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How to Get the Perfect DIY Manicure

Nail your home mani

Founded as a nail salon in 2013 by the mani-obsessed Sarah Gibson Tuttle, Olive & June launched its own product line to elevate the home-mani experience. It includes The Poppy, a patented universal polish bottle handle designed to make DIY manicures easier. Nail your at-home mani with these tips from Sarah herself.

Step 1

Shape Start by clipping, buffing and filing your nails to your desired shape. Sarah recommends clipping 90% of the nail into the shape you want using a straight-edge clipper (which works for any shape) and filing the last 10%. “Think of your clipper as doing all the heavy lifting, and your file doing just the finishing touches,” she says. File gently and move in one direction to get your preferred shape. Lastly, gently buff the sides and top of your nails to create a smooth surface–key for salon-worthy results.

Step 2

Prep Remove old polish with nail polish remover. Olive & June’s Nail Polish Remover pot uses a gentle and effective non-acetone formula to remove polish without messy cotton or wipes. “It’s so easy,” says Sarah. “A couple of spins in the remover pot and your polish is gone.” Then, push back cuticles with your thumb and gently buff away ridges or peels in light, circular motions with a buffer. Afterward, dip each nail in nail polish remover to prep for painting.

Meet your new manicurist: The Poppy

The Poppy is Olive & June’s patented universal polish bottle handle designed to make DIY manicures easier.

Step 3

Poppy + Paint To pair your polish with The Poppy, remove the polish bottle overlap. Find the brush’s flat edge and line it up with the flat side of The Poppy and slide The Poppy onto the smaller inner cap or brush handle. Anchor your arm and hand on a flat surface and paint in 2–3 thin coats. “To make sure you polish doesn’t chip later, give yourself 5–10 minutes in between coats for your polish to dry,” says Sarah. While drying, dip your clean-up brush in your remover pot to smooth out any lines around your polish.

Nail art made easy

Choose your fave Olive & June stickers for an accent nail, mix and match for a unique look or cover up chipped polish in a pinch.

Step 4

Top Coat Every perfect manicure needs to be finished off with a top coat. A top coat is key for polishing off your nail look and can keep your mani looking fresh for 7+ days. Apply a thin later of top coat before allowing to dry for 20–30 minutes. “We love to apply top coat every 2–3 days,” says Sarah. “It really extends the life of your mani and it makes it look shiny and new again.” Olive & June’s glossy, cruelty-free, vegan Top Coat applies smoothly with a super-shiny finish.

Step 5

Hydrate Once your nails are totally dry, apply cuticle serum to your cuticles and sides of your nails. Olive & June Cuticle Serum is a lightweight, non-greasy, hydrating and soothing serum for cuticles that’s cruelty-free and vegan. “It’s the ultimate hydration for your cuticles and it’s going to make you mani look like you just walked out of the salon,” says Sarah. To use, simply twist the pen to release serum into the foam tip and apply around the cuticles. Tip: Apply 2–3 times a day for ultra-hydrated cuticles.

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