I often wonder what percentage of women goes to the salon for their mani/pedi vs. those that do it at home. Since I fall mostly in the latter category, I still want mine to last as long as the ones I’ve gotten in the salon. And what’s their secret to the longevity? The prep! So the last time I went I observed and observed and came to a few conclusions.

So I have to ask ... 

What Makes for a Good Mani/Pedi?

A few things seem to make a mani/pedi last and skipping just one in the process can make all the difference in it lasting a few extra days.

1. Don’t soak your nails after taking off polish. It can diminish nail polish adhesion.

2. Apply a nail dehydrator the nail bed like this CUCCIO Dehydrator ($8 @ hbbeautybar.com). It will remove any traces of any product left on nails to help the polish adhere better.

3. A good base coat – this is so key! A base coat will also prevent nails from turning yellow, especially if you are wearing a dark color.

4. Make sure you keep nail beds and hands moisturized while wearing polish. For cuticles, I apply CUCCIO Conditioning Butter Stick in my favorite scent they make, Milk & Honey ($7 @ amazon.com) and for hands I slather on FRESH Brown Sugar Hand Cream ($18.50/2.5oz @ fresh.com). Afterward, if my hands aren’t too slippery, I gently push back my cuticles with a cuticle pusher like the one shown in the picture that you can find on amazon. The curved end makes it super easy to push cuticles back. 

5. And when I’m doing a pedi, I follow the above, however, I do give my tootsies a good sugar scrub down with Moisturizing Body Truffles ($3.75/1oz @ bonblissity.com) from the BON BLISS line. I know, it says “body” in the name but these are the perfect size to use on both feet and you can really target certain areas of the feet. And these smell so amazing! This Sweet Satsuma smells of mandarin orange.

Do you have any suggestions for getting the best at-home mani/pedi?

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.