The ultimate guide for at-home manicure for long-lasting nails
Selecting a color from the ever-growing Essie rainbow is only half the battle. The other half is prepping for healthy, long-lasting nails at home and prioritizing at-home manicure maintenance. This step-by-step guide features top tips and techniques from Rita Remark, celebrity manicurist and Essie global lead educator. It’s your go-to manual for keeping cuticles in check, preventing chips, repairing weak nails, and creating fresh-from-the-salon results.
Your at-home manicure kit
Grab a cute caddy or pretty box for storing the essentials of your at-home nail manicure kit. With high-quality tools and the right techniques, you’ll get the best at-home manicure and create an experience that’s a step above a visit to the salon.
Nail prep
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Nail polish remover
Every manicure at home starts with super clean nails, which means using a good nail polish remover to wipe away old polish, grime and oils. If your nails are a bit weak or fragile, opt for a gentler remover that contains minimal or no acetone.
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Nail clippers
Don’t skimp on the clippers. Customizing a precision length and shape for each nail demands a pair of sharp, clean, stainless steel nail clippers. Also choose the right size(s) for whether you’re doing manis and/or pedis.
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Nail file and buffer
Ace your at-home manicure by splurging a bit on a stainless steel nail file and a good buffer. They are the ideal tools for perfecting your nail shape and smoothing out surface imperfections.
Cuticle prep
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Cuticle oil
Cuticle care is a key part of nail health and stellar DIY manicures, which is why every at-home manicure kit needs apricot cuticle oil. It not only nourishes and hydrates your nails and cuticles, but it also makes controlling cuticles a breeze.
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Soften, push and clip
Cuticles have a tendency to suddenly go astray, so you always need a pusher or clippers at a moment’s notice. Be sure to invest in nice metal ones that won’t harbor bacteria and can be cleaned. Tidying up cuticles goes way faster when you soften them first with Ready. Prep. Go. cuticle remover.
Color and protection
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Base coat
Doing your nails at home is like building a house where you want a solid foundation. To get your mani off to a strong start, explore Essie’s full range of base coats and primers that protect your nails and get them prepped like a pro.
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Essie nail polish
It goes without saying that your at-home manicure kit includes Essie nail polish! Besides our thousands of colors, you get to choose from three types that cover every DIY manicure vision and occasion: longwear gel by Essie, our original enamel and quick-dry Expressie.
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Top coat
Take our advice and stay for the finale. Apart from adding flair and super fun effects, top coats and finishers minimize chipping and seal in color and shine. And for all you jetsetters out there who want a diamond-like shine, try our Speed Setter top coat that dries in a New York minute.
The step-by-step essie at-home manicure
Once all your supplies are gathered, it’s time set up your personal nail salon and get creative. Pick out your base and top coats, choose your shade, and follow these nine easy steps. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be an expert in doing salon-quality manicures at home!
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Step 1. Clean the slate
Start by removing any old polish. Apply a cuticle softener in lieu of soaking nails in water. “Nails are really porous and they absorb water, causing them to puff up slightly,” explains Rita Remark. “If you polish your nails in a waterlogged state, chips are more likely to occur.”
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Step 2. Get in shape
Sanitize your tools by soaking them for a few minutes in rubbing alcohol, then dry well. For a rounded shape, trim the nail sides with clippers, leaving some length in the middle. For square, cut nails straight across. Using a windshield-wiper motion, file the free edge of the nail.
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Step 3. Set boundaries
Gently push back cuticles with a stainless steel pusher and trim hangnails or any dry skin surrounding the nail plate with a nipper – but don’t completely remove the cuticle.
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Step 4. Smooth things out
Lightly buff nails to remove excess product or debris. “I typically use a 240-grit buffer,” says Remark. “Anything lower than 240 can be too abrasive.” Wash your hands and wipe down the nail plate with polish remover or alcohol. “Any leftover cuticle softener or oil can interfere with polish adhesion.”
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Step 5: Set the stage
Apply a base coat (skip if you’re using quick-dry Expressie or longwear gel by Essie). To prevent staining and extend the life of your at-home manicure, reach for Here to Stay, with innovative color-adhesive technology. For added strength, try Grow Stronger, a base coat formulated to nourish and protect nails.
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Step 6. Paint the town
Add color! Reach for your go-to hue or get inspo by browsing Essie’s wide range of colors and newest shades. Then, apply two coats of nail polish, letting each layer dry completely. “Today’s formulas are proven to be safer and less irritating than polishes of the past,” says Remark.
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Step 7. Seal the deal
Finish your at-home manicure with a top coat (skip if you’re using Expressie). For our original enamel, protect color with Stay Longer or go for a gel-like shine with Gel-Setter. For longwear gel by Essie, opt for our Gel Couture top coat or the Gel Couture Matte top coat.
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Step 8. Stay hydrated
Apricot cuticle oil is essential for conditioning cuticles, so massage a few drops into each nail and cuticle once or twice a day. Remark recommends stashing a bottle in your desk, nightstand, and medicine cabinet so that you can easily apply it throughout the day.
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Step 9. Make it last
Between DIY manicures, nail strengtheners and treatments are your besties. Hard to Resist creates a barrier against daily wear and tear. If you have damage from a previous salon gel manicure, To the Rescue UV Repair treatment can help. To smooth out imperfections, get Good as New in no time.
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Nail prep for manicure faqs
- Your at-home manicure will last longer if you use a high-quality base and top coat, apply thin polish layers, and let each layer dry fully. It’s also a good idea to hydrate with cuticle oil and brush on a strengthener like 'hard to resist'.
- Both! Use a hydrating cuticle oil to soften cuticles during the prepping steps, then remove any oils with polish remover or soap and warm water. then, after applying and drying your polish, moisturize again (and often) with cuticle oil.