Give Yourself a Stunning Manicure by Bob Pardue
Your nails can complement almost any outfit in your wardrobe. The color, shine and shape of your nails speak volumes for who you are and how you feel about yourself. Now you can have beautiful nails without spending a fortune. Learn below how to give yourself a stunning manicure.
Why are Nails so Important?
Your nails will often give away your personality. Are you friendly and inviting? Are you daring? Are you reserved or do you shy away from people? Are you confident? Are you conservative? Your nails tell more than you think.
Your nails may seem unimportant, but they are actually crucial to your social life. When you meet a new person, greet a family member, or entertain a business associate, your nails show as you shake their hand or offer them a hug. On the job, you might show off your nails many times throughout the day as you hand people a phone receiver, finger through paperwork, or type on a keyboard. So, keeping them polished and neat is important.
The Self-Manicure
Giving yourself a manicure is easier than you think. Choose your nail colors wisely. Not all colors are meant for you. Try out several to find the one that fits your hand shape, nail shape, skin tone, and the colors you wear most often. Store your nail polish in the refrigerator if possible. Nail polish tends to thicken and become difficult to apply when it is exposed to heat.
!!!Important: Place the nail polish in a sealed plastic container before storing in the refrigerator to prevent contamination of foods or open drinks.
When you’re ready to apply your nail polish, don’t shake the bottle. Rub it between your palms to warm it up. Shaking the bottle can cause bubbles to form in the polish.
Steps to a Gorgeous Manicure
To get started with your self-manicure, shape your nails with a fine emery board. Work the emery board in only one direction, filing from the sides of the nail to the center. Next, soak your finger tips in warm soapy water to soften the cuticles. Dry the fingers and then push the cuticles down with an orange stick.
Buff your nails with a fingernail buffer from the tip of the nail to the cuticle. Rub hand cream onto your nails and hands, but remove the cream from your nails before applying the nail polish. The hand cream helps to condition your nails.
The final step is to polish your nails. Before you rush to apply your main coating of polish, be sure to apply a base coat of clear polish – at least two to three coats. Also, apply a clear coat atop your main nail polish every four days to prevent chipping.
A Manicure for Models – Modeling Photo Session Tips
Before a model photo shoot, get your nails ready for success! Ironically, your nails should NOT be the focus of the photos unless there’s a specific reason for doing so. Therefore, you should polish your nails with clear polish or a very light pink or beige polish to assure that the nails will not “take over” your photographs. French manicures work great for model portfolios. Speak with your model photographer if you’re not sure about the type of nail polish you should wear.
Giving yourself a manicure will not only save you money, but will also give you an opportunity to do something fun and artistic. You’ll be very proud of your nails knowing that you did them yourself!
Bob Pardue is a professional model and fashion photographer.