Amazing Nail Hacks For Perfect Manicures

Going to the salon every week we know can get extremely expensive. But, there are many useful and creative ways to perfect your nails during each visit. Did we mention it is free!

Check out these insanely cost effective ways to maintain that perfect manicure between salon visits.

After painting on your polish, let your nails air dry for a few minutes, then soak them in ice water for about 3 minutes. Afterwards your polish should be dry! The days of painting your nails and then being useless for the rest of the day are over!

Polishing your nails a lot can result in gradual staining and a yellowish appearance. You can easily remove that yellow tinge, however, by mixing 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with 2 ½ tablespoons of baking soda. Soak your nails in this mixture for a few minutes and see your results!

Professional manicurists will swear by this stuff. Use a rubberized base coat to make your polish last longer. Orly Bonder is a bit pricey, but it will serve you well. The rubberized effect helps the polish adhere to the nail, and it will make the polish last longer.

If you have pale skin, taking off dark nail polish can stain your hands very unattractively. Applying a thick hand cream before using the nail polish remover will help a lot with that ugly staining. No more looking like you just killed someone!

If the air is humid, you’ll need to wait extra long for your nails to dry. Humidity is the main cause of the dreaded “bubbling” in your nail polish. So, plan an extra long drying period if it’s humid outside. That way you can avoid the air bubbles and make the most out of your manicure.

Contrary to popular belief, fans are actually really bad for drying wet nail polish. The drafty air will only make bubbles and ruin your polish job. Sitting still is the best strategy.

When you have leftover dark nail polish stains after removing, one way to get rid of the stains is with toothpaste. Just put a little toothpaste with extra whitening power on a toothbrush and scrub away the stains.

It might be difficult for you to paint good nail art designs on your dominant hand. If that’s true for you, try painting them on a plastic sandwich bag first. Paint a few thick coats of polish on the plastic, then add your design on top. Once it’s dried, peel each design off the plastic and stick it to your nail with nail art glue or a clear topcoat.

You can use paper hole reinforcement stickers as a guide for painting a half-moon mani. Just place the reinforcement stickers along the base of your nail, and seal it into place with a bobby pin or a nail art dotter tool. Paint your first coat on each nail along the stickers. Then one nail at a time, paint a second coat of paint, let it dry for a minute, and carefully remove the sticker. Now you have a wonderful half-moon mani!

Choose two different polish colors, then paint one coat of the lighter polish on each nail, sealing it with a clear topcoat. Once it is dry, apply two strips of tape over the tips of your nails so that they cross in the middle and create a point. Take the darker of the two polishes and paint a layer over the entire nail and on top of the tape. Let it dry for a minute, then grab both ends of the tape and slowly peel them back at the same time for the finished look.

Nail polish stays on much longer when it’s applied to a clean and dry nail. Unfortunately, invisible oils can sabotage your manicure if you’re not careful. Before applying nail polish, swipe each fingernail with a little white vinegar to cut through any oils on the nail.

Love your favorite shade of nail polish but wish it was less shiny? All you need to do is add a matte top coat to any nail polish by mixing clear polish with a bit of cornstarch.

The best way to remove stubborn polish is the same technique professionals use to remove a gel manicure. Soak a cotton pad in nail polish remover and place it on your nail. Wrap a strip of foil around the cotton and your finger, then squeeze it to make sure it’s on tight. Leave the wraps on your fingers for about five minutes, then just slide the foil off and your polish should come with it!

Here’s a great hack you’ll thank us for. You can prevent the tips of your painted nails from chipping by painting two base coat layers. First, paint the first layer of your base coat on the top half portion of your nails only. Let it dry, then paint a second base coat of polish on the entire nail like normal. This helps the polish on your nail tips (which are more prone to chips) last longer without chipping.

If you accidentally smudge your not-quite-dry nails, one rather weird solution is touching the tip of your tongue to the smudge to readjust it. The saliva on your tongue reacts with the nail polish to soften and blend the surface. Pro tip: LICK, but DON’T eat!

Applying Vaseline around your nails will save you tons of frustration on the cleanup afterwards. It creates a sort of barrier between the nail and your skin, so you can wipe off the Vaseline and the mistakes come with it. As an alternative to Vaseline, Elmer’s Glue will also work just as well.

Use the sheer kind of Band-Aids and stick them on your (dry) nails, leaving a French-tip-sized sliver on the tip of your nail exposed. Paint over the exposed part with whatever color you want on the tip of your nail. Then peel off the Band-Aid towards the cuticle, not towards the nail. Admire your pro French manicure!

For an easy quick-dry technique, spray some PAM nonstick cooking spray evenly on your nails from a few inches away. Wait a few minutes afterwards, then wash all the oily residue off your hands.

Instead of shaking the nail polish bottle to mix it up, roll it between your palms by rubbing your hands back and forth. This will stir it without creating any air bubbles that might show up on your finished manicure.

You can use a small makeup brush like an angled eyeliner or brow brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up any globs or mistakes along the outside of your nail. It’s a quick fix and makes clean lines for a professional look!

Using a white polish as your base coat instead of clear can make your color pop fantastically. This is especially true when using a neon color as your main polish color. This technique is not really needed for super opaque polish colors, but it certainly doesn’t hurt if you want to use it!

After your manicure is done, take a cotton swab and spread a bit of petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) around the lip of the bottle before closing it. Make sure to get into the ridges of the bottle. It will make it easier to open the next time and it will prevent it from being sealed shut by dried polish.

Mix a little loose eyeshadow pigment into a small bowl or spoon and add a little clear polish to it. Then mix it up with a cotton swab and grab a brush to try out your new color! Now you can match your makeup with your nails!

You know how sometimes your nails peel in layers at the tip? That’s partially because of the way they are filed. Using a glass nail file prevents keratin separation at the nail bed, which results in a long-lasting and healthy manicure. It also reduces the risk of breakage.

A really easy way to open that stubborn bottle of nail polish is with a simple fix. Take a large rubber band and wrap it around the top of the lid. The rubber provides an excellent grip, allowing you an easier time of twisting the lid off.

Instead of using just one thick coat of polish color, apply multiple thin coats. A thick coat only dries at the top layer, which leaves your manicure vulnerable to smudges. Make sure you allow the coats to dry for a bit in between applying the next coat.

Here’s a super simple technique for that edgy marble look. Tape underneath and around your nail to protect your skin. Fill a bowl or cup with filtered, room-temperature water. Grab two colors of polish and add drops of each into the water, alternating colors. Then grab an unfolded paperclip and swirl the layers together until it looks like you want it. Stick your finger into the cup with the nail facing the paint layer. Hold it there for a few seconds and use the paperclip to move the rest of the paint away from your finger. Pull your finger out of the water and clean up the edges for the finished look!

Got a difficult nail polish bottle that no matter how hard you try won’t open? There’s a good chance it’s because there’s globby polish on the lip of the bottle under the lid. No worries, though, we have your solution. Simply place the bottle upside down in a cup and fill the cup with really hot water. Only add enough water to cover the lid, but don’t go any further than that or you could tamper with the consistency of the polish. Wait a few minutes, then remove and open it!