UnCommon Gospel September 2015 | Page 43

Product Focus: O So Dollish Nail Polish (www.osodollish.com) Janice Tunnell is a Makeup Artist for Feature Film & Television, Manicurist, Beauty Expert, Owner of Illusions Cosmetics, and Host & Producer of Beauty Talk with Illusions. Perfect A perfect polished set of nails can often be described as elegant, and often be thought of as a job only for a professional. Honestly speaking, as a professional manicurist, I love it when another professional does my nails. But realistically, our budgets and schedules, don’t always allow time for professional services. This month, I will provide you with the steps to the perfect manicure. I start every manicure with a nail polish remover and cleaner. I love to use Zoya Remove+ to clean and remove any polish on my nails. I suggest using a non-acetone polish remover if you have acrylic or a hard gel applied to your nail. Filing and shaping your nails is the next step. Choose a nail shape that compliments your hands. It’s always suggested that you mimic the shape of your cuticle. File the nail in one direction to get the desired shape and buff both the tops and sides with a buffer to create a smooth surface. When filing, please be sure that nails are dry, if wet, they may split when filing. Cuticles. Working with the cuticles is an essential part of this entire process. Celebrity Nail Artist, Cyndi Daniels, says, “what makes a perfect manicure is when the cuticles are correctly done and the nails are nicely shaped”. I totally agree with her. When working with the cuticles, we want to first soak hands in warm water for about 3 minutes to soften the cuticles, and then after drying the nails, gently push the cuticle back away from the nails (using cuticle crème) with a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick, but don't push it too far because it can damage nail growth or fray the cuticles. And remember, the cuticles are there to protect the nail bed from bacteria, infection and other damage. Be careful NOT to cut into the cuticle in any way, however, you may nip off the free edge with a pair of cuticle nippers. 43