As many of you probably know by now I do my own nails. And I’ve written a post about nail tools you never knew you needed, how to heal cracked cuticles, and how to grow long healthy nails but I’ve never actually sat down and showed you guys my full home manicure kit. I recently bought a basket to keep it all in so that way I don’t have to carry stuff around every time I do my nails and when I saw all the stuff together it hit me. Duh, Nicole. Show the peoples. So here I am, showing the peoples.

via GIPHY

Ok ok I’ll tell you, calm down. ????

As a matter of fact not only will I show you what’s in the box, but I will list it all for you and let you know how I use it and why aaaaaand the picture below is shoppable so if you click and item it will take you to where you can buy it online! Technology, huzzah!

• 100% ACETONE NAIL POLISH REMOVER// This may be slightly controversial because 100% acetone polish remover is more drying than nail polish remover that has added conditioners and things of that nature. But for me, I find that those conditioners actually make my polish chip faster. So with 100% acetone not only does my polish last longer, but that also means that I do them less often so I think it all evens out.
• NEOSPORIN & BANDAIDS// No this is not in case I accidentally chop my finger into bits while doing my nails, this is for jacked up cuticles. If you have peeling, cracked, dry, cuticles this combo is your best friend. I have an ancient blog post where I explain how to use them to fix this problem HERE. If you have cuticle issues I suggest you read it, it’s a game changer.
• CUTICLE NIPPERS// Also explianed in the aforementioned post is cuticle nippers. I don’t like to cut back my cuticles as a part of my manicure routine but if you have cracked peeling pieces of cuticle hanging off and you are prone to picking them, it is definitely better to snip them away. Keep these things handy and resist the urge to pick and snip them away instead. Your cuticles will thank you.
• ORANGE STICKS// Again, another thing I have mentioned (and this time recently). These are super multi-taskers. You can clean under the nails, push back cuticles and even clean up the edges of your polish.
• LINT FREE NAIL WIPES// I started using this rather than cotton pads around a year ago and they have changed my life. That is an extreme exaggeration but they have changed my home manicure game in a big way. I can’t even tell you how annoyed I would get when a piece of cotton lint ended up in my wet polish. Full on hulk rage, man. But now I buy these lint free wipes on amazon, and no more hulk. The decrease in manicure do-overs is astounding.
• NAIL POLISH THINNER// This one is self explanatory but its crazy how many people don’t keep it on hand. Thickened polish is not going to go on cute. Keep a bottle of this stuff, add a few drops if you color of choice is thick and thank me later.
• CND RESCUE RX NAIL OIL// Hands down this is the only nail oil or strengthener (this one is technically both) that has ever stopped my nails from peeling. Not only are my nails longer and stronger than ever but I notice an immediate difference if I skip it. I have a little trick to using it that you can read about HERE
• INSTANT CUTICLE REMOVER// For routine cuticle removal you can not beat this stuff. Specifically this Sally Hansen brand one though, I have tried other and they don’t work as well. You literally just squeeze some on and wait a few seconds, seriously just a few seconds and your excess cuticle skin just brushes away.
• NAIL BRUSH// Speaking of brushing, I said it before and I’ll say it again, have a nail brush in your home manicure kit. I like to use it after I apply the CND treatment and the Instant cuticle remover. I simply put a little hand soap on the brush and scrub the nails. It washes away the cuticle skin that the remover dissolved as well as any oil left over and random dirt and debris that might be hanging around. Don’t tell me you don’t have dirt and debris, we all do and your hands get down and dirty probably more than you think.
• COARSE & FINE NAIL FILES// Obvs you need a nail file. But why two? A coarse file will be effective for taking off length and reshaping your nails when you need to do that, but the problem is it leaves the edges raggedy You might not even be able to see the raggedness but it’s there. The fine file isn’t good for big changes but it will give you a smooth edge, which makes the nails less prone to chipping and break. It will also allow for fine adjustments in shape, so you don’t go to make it more round and end up with a stub, ya feel me?
• ESSIE 3 WAY GLAZE BASE COAT// Hands down the best base coat ever. In my humble opinion. I’ve tried more expensive ones and I just keep coming back.
• ESSIE GEL SETTER TOP COAT// Again, just my opinion but this is he best top coat ever. I wrote about it last year when I first got it and I literally haven’t used anything else since. My manicures are still lasting longer than they ever have. EVER

The polishes in the picture are just ones that I’ve been digging at the moment, but obviously if you go the route of buying a wee basket like I did you might want to keep those in there too. I got the basket on Amazon but I honestly think I would have been better off with a slightly smaller one so maybe look around target or whatever local store sells things of that nature.

Now if you’re new around here you might be thinking “woman your nails could look like trash, why should I take your advice?”

There is a photo I posted on instagram recently. Those are my real nails and that’s after wearing that polish for almost a week. I’m pretty damn happy with this routine.

Alright that’s enough rambling for now. If you’ve been trying to build up your home manicure supplies and felt like you were missing those final touches, hopefully this helps. Go forth and have dope nails, my friends.