My Manicure Must Haves+ How To: At Home Manicure

I've been really into doing my nails lately so I thought it might be nice to share how I maintain my nails and my secret to having long and strong nails. It's been yeaaarsss since I had acrylic nails and I told myself I would never go back to them because of the damage they did on my natural nails. These items are what I love using whenever I give myself manicures for my natural nails.

 Necessities:
1. Nail File from Sally's Beauty Supply
2. Nail Buffer from Sally's Beauty Supply
3. Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover
4. Metal cuticle pusher
5. Orange wood stick
6. OPI Matte Nail Envy
7. Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat

• The first thing I do is file my nails. Right now I have oval shaped nails and I'm really liking them. 
• After that I lightly buff the ends of my nails and the top to remove any left over nail polish I had on my nails.
• Use the Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover and put it on my cuticle area and let it sit for a few seconds.

• I like using an orange wood stick better than the metal cuticle pusher because it is more gentle. I just push my cuticles back. I'm sort of freaked out by cutting cuticles and I also heard that it was not good for the nails because the cuticles grow back thicker. The gel helps loosen up the cuticles.

• After that I just wash my hands with some good ol' soap and water. 

• The last thing I do before I start painting my nails is I use the OPI Matte Nail Envy. This stuff is my HOLY GRAIL!!! It really helps my nails grow long and strong...its amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants strong nails. The matte one is the only one I have ever used and it is also good for guys because it dries matte so it looks like there's nothing on your nails. This is my third bottle and I will not use anything else, I do however want to try the other versions of the Nail Envy line. 

• I cannot forget about Seche Vite. It is my favorite top coat and it is better than any other top coat I have tried like Sally Hansen and Out The Door. It dries super fast and it makes your manicures look nice ans shiny.

I hope some of my tips helped you or maybe introduced you to some new products to try out for your next manicure. :)