Friday, December 05, 2014

Cuticle Cleanup Routine (+ Video)

Friday, December 05, 2014
Hi everyone!

One of my most asked questions (and requested videos) always seems to be about how I achieve the perfect line of polish near my cuticles.  I've actually been asked many times if it's photoshopped even.

I think cleaning up a manicure is one of the most important parts of a manicure, and everyone should be adding this to their routine, if you haven't already.  I know this is not a new discovery for those of you who paint your nails as much as I do, but I thought I would get into to all the extra details here, including my preferred brushes and everything else I've learned from using this technique everyday.

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Brushes:
I generally use a small flat brush, "La Corneille 7450 Chisel (size 2)", which is what I've been using for as long as I can remember.  I've tried different brands in the same size, which work just as well for me, however, some brands / hairs definitely hold up better in the acetone.  Recently though, I've started using a small angled brush, "La Corneille 7400 Angular (size 1/8)", and I'm really enjoying it.  It's not as stiff, but it's super thin (you can see this in my video below), so I love that I can create a beautiful line and keep it extremely close to my cuticle.  I purchase them both at the craft store Michael's.

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Pure Acetone:
This is what I can't live without.  I do not use it as regular nail polish remover because I can't stand how it feels and how it dries out the skin.  I just use a small amount for cleaning up my manicures, (and for other nail art designs, etc.).  I have tried using non-acetone and acetone-based removers, and it does not work for me, so pure acetone is a must.  It's also the only thing that will clean my brushes, since I only use nail polish for my nail art.  I purchase the Beauty Secrets Pure Acetone at Sally Beauty Supply.  I've been told it's the same as what you can buy at hardware stores, but I haven't tried it.

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Extra notes:
I do paint quite neat already, always avoiding my cuticles, but cleaning the excess polish really does make a huge difference in the finished product.  I would just say to try your best not to get the polish on or under the cuticles because your job will be much harder.  I also always just remove tiny bits at a time, rather than trying to do one quick swipe of acetone, because there's really nothing worse than removing too much or smudging the polish all over the place.  I've definitely removed too much a few times, and just ended up taking off the entire nail to start over, haha.

In the video below, you can see me clean up a simple black manicure (A England Camelot).  As you'll see, I also apply my top coat after I clean up, and the reason for this is because I find when the polish is still a bit wet the line is much nicer than if I clean up after applying the top coat.  Sometimes top coats just dry too fast and then the cuticle line isn't as perfect as I'd like.   If I get any top coat on my cuticles, I just take the brush again and remove it, but this rarely happens (plus it's clear, so it's not a big deal anyways).



I hope this is somewhat helpful, and if you have any other comments or questions, feel free to leave them down below.

Thank you for reading! :)


Kristin



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12 comments :

  1. Fantastic! Your lines really are so neat and clean all the time :-) What top coat do you use? I use Seche Vite, but if I apply it after cleanup then I always get weird shrinkage at the cuticle :-/

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    1. Thank you! I've been using the Butter London Hardwear top coat and loving it. I don't have any shrinkage issues with it (or my other favorite, CND Super Shiney), but I know Seche is known for that unfortunately. :(

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  2. I may just run out and get that brush. You really do have perfect skin and nails. So glamorous. Hope one day mine can be as nice as yours!

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    1. Thank you so much! Highly recommend that brush, it's awesome! :)

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  3. This is such a helpful video, thank you. What a difference clean-up makes using one of these brushes! I have a cheap angled brush that came in a budget set, and using it has definitely improved my finished manicures. I couldn't do without it now! However, I will look out for the brush you used when mine needs replacing.

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  4. Beautiful! I love to see what other people use for their cleanup routine, especially clean-line perfectionists like myself.

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    1. Thank you! I love to see it as well, it’s always so interesting. :)

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  5. Awesome video! I can't do without my cleanup brushes anymore. One thing though, when cleaning up darker polishes I always seem to get a subtle wash of the dark colour around my cuticles/around my nails, could that be because I use regular remover for cleanup? Your lines are so crisp!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! It could be; pure acetone definitely works best for me, but when I also clean up dark polishes, I usually have to go over the same spot a few times with the acetone to really remove it (and always clean off the brush well in between!). Sometimes certain polishes / brands are just worse than others too, so it’s hard to get away from. :)

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  6. Very cool video. Indeed, like many, I can't live (err, polish :D) without this trick anymore. But this encouraged me to stop being so cheap and splurge a bit more on a good quality brush, as all the cheapo ones till now simply disintegrated after a while.

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    1. Thank you! It's definitely worth it to get some good brushes. I'm always grabbing them when I go to the store too, because half the time they aren't there, and I definitely don't want to run out, haha. :)

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