Be a Manicure Master

Be a Manicure Master

Ever notice how a manicure makes just about any

woman look more polished? Unless your weekly routine also includes lunch at the country club, you probably have neither the time nor the cash to spare on weekly nail appointments. And while you may have an old emery boar

d and some slightly goopy polish collecting dust in your medicine cabinet, these are not the makings of a killer set of talons.

Robin Lee Kennedy is the founder of Verrijk Estheti

cs Supplies, Inc., the exclusive Canadian source of the Euro brand with a cult following, Trind Hand & Nail Care. She shares step-by-step instructions and industry secrets for the perfect manicure with Slice.

Nail necessities

Kennedy’s nail care must-haves:

• Orangewood manicure sticks
• A nail buffer with three surfaces: one removes dead horn cells and smoothes out ridges, the second increases circulation and stimulates production of natural nail moisture, and the third shines the nails for a non-polish mani
• A nail file with a course and a fine side
• A high-quality glass file for creating fine edges and eliminating tiny vertical nicks
• Nail clippers for removing hangnails
• A gentle cuticle remover
• An oil-free cuticle moisturizer
• An oil-free nail moisturizer to penetrate nails
• A nail strengthener or a base coat
• A topcoat
• A mild non-acetone polish remover (a good one will cost $8–$15)
• Non-greasy hand cream
• Some great polish

While that might seem like a lengthy list, once you have the supplies, your nails are set for years. And now that your nail care cabinet is stocked, here’s how to get a professional polish at home.

1. Shape, file, and buff nails.
2. Apply an extra-mild cuticle remover at the base of the nails and gently push back cuticles with an orangewood stick.
3. Clean beneath the nails but don’t dig too deep. You risk puncturing the protective waterproof barrier.
4. Rinse hands under lukewarm water but don’t soak! The new trend is the waterless manicure because too much soaking can weaken nails.
5. Carefully clip any hangnails.
6. Apply a cuticle and nail moisturizer and either massage or allow to penetrate for five minutes.
7. Apply a base coat or nail strengthener.
8. Apply two thin coats of polish, avoiding the cuticle area, and allow nails to dry in between.
9. Apply a topcoat and allow five minutes to dry.
10. After nails are completely dry, massage hands with a good, non-greasy hand cream, and add a touch of cuticle moisturizer for that “I’ve never done hard labour” look.

Insider information

Keep your lady-who-lunches mani in tip-top shape with these industry secrets.

Nail glue doesn’t actually repair nails. “Some people use nail glue to mend broken nails, not realizing that glue actually dissolves the nail,” says Kennedy. Instead she recommends filing the broken nail and just cutting the rest so the offending talon doesn’t stand out. Plus she points out, “the short, natural look is gaining popularity, especially in Europe.”

Soften polish smudges with your fingertip, not nail polish remover on a Q-Tip. Follow with another coat of polish and topcoat.

You’ve heard it before, but it’s serious stuff—never cut your cuticles. “In fact, what is often cut is not even the cuticle,” says Kennedy. “The true cuticle is a thin colourless membrane shed by the skin at the base of the nail.” And it is easily pushed back with an orangewood stick.

Finally, keep your polish bottles fresh. “To extend the life of your nail strengtheners and polish, clean the top of the bottles with polish remover,” says Kennedy. “The extra product that collects around the rim causes thickening.”