Mani-Ready! How to Exfoliate, Buff and File Pre Manicure, Salon Style!

January 10, 2013

Kouturekiss - Welcome To Mani Prep School
You know how sometimes you try to paint your own nails at home to save time and money, but it never really looks as nice as when they do it at a salon? Well don’t fret ladies, It’s time to learn how to prep your nails in 8 quick steps!

  1. Use acetone and a cotton pad to remove any old nail polish that may still be on your nails. Cotton pads are perfect because they don’t fall apart as you rub, and still get the polish off quickly and completely! And, by using 100% acetone to remove the polish, you will help sweep away any oils that could cause premature chipping.
  2. Time to file! Use a nail file to gently shape your nails the way you like them. I like the “Squoval” shape, because it is modern and square, and the rounded edges help prevent the nails from breaking. It is important to do this step before you get the nails wet, because wet nails are weaker and we don’t want them to snag while we file! (more…)

Frenchified! 6 Ways to Spice Up the Classic French Manicure

June 15, 2012

Reverse candy pink: If you love the color pink as much as I do, then you will definitely love the all-pink French manicure. Like the classic French, it still uses a base coat of a soft pink. The first step would be to apply two coats of your light pink base to all your nails. Then, instead of adding a white tip to the nail like the classic French, the tip would be a darker shade of pink. I love to use “Watermelon” by Essie for this look!

Neon tipped: If you’re a trendy girl, then you already know that this summer, neon will be everywhere. This is another great way to spice up the French manicure. You can use a base coat of white (or even soft pink if you prefer) and then add neon colored tip. A gorgeous color to use on your tips is “Funky Limelight” by Essie or the Instadry Sally Hansen “Lightening”. (more…)