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At-home manicures have been my little pick-me-up for the last six months! Even my kids love participating and helping me choose colors.
As we head into the colder months and all plan to go out less and less, it’s so nice to have a go-to manicure routine from home. I find that spending 30 minutes doing my nails can turn into some nice “me time”. I wrote this blog post to give you my tips for all the must-haves for perfecting nails at home – plus a few of my favorite polishes and accessories!
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MUST-HAVE FALL NAIL POLISH & UV GEL…
Nail Polish
UV Gel
Sole Mate
Essie
A deep, dark, sinister red…not for the faint of heart, but PERFECT for fall!
Nail Polish Removers…
Acetone-Free Nail Polisher Remover
Ella + Mila
This acetone-free remover is my favorite. It’s vitamin-enriched to make my nails harder over time, and the lavender essential oil fragrance is super soothing.
Ultra-Powerful Nail Polish Remover for Gel
Cutex
This powerful remover will get ANY gel off, I don’t care how good the base coat is!
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Manicure Kits…
Cuticle Lab Set
Deborah Lippman
This kit will save your cuticles! It includes Cuticle Oil, Cuticle Remover, Cuticle Cream, and a Cuticle Pusher all in one handy set.
Manicure Tool Kit
HNYYZL
My favorite part of this kit is that the buffer has labeling for which side you use first. BLESS!
Gel Remover Kit
Teenitor
This kit is a must for anyone with Gel on their nails! It comes with everything you need to remove right at home!
Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit
Vishine
Speaking of removing Gel from home…have you tried applying from home? This popular kit is under $40 and includes the LED light, base and top coats, nail art tools, and six Gel Polish colors!
Base & Top Coats…
Nail Polish
Gel Couture Platinum Grade Finish Top Coat
Essie
This top coat is simply the best! I swear it extends my mani no matter what brand nail polish I put it over!
Addicted to Speed - Quick-drying Nail Top Coat
Deborah Lippman
This is a high shine topcoat that dries in a flash!
UV Gel…
Dynamic Duo Foundation Base & Top It Off Sealer Soak Off Gel Nail Polish Essential Set
Gelish
This set is a little pricier, but that’s because it’s used mostly in salons.
Hand Exfoliators…
If you don’t feel like buying one, this 3-ingredient DIY will work perfectly!
OPI ProSpa Micro-Exfoliating Hand Polish
OPI
This professional-grade micro-dermabrasion specifically for hands will leave them silky soft!
Himalayan Salt Scrub
Brooklyn Botany
This scrub is non-GMO and free from chemical, gluten, parabens, and alcohol!
Hand Moisturizers…
Vanilla & Orange Peel Hand Cream
Grown Alchemist
This hand cream is heavenly. It softens and hydrates hands but doesn’t leave them greasy.
Hand Cream in Citrus Mimosa
Beautycounter
This hand cream smells divine – like an actual spa!
Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm
L'Occitane en Provence
This hand cream is one of L’Occitane’s hero products. It’s hard to beat!
Photographs by Julia Dags
Have you tried the Olive and June kits yet? I’m torn – I’ve had one in a shopping cart for over a week but not sure if I want to spend that money for a DIY kit unless it’s really good. It’s about 80.00 for the entire starter kit with polishes.
Yes I have it! Love it. Their polishes look really really shiny and professional, in my opinion. And the tools are great too, in my experience!