Manicure Me

Here is Miss Frankie's step by step guide to achieving a flawless manicure at home.

Step one 

Trim and file your nails. The simplest and most flattering shape is square with a rounded edge. If you try to file to oval or round it can end up looking a little wonky. If you’re using a good natural nail file don’t be afraid to file back and forth. Gently file flat across the top of each nail and then move the file to the edge and angle to just soften the edge (see diagram).

Step two 

Gently buff nails using fine nail buffer. This helps clean the nail plate and gives you a smooth surface for your polish to sit on.

Step three 

Gently massage Miss Frankie Nourish Me cuticle oil into each nail bed and around the cuticles, then shine side of your buffer and buff the oil into each nail.

Step four 

Prep the nail. Wipe back nails using nail polish remover so surface of nail is clean. There should be no oil left on the surface.  To be sure of no grit or dust it is a good idea to give your hands a quick wash and dry thoroughly.

Step five 

This is a super-important step and one you can’t miss. Apply a thin layer of Miss Frankie’s Bond With Me base coat to each nail. It’s important not to be heavy-handed – too thick and your polish won’t sit evenly over the top.

Step six 

Let’s do this. It should come as no surprise that actually applying the nail polish is the tricky part. I always find it best to start with my non-preferred hand and get the hard one done first. To avoid getting polish all over your cuticles (and your sofa) use this three-stroke technique.

When you lift the brush from the bottle, wipe it off a little on each side. Starting with your pinky finger, apply the polish to the middle of the nail bed. Use a little pressure so the brush fans out and push up as close to the cuticle as you can without touching it. Stroke all the way to the tip of the nail.  Don’t stress if it is a bit streaky – leave it and even it up on second coat. Dip the brush back into bottle, wipe, then apply to the middle of the nail again, but this time move the brush along one side of the nail so you get a nice line along the edge. Repeat and apply to other side.

Move along the hand, then swap to your preferred side.

Now, I didn’t say it was going to be as quick as the express mani at your favourite salon. Go slow so your coat is not too thick and you have a good even line.

Step seven 

One coat isn’t going to cut it. Starting at the beginning, use the same technique to apply a second coat to each nail. Try and cover the same lines as the first coat. If you need to tidy up, dip your cuticle stick in nail polish remover and carefully clean any mistakes.

Step eight 

Let’s seal the deal and apply Miss Frankie Make Me Shine top coat. Don’t be heavy handed – you just need a nice even layer to coat and seal the entire nail. 

Step 9 

So that might have taken a bit longer than you thought but well worth the effort.  Feel free to sit back and admire your handy work. But you still need to be careful for the next hour or so until they are fully set.

love. nails. naturally.

Kara xx