Do your own manicure and pedicure

GROOMING your own nails at home is a breeze with these steps.

Manicure

1) Clean your nails

Prep your nails by removing old nail polish with a non-acetone nail polish remover.

2) File and buff

File your nails with an emery board or nail file into an oval or square shape. File your nails in a single direction. Next, smoothen the nail surface with a buffer. 3) Soak them

Soak your hands in warm water, dry them, and then massage hand cream into them.

Also massage cuticle oil into the cuticles (the thin tissue-like skin at the bottom of the nail plate) to soften them.

4) Treat the cuticles

Use an orangewood stick or cuticle pusher wrapped in a piece of tissue paper to push back the cuticles from the nail bed. Never cut the cuticles.

Trim hangnails at the sides of the nail with a nail clipper. Apply a drop of cuticle oil and massage your cuticles. Wipe the surface of the nail with a nail polish remover to remove all traces of the oil.

5) Apply base coat

Apply a layer of base coat to help the nail polish to stick to your nails and prevent your nails from discolouration.

6) Brush on some colour Paint two thin coats of polish, allowing the colour to dry in between each layer. 7) Fix smudges

Dip a cotton bud into the nail polish remover and clean up any smudges or polish on your skin.

8) End off with top coat Finish off with a top coat, which will help to prolong the life of the manicure.

Pedicure

1) Clean your nails

Prep your nails by removing old nail polish with a non-acetone nail polish remover. 2) Soak and exfoliate

Soak your feet in warm water. Use a body scrub, followed by a foot file or pumice stone to exfoliate the rough skin at the bottom of your feet.

3) File and buff

Using an emery board or nail file, trim your toe nails straight across to prevent the problem of ingrown nails. File them (do it in a single direction) into a squarish shape. Carry out steps four to eight as above. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network