How to apply Zahara Nail Polishes Like A Pro

We are all too familiar with the sadness of a professional manicure that has expired. For 2 —or if you're lucky, 3—glorious days you feel like a woman with her life together. And then you see a chip, and your life falls apart. Or — you’ve never experienced a professional nail session because the nail salons you know don’t stock Halal nail polishes. 

You’re in luck. You can get a professional manicure at home with some simple tools you can get from the drugstore and the Zahara polish of your choice!

File: fit your nail file directly under your fingernail so that it is between the skin on the tip of your finger and the underside of your nail. Drag the nail file in one direction across the tip of your nail in short, sharp strokes. For a more rounded look, curve the nail file around the underside of the corners of your fingernail. Always file in one direction, not back and forth. File until you have reached the desired length and shape.

2. Buff: Grasp the buffer in the same way you would your nail file and gently rub it over the top of your nail in short strokes. Work from your cuticle to the tip, buffing in one direction only.

3. Cuticles: You can either use a cuticle softener or regular body lotion (hint: lotion works best after soaking in a shower or bath). Apply the lotion to your cuticles and rub them with your pointer finger. After you have rubbed your cuticles down, brush them gently in one direction with a cuticle buffer or regular nail buffer.

4. Wash & Prep: After you have finished buffing your cuticles, wash your hands and scrape off any residue around your cuticles and under your nail.
   
   
5. Choose your colour: This is the fun part!
   
   
6. Prep the Brush: Dip your brush into the bottle. Drag the brush up out of the bottle while wiping the brush on the rim of the bottle. Without re-dipping the brush, slowly wipe the other side of the brush on the opposite side of the rim; pressing firmly so the brush slightly fans. Continue to pull the brush all the way out of the bottle while wiping the paint off on the rim.

The goal is to push the paint toward the tip on one side of the brush. When done successfully the brush should have a slight crescent shape. This takes practice, but it is the secret ingredient to professionally manicured nails!

8. First Coat: Support the finger of the nail-in-question with your thumb (if you're painting your thumb-nail, support your thumb with your middle finger). Starting at the cuticle, apply the tip of the brush to your nail. Press down, allowing the brush to fan out, and draw the brush to the tip of your nail, again moving from left to right to get an even coat. You can choose to apply a second coat if you’d like.
   
   
9. Sealing the Tips: After applying the second coat, go back to the left most tip of the nail and drag your brush along the edge. This seals the the paint off on the tip of the nail and prolongs the life of your manicure!