What’s the best way to show off a sparkly new ring on your wedding day? With perfectly polished nails, of course. Your hands deserve just as much attention as your hair and makeup, so it’s a good idea time to nix any nail issues in the bud before you make your walk down the aisle. While we suggest a visit the salon for a professional manicure the day of your wedding, there’s nothing wrong with a DIY version to pamper yourself the weeks leading up to the big day.
To get your digits diamond-ring ready, here is what you will need:
1. Nail polish remover
2. Finger bowl
3. Mild soap
4. Warm water
5. Cuticle softener
6. Orange stick
7. Nail file and buffer
8. Cuticle trimmer
9. Hand and nail moisturizer
10. Base coat polish
11. Top coat polish
12. Nail polish
Step 1: Soak a cotton ball or cotton beauty pads in nail polish remover and clean the tops of nails and around the nail bed.
Step 2:Fill finger bowl with mild soap and warm water. Soak nails in soapy water solution for 3-5 minutes. If your nails have a yellowish tent, add a couple drops of lemon juice to the solution. This will help remove any stains.
Step 3:Add cuticle softener around cuticles. After you’ve applied softener to each finger, take the orange stick and gently press the cuticles back.
Step 4: After pushing the cuticles back, place hands back in soapy water and soak for another minute.
Step 5:Dry nails, then shape with a nail file. You should always file nails straight across and round the corners.
Step 6: Take the cuticle trimmer and clip any hangnails. Avoid cutting the cuticle itself (we don’t recommend you cutting cuticles on your own. If done incorrectly, it could cause an infection). Once hangnails are neatly trimmed, take cuticle oil and massage around the nail bed.
Step 7:After massaging oil into cuticles, wash hands to remove any excess oils. Then, add moisturizer to hands and nails.
Step 8: Apply base coat to nails and let dry. Once dry, apply nail polish. Use two coats to saturate color. Apply a top coat of clear polish to seal color.
Now that you’ve completed your DIY manicure, repeat these steps weekly to keep nails in tip-top shape.
Photo courtesy of
Scoobie's Photographic Images.