Manicure for Mommas Without a Lot of Extra Time

Although I love doing my nails (and I totally wish I was a nail tech) this working mom of two just doesn't have a lot of time on her hands.

But I've found that by following this routine, if I'm done painting my nails by 9 pm, I can go to sleep at 10 and not have any sheet marks at all. Plus, my mani will last 4-5 days with no chips- I usually just have to repaint because of new growth and tip wear.

So without further ado, my nail routine:

1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover. I apply this all around my nails, wait a bit (you can wait longer that it says), then use the thumbnail of my opposite hand to push back/scrape the cuticles. I typically do this twice.

2. Wash your hands and dry them well.

3. Orly Bonder. This is fab- takes any oily residue off your nails and gives your polish something to stick to. Key to a long-lasting mani.

4. Sally Hanson Nailgrowth Miracle in the gold bottle. Love this as a basecoat. Watch for CVS to have their BOGO or BOGO half off on Sally products and stock up.


5. OPI polish (2 coats). In my non-professional opinion, the best polish there is. One of my faves is I'm Not Really a Waitress.

6. Seche Vite top coat. I won't use any other top coat. This is a super-fast dry topcoat with a fab shine. Expensive, but worth it!

7. Creative Nail Design Cuticle Eraser. Keeping your cuticles neat and clean is one of the keys to making your manicure last longer. This product is fabulous and I massage this into my cuticles a few times a day to prevent hangnails and prevent cuticle buildup.

With these products, you can achieve a salon-quality manicure at home!

Home Manicure Tips

Our resident expert, Katee at e-polishblog, was recently featured on Sephora's Beauty and the Blog.

Her tips for a perfect manicure are fabulous! You must check it out! I'm so excited she was featured at Sephora's blog- amazing!