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by Karen Peery Karen Peery has 20 years experience in the newspaper and retail industries. For the past 8 1/2 years she has been an AVON Independent Sales Representative, certified beauty advisor, and top recruiter in her district since 1999. She is a mother and grandmother and enjoys helping people discover their beauty and second income needs. Karen currently resides in Iowa. |
When you let your fingers do the walking through the telephone book or driving down the highway one of the first things you notice is how nice your nails look or I better give myself a manicure tonight. When thinking about giving yourself a professional-like manicure and having everything you need to take care of your hands is like, right at your fingertips. Your nail polish can accentuate your hands and add that finishing touch to complete your beauty look. You will give your nails the care they need if you think of them as a jewel or decorative accents to your hands. When giving yourself that special manicure, use a nail polish color to accent your color scheme as well as make your nails look beautiful. Here are the tools you will need for your manicure:
This is the procedure to follow for a professional-type manicure. Remove the old nail polish. It will be easier to remove the nail polish if you will allow it to soften for a few moments under a cotton pad that has been generously dampened with polish remover. Press over the old polish with a cotton pad as it is the most absorbent fiber money can buy. But if you need to get into nooks and crannies you can remove the stubborn polish by using a Q-tip or an orangewood stick. Or if you have any stubborn nail polish that is adhering to the nails, use a clean cotton ball or pad and repeat. Now you are ready to file the nails. A long emery board, seven inches long, will do a better job than a short one and is easier on the nails than a metal file. You should file in one direction only, parallel to your nail bed and don’t curve into the corner of the nail. If you file back and forth it may cause your nail to crack or split. You should file your nails in a shape that mirrors the shape of your nail bed. Avoid filing down too far, it will spoil the appearance and weaken the nail, and avoid filing to a sharp point. Your fingernails should not be more than one-quarter inch beyond the ends of the fingers and all the nails should be approximately the same length. Apply cuticle oil or conditioner along your cuticles for a minute or two. This is a good time to push your cuticles back and gently massage each nail with the thumb of the opposite hand. Remove the cuticle oil from the nails. You should brush toward the tips of the nails with the soapy water and a hand brush. Soak your nails for about a minute in a shallow bowl with warm soapy water. Clean your nails thoroughly with a nail brush or soft toothbrush to remove as much cuticle as possible. As you dry your hands with a towel gently push your cuticles back with an orangewood stick. Loosen and remove dead cuticle with the flat end of the orangewood stick. Trim your hang nails but do not make a habit of cutting your cuticle as they protect the nail bed and act as a barrier against intruding bacteria. Massage your hands and arms with hand lotion and then wipe your nails with a clean cloth to get rid of residual oils on the nail and get ready to polish. If there is still lotion or oil on your nails it can cause your polish to bubble. Go back over your nails with the polish remover. When you are selecting the shade of nail polish, you should use the inside of your wrist as a guideline for the skin tone. If your skin has a bluish color, you should look for shades with cool bases and if you skin tone is yellow or olive-tone you should look for the warm-based polish colors. When choosing a nail color remember that dark colors make the nails look smaller; medium polish larger; and a light polish, delicate. Before applying your polish you should turn the bottle upside down but do not shake it and then roll it between the palms of your hands. It may take a little practice at first when applying your polish with your weaker hand, but with practice it will become easy. Now you are ready to apply a base coat, one to three coats of nail polish and a top coat. If you apply a second coat of polish it will deepen the color and won’t chip as fast as only having one coat especially if you put a dab over the tip of the nail and onto the underside. It is best to wash your hands under warm water and wash with a lanolin-free soap to remove any residues of nail treatment, which could weaken your nail polish. Your first step is to apply your base coat and let it dry. Applying a base coat will help the polish to adhere. Then apply nail enamel with three quick stokes from the base to the tip (one stroke down the middle and one on each side). You may apply one to three coats of your chosen color. Just be sure and let each coat dry for a few minutes in between to prevent creasing. If you have any smudges or imperfections, you can use an old, clean lip brush dipped in nail polish remover. And your last step is to apply a protector or top coat. For a little extra protection you may want to brush a little top coat under your nails. If you are in a hurry you may want to apply a fast-drying top coat. The fast-drying top coat has a drawback as it will make the top layer of polish feel dry to the touch but does not always speed up the drying of the polish underneath. Nails also need protection from the sun, so you may want to use a top coat enriched with UV filters. This will also protect the nail polish from discoloration. To keep your hands soft apply a hand cream and for that extra protection use one with a sunscreen. Here are a few tips for corrective colors for the hands:
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 Click logo above and use passcode: redsavon Karen Peery, Independent Sales Representative |
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