Your At-Home Mani is Ruining Your Nails
When it comes to manicures, some steps are considered no brainers. For example, apply a base coat. It's the first lesson in Manis 101. So, imagine my surprise when I sat down with celeb manicurist Debbie Leavitt and the first words out of her mouth were "never use a base coat."
Related Link: 10 Days of Nail Art
Leavitt says it's not only unnecessary, but also it causes polish to chip faster. (To read why, click here.) And that's not the only big bombshell she shared. Check out a few highlights below or see the full list of secrets here:
According to Leavitt, most women are using the wrong nail tools when it comes to DIY manicures. One of the top offenders? Your nail file.
Here's why: The most common emery boards, like the ones you buy at the drugstore, have extremely tough grit. Nail files are identified by numbers -- the higher the number, the finer the grit. Common nail files rank at 80 or 100, but Leavitt insists that's too harsh. "I find those traditional emery boards shred the nail," she says. Leavitt's professional nail files fall between 180 and 320. "I say 180 is the lowest number you should ever file a natural nail," she advises. To find a great emery board, Leavitt suggests checking out the ones sold at professional beauty stores.
Look at your cuticles. Are they dry, cracked, or hard? We hate to tell you this, but lotion won't fix the problem. Instead, head to the kitchen and grab some olive oil and massage it into your cuticle. Leavitt says it's the best way to hydrate the nail and the cuticle. "I just find oil really seeps into the skin, whereas lotion tends to sit on top of the skin. Plus, lotion often leaves us feeling more greasy than oil." Fricke agrees, "Oil moisturizes, minimizes hangnails, helps protect the polish 'till dry, and can make scruffy nails look fresh. It is the miracle product!"
Let me guess: You take your brush, wipe it once on each side, and begin to apply the polish. Sorry to tell you, but that's the wrong way to apply polish. In fact, that method often leads to clumping and overloaded brushes. According to Leavitt, the correct way to load the brush is at the heart of a good polish application. "You should wipe the brush back and forth on the tip of the bottle several times. Eventually your brush should become flat and the lacquer will move to the base of the brush. You'll end up with a nice dollop of polish, and since the brush is flat, it's easier to maneuver the polish on the nail," she says.
To see the rest of the secrets, click here.
Tell us: What mistakes have you made when it comes to your at-home mani? Leave your comment below.
More "pro secrets" on BeautyRiot.com:
What Your Nails Say About You
Odd Red Carpet Secrets Spilled
Odd Beauty Secrets from TV Shows
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