7 Steps to Prep Your Nails to Perfection

When it comes to providing a professional-grade manicure, Nimble has your back—with vibrant polish that actually stays on, painted and dried in under forty minutes. As you know, we handle the polish and you handle the prep—and together, the results can be unparalleled. A great manicure does, however, require a bit of prep work to ensure that it looks its best—nothing too crazy or over-the-top. Below, we’ll break down 7 steps to set you up for your Nimble at-home manicure.

Healthy nails are happy nails–and healthy nails and hands require regular moisturizer, applied nightly. Did you know that cuticle oil can increase the circulation around your nails, thus stimulating nail growth? This is all important for growing strong nails. Be sure to apply cuticle oil regularly, ideally the night before your manicure and not the day of. 

When it comes to getting a manicure, working with a clean slate is important. Grab a cotton ball or cotton round and soak it in a good, non-acetone nail polish remover. Then, dip a q-tip into the remover and be sure to get all the old polish out that’s stuck in the crevices surrounding your nails.

Plagued with cracking cuticles? A cuticle softener is a must for your nail-care routine and will help when you need to remove your cuticles. Gently massage it into your cuticles for 10-20 seconds for best results.

As the cuticle softener sets into your cuticles, take some time to file your nails. When filing, you’ll want to avoid going back and forth across the entire nail tip because this can cause brittle nails. Instead, file from the opposite corner toward the center of your nail to create your desired shape. Looking for a good nail file? We recommend any of these.

An important part of cuticle care is keeping the cuticles pushed back on the nail. We recommend using a cuticle pusher, like this one from Tweezerman. You’ll want to be sure to keep these tools as clean as possible to avoid infection.

Next, you’ll want to buff your nails. Buffing, which removes the shine from your nails and helps the polish stick better, can be achieved with a multi-sided buffer like any of these.

Give your hands a good washing in warm water to avoid any infection. It’s important to use a soap, like any of these, to ensure your hands won’t dry out. Finally, you’ll want to soak a cotton ball in nail polish remover and run it over your nails to remove any soap residue. 

All set? Now get out your Nimble and let the painting begin.