Manicure at home: all the secrets for perfect nails
Your hands and nails are your most important calling card, always on display. That’s why it’s essential to keep them healthy, neat and beautiful. If you want flawless hands but don't always have the time (or energy) to head to the nail salon, have no fear! Here are some useful tips to do a perfect manicure at home.
With a little practice and the right tools and products, you can achieve truly optimum results, all from the comfort and satisfaction of your own home. Try it to believe it!
Which manicure is right for you? Whether you have long or short nails, or love pastel or fluorescent colours, KIKO has the right products to pamper your hands and make them more beautiful.
A wide range of files in different materials, everything you need for a perfect French manicure and, of course, a vast selection of nail polishes are waiting for you!
Files and nail polishes are just a tap away on your smartphone: take a picture with your look and share it using the hashtag #kikotrendsetters. Enter the world of KIKO MILANO.
DIY manicure for long nails: the essential steps
The perfect DIY manicure starts with removing the old nail polish, if there is any, and cleaning your nails. To get rid of bothersome cuticles, soak your hands in warm water for a few minutes and then remove the excess skin with a trimmer or exfoliating pen. Proceed to moisturise them with a balm or nourishing hand cream.
Now comes the key moment of the manicure: filing. Select the most suitable file for your nails from amongst the various options: metal or glass if they are strong and robust, wood if they are fragile, cardboard if you want a practical tool even for minor retouches. When choosing the shape of the nail, take into account your nails’ natural form, as well as the characteristics of your hands, to achieve a harmonious result. For long nails, opt for an oval, almond shape, stiletto (almost "pointed", for an aggressive look) or square, which leaves the edges more angular.
Once you’ve achieve the desired shape, it’s time for the base, a fundamental step to ensure optimal grip. Then indulge yourself in a different nail polish and nail-art each time! For the final step, add a layer of nail polish fixer to improve the performance and resistance of your manicure.
Manicure for short nails: the best adapted shapes
Do you sport short nails for professional or personal reasons? Have no fear: you, too, can enjoy neat, cared for and elegant hands worthy of getting noticed. The first steps of a manicure - cleaning and moisturising - are obviously identical to those for long nails.
As for filing, remember that the shapes best adapted to short nails are round or square, with the upper part cleanly defined and the corners slightly rounded, or the so-called “squoval” (square + oval), similar to the latter but with the more rounded, less "hard” corners.
DIY French manicure? It can be done!
Surely you've wanted to show off a French manicure, perhaps the simplest and most elegant nail decoration that exists, on more than one occasion. The technique consists of colouring the free area of the nail plate with a white (or even coloured, for an original look) nail polish.
A DIY French manicure is easy if you follow the right technique. Before all else, file the nails without going too short (to facilitate the half-moon design), creating a more squared or more rounded line depending on your taste. Then add an even layer of clear nail polish over the entire nail. Defining the half-moon is obviously the hardest part: you can get help with dedicated stickers and white pens or pencils for a more high-definition line.