Self-Care Sunday!

Have you ever had such a rough week but you don't want to spend the money on a spa treatment? I've been there, too! So sit back, grab your favorite drink or snack, and let's have ourselves an easy DIY manicure at home! Step One: Pick some relaxing music or a quiet space to decompress. To me, this is very important to the relaxation process. I like to wait until after my toddler goes to bed, that way I'm not taking any attention from him and I'm not constantly thinking about if I've met his needs while I'm trying to relax. That's not to say I don't take "Mommy Time-Outs". We all do. But I'll save that for another blog. I used to light candles and play music on my phone, now I'll pick something to listen to on YouTube (Robert Welsh's Ghost Stories and Makeup is my favorite series) and change the scents in my Scentsy warmers to fit my mood. Once I've got my space set up, it's on to step two! Step Two: Gather any materials you'll want or need for your home manicure (this will also work for home pedicures, with some little adjustments).

-Small bowl filled with warm water (soap or oils are optional) -Cuticle Trimmer (here's one from Amazon!) -Cuticle remover/softener (The one I love) -Cuticle pusher/orange-wood stick

-Glass/Crystal Nail File -Nail polishes of your choice! -Cuticle Oil -Hand cream -Acetone polish remover -Clean up brush

If you want to turn this into a DIY pedicure, will need a basin to soak your feet in. I typically will use my bathtub. I'll fill it with hot water and some bubbles, soak for a while and relax. Then I'll take a sugar scrub (this one from Tree Hut is my current favorite) and give my feet and legs a good scrub. After I rinse, I'll dry and lotion up (and sometimes put on a foot mask sock set). The steps for prepping my toenails for polish are the same as for a manicure. Step Three: Let's get started! I like to fill my small bowl with warm water, not hot. Sometimes I'll add a little bit of scented soap to it since I don't have essential oils, but most of the time I just keep my water plain. I usually soak one hand at a time for around 10-15 minutes.

Once my nail beds are nice and softened, I'll take my cuticle remover and rub it onto my cuticles. This one I use doesn't need to sit very long on the nails, so I'll rinse it well and move on to the next step.

Once I've rinsed my nails of the cuticle remover, I'll take my orange wood stick and push back the live cuticle and scrape off the dead skin. It's always so crazy to me how much dead skin builds up on my nails. After this step, I'll take my cuticle clippers and trim off any dead skin around my nails. I'll clean off my fingers and repeat the same steps on the other hand!

Step Four: When my cuticles are all cleaned up and my hands are nice and soft, I'll wash them really well with warm water. I always want to make sure that any remaining dead skin is gone and that all of the cuticle remover is cleaned off. You'll be amazed at how brand new your nails look after this step. Step Five (optional): I like to let my nails dry so that this next step doesn't ruin them too much. I will take my glass/crystal file and shape up my nails. I ALWAYS file in one direction, as filing in a sawing motion back and forth can damage your nails by creating little micro-snags. These snags can catch on clothes or worse, completely break your nail. I've been there and it's not fun.

If your nails are already at your desired length and shape, you don't have to worry about this step! In addition to filing my nails, sometimes I will take a nail buffing block and use a gentle side to remove just the shiny layer on my nails. I don't do this every time, I don't want to remove too much nail. Doing this gives the nail polish something to grip onto. I only do it once a week, maybe every two weeks.

Step Six: I like to take a cotton ball and soak it in acetone nail polish remover. I prefer to use the 100% acetone based, but if you want to use a nail dehydrator or alcohol pads, that's perfectly okay as well! The purpose of this step is to remove any oils and moisture from the nails. Nail polish will adhere better and your manicure will last longer!

Step Seven: It's polish time! I always start my manicures with a base coat. Base coats are meant to prolong your manicure and protect your nails from staining. I have a few that I love, but for this tutorial, I chose this one from TenOverTen).

Once my base coat is dry, I'll apply 2-3 coats of the color of my choice. I'm currently obsessing over the California Dreamin' collection from Cirque Colors. The color I chose is called Flamingo, and it's a gorgeous, cool-toned neon pink with a blue shimmer and holographic sparkle. It's perfect coverage for me in 2 coats, but I would recommend a third coat if your nails are long.

I'm a sucker for extra holo, so of course I had to add this flakie holo taco (unfortunately, the flakie I picked was from a limited edition collection, but here you can choose the regular silver holo taco or any of the other toppers available).

I always seal my manicures with a top coat. In my opinion, Seche makes the best top coats on the market, but feel free to use whichever top coat you desire. Top coats are great for protecting your manicure from chipping and makes them last a lot longer. Make sure to cap the free edge of your nail for extra protection!

Once my nails are good and dry, I will take a clean-up brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up the cuticle area of my nails, as well as remove polish from my skin in areas I got sloppy. You don't need any fancy brush for this, you can find a ton of cheap options online and most brands have their own brushes, but I like to use these brushes from e.l.f.

Step Eight: Now that our nails are painted, I like to take a cuticle oil (again, most brands have these, and you can find a bunch of options at the store or online) and add moisture back into my cuticles. My current favorite oil is this one from Cuccio. It smells amazing and will last you a long time!

I will apply 1-2 drops of this oil MAX for each hand. Lastly, I will take a hand cream (I have so many I cycle through, but my favorite is this one from Hempz). This scent was a limited edition scent, but I love so many of the ones available all year, so you really can't go wrong. Plus, the Hempz formula always leaves my hands feeling soft and hydrated with a subtle, amazing scent.

I hope you enjoyed doing your nails and pampering yourselves with me! Leave me a comment down below on ideas for the next Self-Care Sunday! Tag me on social media of your nail creations @nailtimewithlex on Instagram, and have a magical week!