6 Nail Art Looks That Are Perfect for Square Manis

In a world where “ballerina,” “coffin” and “claw” are all words used to describe nail shapes, “square” can sound pretty basic. It’s true that square-shaped nails are a classic, but that doesn’t mean they need to be boring. If you’re a square nail lover looking to spice up your manicures, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite manis on Instagram that are perfect for square nails.

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Geometric 

The filled-in squares and overlapping outlines play off of the square shape here. Plus, we love the pops of colors.

With Love

This is not your average heart design mani — it’s a heart French mani that puts a whole new spin on the classic.

Cow Print French Tips

Cow print is having a moment in fashion right now. Get your nails in on the action, too!

A Little Bit of Everything

When you don’t know what design to do, do all of them! These square nails with various colorful printed tips are anything but basic.

Top Two 

This set keeps things classic by incorporating French tips, but keeps things interesting by only having two nails sport the design.

Glow Bright 

This almost glow-in-the dark design lines the frame of your nails, bringing attention to the sharp square shape. Slap on Essie Matte About You Matte Finisher before you paint your neon lines for a smooth backdrop that doesn’t distract from the design.

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Best Press-On Nails to Fake a Flawless Manicure

Gone are the days when press-on nails popped off every few minutes or came in limited, cringe-worthy variations. In recent years, fake nails have gotten stronger and more natural-looking and the designs have gotten prettier and cooler. Thank goodness, because, with salons closed at the moment, we miss having the opportunity to play with different nail shapes, lengths, designs, and finishes at our every whim.

A few weeks ago, we discovered a brand called Pressed Bby that sells really dope luxury press-on nails at a reasonable price. Nothing can beat a good down the street drugstore pressed-ons. But, Pressedbby luxury press-on is for the win. Your at-home mani game is about to get stronger than ever.

Below are some of Pressed Bby luxury pressed-on that caught our eye.

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SHOP PRESSEDBBY.COM

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Visit www.pressedbby.com to order your own luxury pressed-on and remember, if you don’t see the style that makes you do cartwheels, then just create your own with them.

Hope you all enjoy today’s post and stay healthy and happy!

ARE YOU A PRESSED-ON OR ALL NATURAL TYPE OF GAL? COMMENT BELOW!

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GIVE YOURSELF A SALON-LIKE PEDICURE AT-HOME WITH THESE 9 EASY STEPS

As tempting as it is to dish out money for a salon pedicure (I mean, the massage, you guys), it’s not always doable. Thankfully, it is possible to achieve salon-quality results at home. Ahead, find out the must-have products and a step-by-step tutorial on how to DIY a salon-quality Pedi in the comfort of your own home — for a fraction of the price.

DIY Pedicure Step #1: Let Your Nail Polish Remover Do Its Thing

Completely remove any nail polish that’s still on your nails using nail polish remover and a cotton pad. If you don’t have any leftover polish, you should still run remover over your nails to remove any excess oil on the nail bed.

DIY Pedicure Step #2: Soak Your Feet Like You’re at the Spa

Fill your tub with warm water and soap (body wash will do!) and let your feet soak for 15 minutes. (Pro tip: While you’re in the rest and relaxation mode, break out a face mask.) 

DIY Pedicure Step #3: Get Rid of Dead Skin

After drying off your feet, use a foot file to remove any dead skin from calloused, hard areas. Pay attention to the balls of your feet, the sides of your feet and your heels. Scrape these areas until they feel smooth, but don’t overdo it — you could end up causing irritation. 

DIY Pedicure Step #4: File and Shape Your Nails

Use a nail trimmer to achieve the length and shape you want. We recommend cutting straight across and then going in with a nail file to buff out the corners. According to Hadley, a big mistake people make is cutting their cuticles. “Trimming or cutting cuticles during a Mani or Pedi is purely cosmetic and sometimes it doesn’t benefit the nail in any way,” says Hadley. “The cuticle is a barrier to protect your surrounding skin and protect against infection.”

DIY Pedicure Step #5: Apply Cuticle Oil

Apply cuticle oil like Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil to the base of your nail. “Cuticle oil doesn’t just keep your feet soft and moisturized, but it also keeps your polish from chipping,” says Hadley. 

DIY Pedicure Step #6: Moisturize

Moisturize your feet with an unscented lotion to keep the skin hydrated and smooth. “Scented lotions with synthetic fragrances can cause your nail polish to crack.” We love La Roche-Posay Lipikar Daily Repair Body Lotion for this step. 

DIY Pedicure Step #7: Prep Your Toes

Use toe separators (you can buy a 12-pack for cheap online) to make painting your toes easier and avoid making a mess.

DIY Pedicure Step #8: Apply Your Polish

“Don’t forget your base coat because it gives your nail polish something to sink into besides your actual nails,” says Hadley. After about two minutes, the base coat should be dry. Then, you’re ready to go in with a color. Apply two to three coats of nail polish, making sure each coat has dried. Make sure to build thin coats of polish; thick strokes will have the paint looking clumpy and take longer to dry. 

DIY Pedicure Step #9: Finish With a Quick-Drying Top Coat

Finish with a top coat so your nails maintain high shine and luster. Because nail polish takes about 12 hours to harden, Hadley recommends sticking your feet in cold water for a few minutes to help your nail polish solidify. 

HOW TO DIY THE PERFECT AT-HOME PEDICURE IN 10 EASY STEPS

As tempting as it is to dish out money for a salon pedicure (with the soaking, foot scrubbing, massage — the works) it’s not always doable, especially when you already splurged on makeup in the beginning of the week and are left to question your self-control. So if you currently find yourself in a similar position and are in desperate need of a pedi, we’re here to prove that it’s possible to achieve salon-quality results pedicure in the comfort of your own home — for a lot less money.

STEP 1: Let Your Nail Polish Remover Do Its Thing

Completely remove any nail polish that’s still on your toenails using nail polish remover and a cotton pad. If you don’t have any leftover polish, you should still run nail polish remover over your nail to remove any excess oil.

Primp Tip: If you’re left with any weird stains or a yellow tinge (you’ll usually see this after removing darker colors, like red or black), rub cuticle oil over the surface of your nails to lighten any residue.

STEP 2: Soak Your Feet Like You’re at the Spa

Okay, before you start soaking, your first job—and this is important—is to go around your house and gather every candle you can find. Oh, and get yourself a glass of wine while you’re at it. The trick to making an at-home pedicure feel like a spa experience instead of, you know, rubbing your own feet in your too-small-for-comfort apartment is setting the ~mood~ at your makeshift pedicure station.

Once the ambiance is right, you’re ready to soak your feet—which softens tough skin and cuticles (and is downright relaxing). Lennon suggests using a basin (aka a really big bowl) if you have one, but your bathtub is also a sound option. Fill ’er up with warm water and add a liberal scoop of skin-soothing bath salts (Lennon recommends Côte Re-Treat Himalayan Pink Salt Soak, but you can also try my favorite Kneipp Mineral Bath Salts or just use a cup of kosher salt). Let your feet soak for a few minutes before moving to the next step. This is a great opportunity to multitask and try out that new face mask.

STEP 3: Get Rid of Dead Skin

After drying off your feet, use a foot file to remove any dead skin from callused (hard) areas. Parts to pay attention to are the balls of your feet, the sides of your feet and your heels. Scrape these areas until they feel smooth, but don’t overdo it. Try a pumice stone or foot file to gently smooth the skin. Then, switch your feet and repeat.

STEP 4: File and Shape Your Nails

Use a nail trimmer to achieve the length and shape you want (we recommend trimming nails straight across). Follow by filing the corners of your nails and buffing to make them smooth. According to Hadley, a big mistake people make at this point in the process is cutting their cuticles. “Trimming or cutting cuticles during a manicure or pedicure is purely cosmetic and sometimes it doesn’t benefit the nail in any way,” she explains. “The cuticle is a barrier to protect your surrounding skin and protect against infection.”

STEP 5: Apply Cuticle Oil

Apply cuticle oil to the base of your nail. Cuticle oil doesn’t just keep your feet soft and moisturized, but it also keeps your polish from chipping.

STEP 6: Moisturize

Take both feet out of the tub and dry them off with a towel. With a foot cream or body lotion, begin massaging your toes, feet, and calves until, well, you wanna stop. Moisturize your feet with an unscented lotion. “Scented lotions with synthetic fragrances can cause your nail polish to crack.”

STEP 7: Prep Your Toes

Use toe separators (you can buy a 12-pack for cheap online) to make painting your toes easier and avoid making a mess.

If you don’t have toe separators, Lennon suggests tearing off a piece of paper towel, rolling or twisting it into a rope, and weaving it through your toes to prevent the polish from smudging.

STEP 8: Apply Your Base Coat

Then, apply a thin layer of base coat on each nail. Follow with two thin coats of your color of choice, letting the paint dry for a few minutes between each coat.

STEP 9: Finally, Do the Damn Thing

Paint on your base coat and wait at least two minutes to ensure it’s dry. Don’t forget your base coat because it gives your nail polish something to sink into besides your actual nails.

STEP 10: Finish With a Quick-Drying Top Coat

Finish with a top coat so your nails maintain high shine and luster. Because nail polish takes about 12 hours to harden.

Primp Tip: Recommends sticking your finished toenails into cold water for a few minutes to make your nail polish harden faster and help it solidify.

Tell me: Do you do your own nails?