then apply two coats of polish. Vanessa suggests painting a single stripe down the centre of the nail, then drawing two �C� shapes on either side of the stripe to complete the polish. Keep a cotton bud with nail-polish remover on it nearby, so you can remove smudges. Allow the two coats of colour to dry, then paint on a top coat to finish.