How To Give Yourself A Professional Manicure At Home

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This could be an unpopular opinion, but I’ll say it anyway. I hate getting manicures at the nail salon.

Don’t get me wrong, I love having nicely manicured nails but I hate the process of actually getting the manicure for many reasons.

1. It takes forever, and I hate wasting my time at the salon.
2. It’s not relaxing or fun for me.
3. I am usually uncomfortable in the nail salon chairs.
4. It’s expensive and I’d rather spend my money on things I enjoy.
5. Even gel or SNS manicures just don’t last very long on me.

After asking you about your thoughts on salon manicures on social media, I’ve realized that many of us feel the same way. I decided to try several at home manicures to help us all out, and I’m sharing my favorite with you today.

FYI, I do not consider myself to be good at doing nails. I’ve always struggled with making them look messy and like salon manicures, my at home ones usually don’t last either.  My at home manicure with Essie Gel Couture has been a whole different story.

How it Works

The process for using Essie Gel Couture is exactly the same as any regular at home polish.

I remove any existing polish with acetone, file my nails, and push back my cuticles.  Then, I apply two thin layers of the color polish and one coat of the top coat allowing time for each layer to dry before applying the next.

It’s really that simple!

Why I Love It

Easy to apply: the shape of the brush makes the polish so much easier to apply. The rounded edges make the application a breeze. The shape perfectly mimics that of your nail bed and helps you avoid getting the polish all over your cuticles.

Long Lasting:  As I mentioned, even professional manicures (regular, gel, or SNS) don’t last more than a couple days for me.  At home manicures usually chip within 24 hours.  I have been able to wear my Essie Gel Couture manicure for a full seven days before chipping.

Economical:  I’m always looking for ways to trim expenses and save money, so going from $30/week plus tip on professional manicures to spending a little over $10 for a bottle that will last months is great!

Time Saving:  I’m never at a nail salon for less than an hour, so I love that I can do my at home manicures quickly and whenever I want.  I typically paint my nails while we’re watching TV at night, so I don’t even have to miss out on my quality time with Kevin.

What’s Missing:

Color Selection: There are several great colors but I’m still longing for more neutrals like beiges, nudes, and pale pinks to be added to the collection. My favorite colors are Gala-Vanting (deep red/maroon) and Take Me to thread (taupe).  I have noticed more colors being added so I’m looking forward for what will come!

Consistent Results: Sometimes when I use the products the manicure lasts seven full days but occasionally they last only three to four days. I think it does depend on how long my nails are but I wish I could be sure the mani would last a full week every time.

A professional manicurist:   While this polish makes application pretty fool proof, I’m still not great at shaping my nails with a file.  I’m sure this will improve with practice but even with the awesome polish, my results are limited by my lack of skill.  The difference in outcome is not significant enough for me to go back to my regular professional manicures, but there is a difference.

The Verdict

Overall, I’ve never been happier with an at-home manicure, and I love this product.   I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to you!  I know I’ll be using this product regularly and think you’ll love it too!

You can check out the shades here and get the top coat here.

Let me know in the comments:

What’s your go-to nail color?