PAINT W ITH POLISH
Looking for that perfect shade—one
with true, vivid color? We’ve done the
foot (and hand-y) work foryou.
Lady Luck, $5.
PALE PINK
Essie Cosmetics in
Hi Maintenance, $8.
Cantaloupe, $5.
Continuous Color in Rouge Vamp, $3.
Fuchsia Fever, $4.
IELON
Maybelline Express Finish 60
Second Nail Color in Tickled Peach, $4.
GOLD
Chanel Nail Color in
Antilope, $19.
IVORY
OPI Nail Lacquer in
Timeless, $8.
136
JUNE 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
At Home
THE DO-IT-YOURSELF
MANICURE
1. CLEA N TH E N A IL
and remove
old polish with a nonacetone
polish remover.
2. f il e
with an emery board or
nail file, rounding the edges
slightly. Always file in a single
direction; if nails are thin or
peel easily, angle the file so that
it lies slightly under the nail.
TR Y
Revlon ExpertShapers,$3.
3
.
SO A K
in warm water and
liquid soap, then massage oil
into cuticles (the thin tissue-
like skin that adheres to the
bottom of the nail plate). Give
it a few minutes to soak in.
t r y
Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail
and Cuticle Oil,$6.
4 . U SE A C U T IC LE PU SH ER
to remove cuticle overgrowth
from the nail bed and trim
hangnails along the sides of
the nail with a clipper. Never
cut the cuticle. “Treating the
cuticle is paramount and leaves
nails looking like they were
professionally done,” says
Dana Caruso, a manicurist
for Sally Hansen.
t r y
Mehaz’s metal C uti cl e Combo
Pusher,$26; and La Crosse Cuticle
Nipper, $16.
5 .
WIPE THE NAIL SURFACE
again with nail polish remover
to remove oils, then apply a
clear base coat. Don’t overlook
the base coat; it hydrates nails to
minimize splitting or cracking.
t r y
Jessica Bend Don’t Break
base coat, $11.
6
.
APPLY POLISH
in
tWO
thin
coats. If applied too thick
it’s more likely to chip.
7. FIX SM UDGES
Ooops, have
you mistakenly smudged the
polish? Quickly dab the tiniest
drop of nail polish remover
over the nick using the tip of
another finger. The remover
thins out the surrounding
polish to cover the smudge.
Wait a minute, then reapply
color or top coat.
8. f in is h w ith a q u ick -d ry in g
top coat; reapply the top coat
every other d ay to prolong the
longevity o f the m anicure.
TRY
Seche Vite Dry Fast
Top Coat,$10.
A great tip
“If your normally white
nails have been yellowed by polish,
rub them with the peel of a lemon
or grapefruit,” says Essie Weingarten,
founder of Essie Cosmetics.
PHOTOS: (NAIL POLISHES) KEATE; (MANICURE FILE) GETTY IMAGES
