Do you have natural or acrylic nails?

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I used to go to the salon and get my nails done every 2 weeks. Mainly becos of the job that I had, and it was almost impossible to keep my natural nails. After about a year of doing this, I had them removed. OH MY GOODNESS! I was shocked at the damage they caused to my nail bed. It was almost like I didnt have any nail at all, it was red, ridged from the fill ins and they HURT! I vowed from that day no more! I now do my own manicure every week and have long natural nails that I get complimented on all the time, you can too! You will need: -File, a smooth grain for natural nails -Buffer: this can be the block buffer like the salons use, or you can buy a 3 way buffer -Cuticle Remover Cream: I use Sally Hansens, its under $5 and it will last you a very long time -Cuticle Pushing sticks: I like the ones from Sally Beauty Supply, (under $2 for a package of 5) they are thin and not as sharp as the ones from Wal-Mart. You dont want to damage your cuticles -Anti-bacterial Soap and a Nail Brush (an old toothbrush will work just as well) -Clear top coat polish, or your fave colour Once you have all your supplies start out by filing your nails. Getting rid of all the rough edges. I like to file my nails square, this way they are more acceptable to picking things up, and dont seem to break so easy as a rounded nail. Once you have them filed, use your buffer to remove ridges, and soften the filing. You can buff the whole nail bed, but I mostly concentrate on just the tips. It makes them very white and you can achieve a French Manicure without any polish. The cuticle cream has directions on the back of the tube; you line your cuticle with the cream and let it set for about 5 mins, no more than 8. Take your cuticle sticks and push the skin back gently. Even if you dont have much of a nail growing, they will still appear longer after doing this. This is just a loosening process, when you scrub your nails with the brush it should removed the cuticle that you loosened with the stick. If you see a bit of cuticle left, you can take your stick and try to loosen it again and then with your nails or a pair of tweezers pull it off. Now your ready to wash, with your anti-bacterial soap and brush use gentle strokes along your cuticles with luke warm water. Be sure and use the brush on the underside of the nail and remove all the dust and particles. Dry your hands and polish! I guarantee that after 4 weeks you will have strong natural nails, and have saved your pocket book a ton as well!