Nail Kit and 10 Step Manicure for Makeup Artists

As makeup artists our job doesn’t end once the face is done, the appearance of the body as a whole is our responsibility. When it comes to the hands and feet you should at the very least be making sure the nails are clean and tidy but a quick manicure or pedicure could be in order particularly when shooting beauty or if the models nails are in poor condition.

Here are some products you should carry in your nail kit:
Soft Toothbrush
Small Bowl
Nail Clippers
Emery Boards
Buffer
Cuticle Oil
Cuticle Pusher/Orange Sticks
Cuticle Clippers
Nail Polish Remover – Must be oil free and suitable for both natural and fake nails.
Lint Free Nail Wipes
Pumice Stone
White Nail Pencil
Sanitiser (available at beauty supply stores)
Hand Cream
Top Coat
Nude Polish
Red Polish
2 or 3 Trend Colours

Check out this fab Tweezerman nail kit as a starter set.

10 Steps to achieve the perfect manicure.
1. Remove any old polish. By using lint free nail wipes you won’t get little bits of cotton wool flying around which can get stuck in your polish when painting the nails later!

2. Apply cuticle oil and soak in warm soapy water if required.

3. Gently push back the cuticle using either a cuticle pusher or an orange stick and remove any excess cuticle with the clippers. It is probably a good idea to practice this on yourself so you don’t hurt the model or cause any damage to the nail bed when working on others.

4. Shape the nails with an emery board. Nail shapes change over the years so pay attention to what is in fashion.

5. Lightly buff the nails to prep the nail, remove ridges and bring out shine.

6. Clean off the nails paying attention to under the finger nails with your soft toothbrush and bowl of water.

7. For a natural manicure dip the tip of your white pencil in water and use to whiten the underside of the nails. You can follow with a dry cotton bud to soften the look or even transfer the white from the pencil to the cotton bud and use the bud instead of the pencil to whiten under the nail for a softer look.

8. Clean the nails to prep for the polish by wiping with an oil free polish. Use your lint free wipes to help you achieve a flawless finish when painting.

9. Paint the nails paying close attention to the sides so there are no gaps and follow with a top coat for added shine and finish.

10. Finish up by using hand cream to bring life to the hands and improve the general appearance.

As you know time is always of the essence when working so practice on as many people you can to get your speed up and remember to sanitiser your tools after each use as you would with your brushes!