Beautiful manicure at home (50 photos) - Instructions for beginners. Basics of manicure with gel polish on video with lessons for beginners Video master class from professional cosmetologists

The art of manicure continues to gain popularity. The most popular manicure in the 21st century is called shellac. But the author's application of this style is not the cheapest pleasure, if we talk about professional skill. And, of course, every girl dreams of having a bright and stylish shellac coating, without constantly going to salons and without spending fabulous sums from the family budget.

Shellac manicure lessons for beginners not only teach how to perform a fashionable manicure, but also show all the aesthetic charm and high functional qualities of shellac.

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Why choose shellac

Women have long appreciated the durability and dazzling beauty of shellac coating: it does not require “repair” and repainting for at least 2 weeks. During this period, the durable gel, applied in stages using a unique technology, is not afraid of scratches and chips. This prospect, of course, pleases working and traveling women, who just need to take classes in how to apply shellac, learn how to do an exclusive manicure on their own and enjoy it for half a month.

You can learn how to do this correctly by watching video tutorials for beginners on how to coat nails with silk. All the fair sex needs is to carefully review the lessons and follow the recommendations of experts step by step. But first you need to stock up on full equipment to apply shellac yourself.

What do you need to prepare?

For shellac manicure you will need:

• LED or UV lamp, ideally with a power of 36 watts, to speed up the drying of the nail coating;
• cuticle remover and cuticle softening oil;
• manicure set, including a coarse polisher and softer files;
• a degreaser created specifically for shellac, alcohol-based regular lint-free wipes;
• base gel and color shellac coating;

Beginners should not save money when purchasing manicure materials. Each item on this list will bring you closer to creating amazing nail designs on a professional level.

How to prepare your nails

Having collected all the paraphernalia necessary for a manicure, you can fully delve into the video tutorial on shellac manicure for beginners. After watching, every fashionista will undoubtedly be able to repeat step by step the entire technology for applying a stylish gel. It begins, as a rule, with preparatory procedures, special attention to which is paid in the first lessons.

Preparing nails for coating:

1. After a standard herbal bath, the cuticle should be removed. If it is barely noticeable, there is no need to trim it. It is enough to soften it with oil and move it to the base of the nail with an orange stick.
2. Using a file, you need to give your nails the desired shape, and then treat the nail plate step by step: first with a cotton pad to remove dust after sanding, then with a degreaser or an alcohol-based cloth. Experts recommend that beginners dry their nails under a UV lamp at this stage.

How to Apply Base Coat

So, the nail plate is ready for coating. Beginning craftsmen must now lay the coating on top step by step. The video shows you step by step how to paint with shellac. Photos of interesting manicure ideas are also offered to help with the lessons for beginners. If beginners want to diversify their design, you can purchase special “color + rhinestones” sets or stencils to create luxurious French shellac.

Stages of work:

1. Apply the base gel to the nails, drying for at least a minute under a UV lamp.
2. Now you need to cover the base with colored gel, repeating the drying procedure. If the color intensity is insufficient, apply the color layer again.
3. We fix the result with a thick layer of top base, use sparkles or rhinestones, not forgetting about lamp drying.
4. All that remains is to eliminate the sticky layer using lint-free products and admire the results of the first lessons.

Little secrets

Secrets of professionals:

• When applying the gel, use the “sealing” technology: first, one side edge of the nail is painted, then the other, and only then the gel is applied to the center of the nail plate. Beginners do not know that it is this technique that makes shellac long-lived. This is especially important when creating a French manicure.
• You only need to seal the first one - the base coat, but the colored one, on the contrary, is strictly forbidden - in this case it simply swells during lamp drying.
• You need to prepare not only your nails, but also the bottle of gel: roll it in your palms so that the pigment becomes even.

Shellac allows you to combine practicality and naturalness with elegance and beauty; shellac manicure lessons for beginners prove this step by step. Creating shellac at home, as the lessons show, is very simple. And the design will attract with its luxury and craftsmanship, even if it was created for the first time by a novice fashionista.

Manicure is not only decoration, but also hygienic hand care. But often there is not enough time or money to carry out such a procedure in the salon. How to do a manicure step by step at home so that it turns out no worse than a professional one?

Tools and tools

For a high-quality manicure at home, it is necessary, first of all, to prepare the necessary tools and materials for applying the design:

1. Cotton balls or disks.

1. Nail polish remover. It is better to give preference to liquids without acetone. They remove the old coating more delicately and do not injure the nail plate. Such liquids often have a pleasant, unobtrusive aroma and contain vitamins and moisturizers that nails need to nourish and look healthy and well-groomed.

1. A shallow container, sea salt, disinfectant (shampoo, gel, liquid soap).

1. A metal spatula or wooden stick to push back the cuticle.

1. Metal pliers for edging.

1. Nail file. When choosing this tool, it is important to take into account the naturalness of the nail, the strength of the nail plate, and thickness. The higher the abrasiveness of the file, the softer its blade. The base can be made of:

• metal (best used for men's manicure and artificial nails);
• ceramics (suitable for natural or split nails);
• glass (used for all types of nails, but quite fragile).

1. Nourishing or moisturizing hand cream, cuticle oil.

1. Means for applying the design: base coat, nail polish, decorative elements (glitter, rhinestones, foil, sand, bouillons, lace, stickers), fixative.

Step-by-step instructions for manicure at home

Step 1

First of all, you need to remove the old coating from the surface of the nail. Regular polish can be easily removed by simply running a cotton pad moistened with liquid over the nail. But to remove a manicure with glitter or a complex pattern, you often have to make an effort. To simplify this procedure, it is better to apply a piece of cotton wool with liquid to the nail and wrap it in foil for a few minutes. Remains of the design can be easily removed with a fresh napkin.

Step 2

Using a nail file, you need to give the nail the desired length and shape:

1. Short nails. The most convenient length for nails is about 3-5 mm. These nails are as comfortable as possible for working at a computer or smartphone, or doing homework.
2. Square shape. Smooth square nails visually reduce the length of the fingers, so they are suitable only for those with long and thin hands. This form is the easiest to correct, but untimely filing can lead to ingrown nails.
3. “Soft square”. This shape is similar to the square one, but with more rounded edges. Looks great on short and slightly elongated nails.
4. Almond shape. Assumes a slightly pointed nail tip. One of the most feminine shapes, suitable for long nails.
5. Oval shape. A hand with this shape of nails looks delicate and neat. Suitable for any length.

Step 3

The next step is to soak your nails in the bath. To do this, you need to take warm water into a shallow bowl and pour in a little soap. You can add a pinch of sea or iodized salt and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Baths using them nourish and strengthen the nail plate. When using unedged manicure techniques, such a procedure is not necessary. A softener is applied to the cuticle, and after some time it is removed with a wooden stick.

Step 4

After steaming the nails (5-7 minutes), each finger, in turn, is removed from the water and wiped dry. Using a wooden stick or spatula, carefully move the cuticle as close to the nail hole as possible and trim it with tweezers.

Step 5

At the next stage, the hands are lubricated with cream, and the cuticles are lubricated with special oil. Constant trimming causes the skin around the nail to become rough and inflamed. The oil accelerates its regeneration, helps nourish the nail and relieves inflammation.

Step 6

Before applying the coating, the nail plate needs to be degreased with acetone or simply wash your hands with soap and dry. On wet nails, the polish can quickly crack.

Trim manicure

This type of manicure is performed using the following tools:

• scissors;
• nail file;
• stick for pushing back cuticles;
• cuticle softener.

The photo shows how to perform a manicure step by step at home.

To soften the cuticle, a specially designed product is used, which is held on the hands for several minutes. After this, an important step is a 10-15 minute hot bath with essential oils. Next, you need to wipe your hands and push back the cuticle, which is cut off with tweezers or scissors. The final stage of this manicure is to apply moisturizing cream to your hands with light massage movements.

Advice! When removing cuticles, you should try to use the tool without leaving the skin to minimize the risk of damage.

European technology

Untrimmed manicure is a very time-saving, safe and painless nail care technique in which the cuticle is not cut, but simply pushed back. For this purpose, it is softened with special means. Then the nail plate is traditionally sanded and polished. The photo shows how a manicure was done at home on short nails.

The following types of unedged manicure are common:

• wet European;
• dry European;
• unedged hot.

Initially, the remnants of old varnish are removed from the nails. Using a special liquid that is rubbed into the skin around the nail, the cuticle softens. The liquid is wiped off, and the cuticle is pushed back towards the sides of the nail with a wooden stick. Next, as in the previous manicure technique, the nail is polished and sanded. At the final stage, massage the softening oil into the cuticle.

Secrets of Japanese manicure

Let's look at how to do this manicure at home (photo) using a special manicure set. This manicure differs from others in the well-known type of nail care with a healing effect.

Before starting this type of manicure, you need to take a 10-15 minute hand bath and apply a cleansing scrub

To strengthen nails, a serum is used to grow and strengthen the nail plate, which contains proteins, calcium, and pearl powder.

To soften the cuticle in Japanese manicure, preparations with her extracts are widely used. Once softened, the cuticle is easily pushed back and removed. The nails are covered with a special paste, then with powder, and polished.

A very interesting aspect of Japanese manicure is hand massage at the final stage with warm bags filled with medicinal herbs and mineral salt. And at the end of this technique, women’s hands will be treated to a pleasant procedure of applying a softening cream using massage movements.

DIY French

Today, French manicure (French) at home (photo) is one of the most common and favorite types of nail art. It is ideal for both short and long nails; it will be appropriate in any life situation and under any clothing.

What is “classic French?” These are translucent beige or pink nails with a white free “smile” tip (or crescent). But in today's practice, French manicure involves the use of varnish of a variety of colors to decorate the “smile” tip, and also serves as the basis for other types of nail art.

French can be easily done at home. To do this, first of all, after preliminary preparation of the nails, cover them with translucent beige, pink or transparent varnish.

After this layer has dried, a special stencil strip is glued to each nail to create a “smile” on the free tip. The area formed above the stencil is covered with white varnish, after which the stencil has completely dried.

The final chord in the design of nails in the French style is to cover the nails with a fixing layer of transparent varnish.

Advice!If there are no special stencil strips for a French manicure, you can use tape at home and paint the free tip of the nail with white polish using a nail polish brush or a special thin brush.

Gradient or ombre

Gradient manicure (stretching on nails, ombre, degrade) at home (photo) is a unique and original nail art technique. Having appeared several seasons ago, it continues to enjoy wide popularity among lovers of extraordinary nail designs. An attractive feature of gradient nail art is also its effect of visually lengthening the nails.

The essence of this technique is a smooth transition of nail polish colors from one to another. The optimal solution is a combination of two to four colors of decorative coating to maintain the elegance and harmony of the manicure. This manicure can be complemented with drawings, rhinestones, etc.

The following types of gradient manicure are common:

• horizontal;
• vertical.

The most common way to design nails with a gradient is to use a sponge. To do this, the selected varnishes are applied either to a sponge, or to foil, or directly to the nail in strips adjacent to each other, and the sponge is printed on the nails several times until the colors evenly transition into one another.

Advice! To avoid the appearance of bubbles when imprinting polishes on nails with a sponge, the first couple of prints should be made on paper. It is also better to use a fine-grained sponge to prevent this problem.

In addition to the sponge, when decorating nails with a gradient, fashionistas use the glitter stretching technique, covering part of the nail painted with a single-color varnish with glitter varnish; thermovarnish; acrylic paints.

Advice!To prevent the skin of the nail from getting dirty when creating gradient nail art, you can stick tape around the nails or cover the skin with a rich cream or a special product for gradient manicure.

American manicure at home

American manicure is a unique nail art technique, the choice of successful and self-confident women. The peculiarity of the American manicure lies in the combination of decorative varnish colors such as red, rich white, dark blue, pink, burgundy, on the nails, which are given a slightly square shape.

As a base, nail polish is often applied in a discreet color (pale pink, white). Against this background, 3-4 red or burgundy stripes are created using a stencil. The American flag is depicted in one of the following ways:

• in the corner at the tip of the nail, a square is applied with blue varnish, inside which white star-dots are drawn;
• one of the nails is completely painted blue, against which white star-dots are depicted.

Advice!It is better to apply the image of the American flag not on all nails, but on one or two on each hand in order to avoid oversaturation of an elegant manicure with flashy elements.

One of the nails is completely painted blue, against which white star-dots are depicted.

DIY Spanish manicure

Spanish manicure at home (photo) is one of the relatively new types of manicure. An unusual feature of this technique is the mesmerizing brightness and colorfulness that is achieved by using at least two colors of varnish to create stripes.

Spanish manicure is interesting and attractive because it makes it possible to combine varnishes of a wide variety of shades: from pastel, delicate, to bright and catchy, which, at first glance, do not match or harmonize at all. The Spanish manicure technique is an excellent solution for women with thin nails, as it creates a visual effect of lengthening and thickening the nail plate.

Two types of Spanish manicure are common:

• two-color;
• striped.

Advice!In the Spanish nail art technique, the lighter varnish should be applied first. In a two-color manicure, it is better to cover the nail a little more than half with the first polish, and apply the second, slightly overlapping the edge of the first to create the effect of density and lengthening of the nails. In a striped manicure, darker stripes are applied to a nail coated with a lighter polish.

Mini manicure at home

A mini manicure or simple manicure is done at home (photo) and is a type of manicure that is most easily done at home. A mini manicure takes very little time compared to other nail art techniques, so it can be considered an ideal option for busy business women.

To carry out a simple mini-manicure at home, lovers of this type of nail care should follow the following sequence of steps:

• hand baths;
• cuticle treatment;
• filing and polishing nails;
• hand treatment with nourishing fortified cream;
• applying varnish.

Advice! Treatment of nails with a file should be done with movements in one direction only after they are completely dry after previous peeling procedures.

This type of manicure is often used on short nails (photo).

Thus, there is a wide variety of nail care techniques that are available to every girl and woman at home. The same situation is observed with regard to varieties of nail art. Which one to give preference is the choice of each woman, which depends on her imagination, mood, character, life circumstances, amount of free time, etc. Each of the considered methods is original, irresistible and unique in its own way.

Basic rules for those who are just starting to master the intricacies of manicure:

A beautiful manicure cannot be imagined without careful preparation of the nail plate and the skin around it. The most common mistake is to start filing your nails after taking a bath. The nail plate should be completely dry, so be sure to wait 10-15 minutes until your hands are properly dry.

Beginners should choose a file with an abrasiveness of 240 grit in the shape of a knife (we wrote more about how to choose the appropriate option). Thanks to the beveled edge, this file will not cut the skin, as is often the case with standard rounded files. You can not only file your nails with it, but also treat the side ridges.

Another big mistake is to file your nails in a left-to-right pattern. It is worth treating the free edge of the nail with gentle movements - first in one direction, then in the other direction towards the center. Avoid sudden, chaotic movements to avoid damaging the structure of your nails and causing them to split.

If you have very rough and dry cuticles, go over it with a regular nail file: this will help the cuticle you will apply in the next step be more effective.

Apply the remover to the cuticle. Most of them start working in less than a minute. Therefore, it is better to apply the product only to one or two fingers, so as not to “overexpose” the composition on the remaining nails.

Also distribute the remover over the entire nail plate to solve the problem of yellowed nails, and along the side rollers to remove rough skin.

After the time specified in the instructions, start treating your nails with a special pusher or an orange stick. In this case, do not press on the nail plate under any circumstances! This can damage the matrix - that part of the nail near the cuticle where it is formed.

After treating the nails, the remover must be washed off and the nails wiped with a dry cloth. At the same time, you will degrease your nails before applying the polish. For even greater effectiveness, use a special degreaser.

Don't use cotton pads: they can leave small lint on your nails and prevent the polish from spreading evenly.

Apply a base coat: it will protect the nail plate from the penetration of polish pigments and also strengthen them. Apply the base in a very thin layer with a slight indentation from the cuticle. And don't forget to seal the end of the nail with varnish.

Start painting your nails with your little finger: if you start with your index finger, you may accidentally damage the fresh polish on the rest of your nails with your own hand.

Once the base has dried thoroughly, apply colored varnish. An ideal option for beginners are transparent varnishes. Such varnishes give your nails a well-groomed and neat look, and mistakes when applying them are not so noticeable.

The first coat of varnish is applied in five movements. The most common mistake newbies make is brushing their nails over and over again. The second layer needs to be applied a little differently: stretching a drop of varnish from the cuticle to the edges of the nail.

To make the polish last as long as possible, apply a top coat. Renew it every two days to extend the durability of your manicure.

Leave your manicure tips in the comments!

This is a short guide for those who, for one reason or another, decided to do their own manicure. It's not that difficult if you approach it wisely. Read and get started...

To keep your hands and nails always looking well-groomed, you need to get a manicure about once a week. This procedure can be performed by a master in a beauty salon - quickly and accurately.

But some people don’t have the opportunity to do a manicure in a salon, while others have the time and desire. We recommend learning how to do a manicure at home yourself. With a little practice, your nails will look like you regularly visit a beauty salon!

Types of manicure

There are many types of manicure and first of all, it is worth determining which one suits you best.

Edged or classic

The classic manicure procedure includes removing the cuticle using metal tweezers or sharp nail scissors. A trimmed manicure is suitable for those with rough and thick cuticles. This type is the most traumatic. If you are careless, you may get hurt or cut off too much skin. Because of this, inflammation may occur, and the cuticle will become even coarser and begin to grow more intensively.

Unedged (European)

This type of manicure involves removing the cuticle using a special product based on soft acids (lactic and fruit). Unedged manicure is suitable for women with thin and delicate skin on their hands. The product dissolves the cuticle painlessly and delicately.

The whole process takes much less time than with a classic manicure. However, this method of removing cuticles is not suitable for those with sensitive skin, as allergies may occur to the components of the product.

12 tools you need for a manicure

This arsenal is simply necessary to perform a quality manicure.

1. Sharp nail scissors

If you are planning to radically change the length of your nails, then nail scissors will come in handy.

2. Nail file

Do not use metal files, they injure your nails, which then begin to peel. It is better to purchase a glass file or a cardboard file with a fine-grained abrasive coating. The former, by the way, will serve you much longer than the latter.

3. Metal tweezers if you are doing a trim manicure.

When purchasing tweezers, pay attention to the material from which they are made. Those made from surgical steel will stay sharp longer.

4. Orange wood stick or metal spatula, which you will use to push back the cuticle.

5. Necessary products for the bath:

• olive oil,
• sea ​​salt,
• essential oils and more.

6. Nail polish remover

Choose one that does not contain acetone. This liquid will easily and gently remove nail polish without damaging them. If you have nail polish remover with acetone, then experts advise adding a little glycerin to it. It will retain moisture inside the nails, which is usually “taken away” by acetone, and will not allow the nails to be damaged. Removing nail polish with this cocktail is also easy.

7. Cotton balls or disks

Helps remove polish from nails and around the nail bed.

8. Softening cuticle oil

Apply before the removal procedure.

9. Cuticle remover

Helps quickly remove cuticles without the help of scissors.

10. Hand cream

It must be used constantly to keep the skin soft and not flaky.

11. Base coat and sealer

Allows the polish to stay on the nails longer.

12. Nail polish

It is best to have a large assortment to choose according to your mood and clothing ensemble.

Manicure technique: 4 stages

If you follow all the steps of a manicure, your nails will look beautiful and healthy.

1. Bath

If you decide to do a trim manicure, be sure to do a hand bath. This procedure will soften the cuticle, and it can be removed easily and without injury.

Fill a bowl with enough hot water to completely immerse your fingers in it. Add two to three tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of colorless sea salt, a few drops of essential oil (for example, lemon, which lightens yellowed nail plates).

The oil will soften the skin and nourish your nails with valuable vitamins, and the salt will make them strong. Immerse your fingers in this solution and hold for about 10 minutes. Once the cuticle is soft, start removing it.

2. Cuticle removal

Taking out one finger at a time, use a spatula or stick to push the cuticle to the base of the nail.

You need to act with sufficient force, however, do not overdo it - you can damage the base of the nail. Then, using the sharp side of a stick or spatula, remove any remaining skin from under the cuticle.

If there are any nicks left, remove them using tweezers. Using tweezers you need to bite off the skin, not tear it off. This way you will avoid cuts.

With an unedged manicure, the cuticle is removed using a special product – cuticle remover.

Apply the gel around the nail, not forgetting the area under the nail.

Then carefully use a stick to remove the product along with the dissolved cuticle.

It is better not to apply it to all fingers, as the remover dries quite quickly. Treat two nails at a time.

Many manicurists advise applying cuticle remover to nails that are coated with varnish. Since some of them have a rather aggressive composition, which has a destructive effect on the nail plate.

3. Nail shape correction

If you decide to shorten your nails as much as possible, use nail scissors. Trim your nails in one confident motion.

Choose your future nail shape. There are several of them: pointed, stiletto, oval, square, round. If you have long, strong nails, then you can afford pointed nails. And if you are the owner of weak nails, then it is better to give them a square shape.

When filing your nails, point the file in one direction to prevent your nails from peeling. Make sure that all nails are the same length.

4. Varnish application and care

To ensure that the polish lays evenly and does not go beyond the boundaries of the nail, follow these instructions:

1. First, degrease your nails with nail polish remover so that the decorative coating lays flat and without bubbles.
2. Apply a base coat that will not only protect your nails from yellowing and the harmful effects of nail polish, but will also smooth out the surface of your nails.
3. Now take some nail polish on your brush. Swipe the brush from the base to the edge of the nail.
4. Make the second and third strokes also from the base of the nail, drawing a kind of arc with the brush, towards its edges.
5. Finally, use a topcoat that will add shine to your manicure and prolong its life.
6. If you are in a hurry, use the so-called “drying”. Just one drop of “drying” at the base of the nail - and the polish will dry almost instantly.
7. If you go beyond the edge of the nail, touch up any imperfections using a small brush, a Q-tip and nail polish remover.
8. Don't forget to constantly use a moisturizing or nourishing hand cream that will relieve your skin from dryness and flaking. Also, take care of your cuticles. Use nourishing oil, which should be rubbed into the cuticle until completely absorbed, and it will always look neat.

How to properly perform a manicure at home, experts advise in this video: