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While some people have a standing biweekly nail appointment at their local salon, others prefer to take matters into their own hands with a good old fashioned DIY manicure. (Hey, not everyone can afford to have their arms rubbed with steaming hot rocks all the time, and that’s OK.) Still, unless you’re using press-on nails, it’s not always easy to give yourself the perfect at-home manicure.
Of course, there are the easy parts, like picking out your nail polish color and swiping on a few coats of your go-to shade, but anyone who’s gotten a russian manicure knows: it’s all the prep that comes beforehand that differentiates between a good manicure and a bad one. If you’ve ever gotten your nails done by a professional nail technician, you’ve probably seen that there are a number of different tools involved in the aforementioned prep. Figuring out what each tool’s specific function is can be kind of overwhelming, which is why we’re here to break it all down for you with some of our favorite tips and tricks.
Whether you’re looking for the right tool to finally snip away hangnails or dry skin, or the best file for preserving nail length – we’ve got you covered. Ahead, keep reading for a list of all of the tools you need for the perfect DIY manicure, as well as exactly how to use them.