My At Home Manicure Routine

I say my 'at home' manicure routine as if I have a manicure routine that isn't at home, whereas the truth is I've never actually had my nails done professionally, partly because I love doing them myself and partly because, well, expensive. I love doing my nails so much and tend to redo them about once every three or four days so I'm surprised I've never actually written about this before! It's nothing particularly long or fancy but here is my at home manicure routine:

The first thing I do is pick the colour I want to paint my nails. At the moment Mocha by Barry M is one of my favourites, but I have plenty to choose from! (I need to go on a nail varnish spending ban). Then to prep my nails I file any jagged edges away and use Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream on my cuticles and usually all over my nails as well. I don't push my cuticles back or anything like that - I've always been told that's something best left to the experts and so I just try to keep them healthy by using cuticle butter. Next I use the Helping Hands hand cream from Lush. This is the best hand cream for people with really dry hands - I don't usually suffer from dry hands, but since renovating a house the wallpaper stripping has got a bit too much for them and they are complaining! I told you it wasn't a particularly fancy routine. I usually just do two coats of colour and on a normal day I don't bother with a top coat because I don't like my nails to look too shiny. Most of my nail varnish collection is Barry M which I find lasts a few days without a top coat anyway.

And that is literally it. It's very simple and fuss free which suits me just fine!

What's your at home manicure routine? Do you have a favourite nail varnish at the moment?

Amy x