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33 Easy Nail Hacks For A Flawless DIY Manicure

If you do your nails at home, here is every tip you could possibly need to ensure a salon-quality manicure.

1. Take apart a loofah and use the netting to get a fishnet manicure look.

2. Follow this diagram to imitate how professional manicurists apply nail polish.

Here it is, simplified:

3. Erase mistakes by dipping a tiny brush into nail polish remover.

4. Use nail polish thinner (NOT nail polish remover!) to revive thick, goopy bottles of nail polish.

5. Knot a rubber band and use it to get a perfect French manicure tip.

6. Try a rubberized base coat to make your polish last longer.

7. Use ice water to dry your nails in three minutes.

8. Fix a broken nail using a teabag and nail glue.

9. Add corn starch to clear nail polish to create a DIY matte topcoat.

10. Use a Sharpie for an easily controllable way to create nail art, and here's a super useful trick to keep it from smearing.

Hairspray will do the trick.

11. Spray nails with oil spray to set your manicure and prevent smudges.

12. When applying a top coat, run the brush along the top edge (non-cuticle side) of the nail.

13. Whiten your nails after removing a dark polish.

14. The first coat of chunky glitter polishes should be dabbed, not brushed on.

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Watch this video for a demonstration.

15. Apply multiple thin coats instead of one thick coat.

16. Apply Aquaphor or Vaseline to cuticles to protect your skin from errant nail polish strokes.

17. Easily paint a heart with a toothpick.

18. Use Band-Aids (the sheer kind) to get perfect French tips.

19. The smart way to store your nail polish:

20. Fix a smudge by licking it.

21. Soak nails in a solution of water and white vinegar before applying nail polish.

22. Use VapoRub for nail infections.

23. Apply thick hand cream before removing polish if you have pale skin.

24. Make a dotter for your nails.

25. If your nail polish is B3F, make sure your base coat and top coat are, too.

26. If the air is humid, wait extra long for your nails to dry.

27. Don't sit near a fan.

28. Use a regular old gel pen (like the kind from the office supply store) to draw intricate designs.

29. Put that white nail polish to good use by using it to create an ombré manicure.

30. Apply Elmer’s glue with a thin paint brush, which peels off to reveal a perfect manicure.

31. You can also use glue to create a peel-off base coat for impossible-to-remove glitter nail polish.

32. Here's how you remove a gel manicure at home:

33. Get nails that mimic a shellac manicure.

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