Photo of Ayanda Sithole

Get salon perfect nails yourself with a DIY manicure

Improve your nail painting skills with these easy tricks

We all love the look of perfectly manicured salon nails but find it impossible to do it at home. You actually end up with nails looking worse than before you started. No need to worry anymore, there are hacks you can try to help you get perfectly manicured nails without going to the salon.

SEE ALSO: Shocking 3D nails that will leave you stunned

Here are a few tricks that can help nail that DIY manicure:

1. Apply multiple thin coats instead of one thick layer. A thick layer only dries at the top; therefore your manicure will be vulnerable to smudges.

2. Don’t shake your nail polish because that causes tiny air bubbles which create a lumpy and uneven surface when applied. Instead, roll the bottle between your hands.

3. Apply petroleum jelly around the nail so you can correct mistakes afterwards. This creates a barrier that prevents spills from sticking so you can wipe them off quickly and easily.

SEE ALSO: 7 home-made beauty tricks

4. Set your nails in ice water! Once your nails have air-dried, dunk them in ice cold water to set them instantly.

5. Fix a smudge by licking it. Yes it works, lick your finger and smoothen the smudge. The saliva softens the polish and helps smooth it out. Lick with tip of your tongue… don’t eat!

6. Nails peel in layers at the tip because of the way you file them. Swap your normal filer for a glass nail file to reduce damage.

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