Beauty Survival Kit (Part 1)

Today I’m sharing my tips for doing your nails at home on the cheap 💅🏻Most of the items I’ve had on hand for quite some time; I just didn’t use them regularly because I had the convenience of going to the local salon and having someone do it for me.

Back in January of this year I decided to cut back on my spending so I could save money. Since I began doing my own mani pedis I’ve saved myself a couple hundred dollars. Thanks to the Spring/Summer ‘20 trend for fuller eyebrows, I also stopped getting mine waxed and just pluck strays as needed. There’s another $60 saved so far!

For mani pedis, all you need is a steady hand and a some inexpensive tools that you can purchase at Sally Beauty Supply or Target for cheap. What you need: polish remover, cotton balls, and Q-tips (not shown), nail clippers, cuticle remover, cuticle pusher/cutter (use while remover is still on nails) cuticle trimmers (for getting anything left after the remover), coarse, medium and fine nail files for buffing and filing, buffing block (optional) and a 2-sided foot file. You can purchase all these items for around $25.

Lastly, a base coat, polish and top coat. For my base and top coat, I use Nail Life (generic for Nail Envy – available at Sally’s for about $7). It’s sold as a nail strengthener but does all the things. I’m all about products that multitask! For polish, I’m partial to OPI which tends to have a premium price point but you can score great deals and end up paying about the same as other less expensive brands if you buy at Sally’s, Target or Tuesday Morning.

After painting my nails, I dip a Q-tip in polish remover to remove any excess polish then use a hairdryer on a low, cool setting to dry nails. Optional, inexpensive item is nail polish dryer spray (less than $3 at Sally’s). I spray this on for a smooth, smudge-proof finish. Massage in your favorite moisturizer and you’re all set!

For less than the cost of one mani/pedi appointment, plus tip, you’ll have the tools to do your own nails anytime! Granted, you’ll miss out on the cool massage chair and relaxing foot massage at the salon, but at least your hands & feet will be ready to face the world when this is all behind us.

*Tip ~ even when I went to the nail salon, I always brought my own polish. If you still use traditional polish, you can always touch up your nails between appointments, if needed.