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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Tori Crowther

Trust me, as a nail technician these are hands down the best manicure and pedicure tools I recommend for at-home use

Manicure and pedicure tools - image of a woman with her chin on the back of her hand showing her beautiful nails - gettyimages1468504863.

As a beauty editor and nail tech, my favourite pieces to write about, are thing like 2024 nail trends, like the Ukranian manicure and pastel pedicures. And my office is a haven of manicure and pedicure tools. 

I pretty much tried all there is to try to perfect the at-home mani/pedi. From prepping to polishing and then maintaining, there are a few key things that I think your nail game benefits from. The best part? They aim to make your nail polish routine easier, not more complicated, so that you can focus on choosing your spring nail art designs and pedicure shade trends

These are the 18 products that I always come back to for that perfect at-home manicure and pedicure. 

Manicure Tools

How to prep for an at-home manicure

First up is the preparation, which is essential to any manicure—probably more so than you think. We're covering filing, nipping, pushing and wiping in this prepping segment. Understanding how to use a cuticle nipper properly, where and how to file, what on earth an orange wood stick is and the one step that most people miss, which is the key to a long-lasting, (almost) professional-looking manicure. 

How to paint the nails

Now onto the fun part... painting. The trick to painting your nails well is patience, a flat surface, laying all of your tools out at the beginning, and clean-up tools. We've outlined a bunch of tools here you might need and exactly how to use them. 

How to maintain an at-home manicure

Once you've done the hard work in prep and polish, it's time to keep it well-maintained. The trick to doing that? Moisture. Keeping on top of applying cuticle oil ensures moisturised skin, resulting in less hangnails and it also makes your manicure last longer as your nails aren't drying out, which causes chipping. And then nothing beats a great hand cream to keep your hands looking moisturised but also looking and feeling flake and irritation-free.

Pedicure Tools

How to prep for a pedicure 

Just like a manicure, prepping for a pedicure is the key step in the process. You can do a physical or chemical exfoliation (sometimes both but proceed with caution if you do) to give a smooth skin base. You can use the same tools as your manicure with your pedicure (you might want to spritz with sanitising spray) to trim and file to create your ideal nail length. 

How to paint your toenails 

Painting your toenails is similar to your fingernails but a little more difficult for obvious reasons. I recommend getting some toe separators and a clean-up tool to give you the cleanest finish possible. 

How to care for your pedicure

Just like a manicure, to keep your pedi look its best, keep topped up with moisturiser and cuticle oil, particularly before bed. 

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