As a manicurist, living in Arezzo, Italy, that has been doing nails professionally since 2013, it is safe to say I qualify to give some “tips” on how to keep your manicures beyond your wedding day and throughout your honeymoon.
My name is Julia Macander, I live in Arezzo, Italy and my passion for nails was born when a friend gifted me a nail reconstruction treatment back in 1994. From there, I began to love everything regarding the nail world, but the real work began in 2013. In the years since, I have always given great importance to training as a nail artist. I have performed 46 courses, 2 campuses, and participated in 2 competitions in Italy. The competition that gave me the opportunity to approach brides was “Bridesmaid Shabby Chic”, which was a revelation. The wedding day, one of the most important days of our life, is all about wanting to be perfect! From hair to makeup, without forgetting the dress of our dreams and nails. But the questions about nails can be many. What if they break? What if they don’t last for the whole honeymoon? These questions highlight the importance of the skill of the nail tech you choose. How does one complete a proper manicure that lasts for the whole month? The main things are good preparation of the natural nail, using good products, and using them correctly. This is the way to have a long lasting manicure.
- We move the cuticles backwards with an orange stick or a cuticle pusher and finish by passing a special diamond tip to remove the remaining cuticles attached to the nail plate
- Remove the shine from the natural nail with a 180 grit file. It is very important to remove the shine, but you must not file the nail plate excessively.
- Let’s move on to cutting the cuticles with nippers or fine scissors. We must be very careful not to cut or stab the cuticles. Injured cuticles look very bad in photos and mess-up the manicure.
- Let’s clean our work well by removing all of the dust and impurities from the fingers using a pad soaked in isopropyl alcohol. We then apply a nail dehydrator and an acid primer, being careful not to put them on the cuticles, then allow to dry completely. The last step is the acid base which will go into a UV lamp for 60 seconds or a LED lamp for 120 seconds.
- Now we can start working with the product we prefer. This preparation is suitable for all types of manicure: soak-off, gel, or acrylic.
Paying attention and respecting the parameters, which I learned in the courses, can make the nails last 30 days without problems. My favorite and most-reliable products are VANITY NAIL ART SCHOOL by Oksana Bilous. I use his entire line: primers, gels, acrygels, acrylics, color gels, and polishes. I prefer them to others because VANITY NAIL ART SCHOOL do not change color over time thanks to the inclusion of UV protection. This prevents the white of the French manicure from turning yellow or brown.
For now, these are some basic “tips” that you can share with your professional that may inspire them to help your manicure last beyond your wedding day.
