How to Do a Manicure at Home - by Rouge&Whimsy

**Hi friends! I'm currently in Australia, swimming with sea turtles and singing at the Opera House. In the meantime, please show some love to this week's fun guest bloggers! I'll be home soon (hopefully with a kangaroo in my possession.)**

"Hi Julie Ann Art readers! I'm thrilled to be here today while Julie is hanging out down under! (so jealous). I blog over at rouge & whimsy and sell color-blocked totes. And I love pretty nails but my wallet doesn't always appreciate a professional mani or pedi.

I'm sure some of you are the same way. And I'm sure some of you, like me, have get to make do at home.

I have a few tips though that will help you achieve a nearly perfect salon manicure (with practice) right from your kitchen table or bathroom counter.

- moisturize + remove  Want to get that salon experience? Remove your nail polish and then soak your digits in a bowl of warm (not hot) water with oil. I drop some almond oil into my h20, but you could do olive oil if you'd like or another essential oil. Soak your fingers for a minute or two just to make the nails and cuticles softer.

- clip + file Thoroughly, thoroughly dry your nails with a towel and push back your cuticles. I actually just use the towel to push my cuticles back as I dry em. You can trim a few if they're gnarly-- otherwise, clip and file your nails into a nice, short square-oval shape.

- basecoat + topcoat I can not emphasize this enough! It's an added step, but it's a necessary added step. And while you may be tempted to buy the "all-in-one" nailpolish, I'd urge you to still add the base coat and topcoat each time.

- thin coats Rather than glop it on, do thin coats of your polish. Do even strokes vertically toward your fingertips. Practice makes perfect.

- patience this is also something I'm working on. I have a hard time sitting still and waiting for my nails to try but honestly this is something that will make or break your manicure. Just waiting those few extra minutes inbetween coats and before you go do anything is important!

- mess up? If you paint your nails at night, chances are the nail polish on your skin around your nail will wear off. I usually wash my hands and scrub around the nail too. And if that fails, a q-tip and remover does wonders to clean up the edges.

Thanks for having me Julie! I hope you have so much fun in Australia! Hug a kangaroo for me ;)"