A manicure should be an integral part of your regular beauty routines. But, if you don't have the time or the finances to visit a salon for a manicure as often as you would like, you can always do it yourself in your own home. Here's our guide to getting a thorough DIY manicure performed by your very own hands for your very own hands.

1. Apply some nail varnish remover to a cotton ball so that it's semi-saturated than quickly remove the old varnish fram each nail, rubbing outwards from the cuticle to the tip. But try to avoid getting the remover into the cuiticle and surounding skin. Also, it is best to avoid varnish removers that contain acetone, even if the bottle states that they also contain conditioners. Aceone will dry out your nails, which is very unhealthy for them. When finished removing the varnish, rince away all traces of the remover using warm tap water. Dry your fingers thoroughly.

2. Shape your nails using a medium emery board, filing from one edge of the nail to the center, then from the other edge to the center. Hold the emery board at an angle of about 45 degrees so that you are mainly filing the underside of the nail. The most natural-looking and easiest-to-manage shape of finger nail is an oval shape, slightly squared at the tip. It is also the strongest shape.

3. Dampen your hands then massage them with an exfoliator. Either use a commercial exfoliating product or make some up yourself by mixing some coarse sea salt with an essential oil. This is great for the circulation!

4. Soak your fingers in a bowl of warm water.

5. Scrub the nails gently using a soft-bristled brush, then dry your hands thoroughly using a soft towel.

6. Massage some cuticle oil or cuticle softener well into the base of the nails. Leave it for a few minutes so that it is well absorbed. Then gently push back the cuticles using either a special hoof stick or a cotton bud. Remove the residue of the oil with a tissue then rinse the nails in warm water to finish.

7. Use cuticle scissors to remove any ragged cuticle skin or hangnails, being careful not to damge the underlying cuticle.

8. Moisturize the cuticle using cuticle oil, or if you don't possess any, you can use moisturizer cream.

9. Massage your hands and fingers thoroughly using hand cream.

10. Rinse your fingers to remove all traces of the cream and dry thoroughly, then you are ready to apply the nail varnish. Varnish is applied in four coats: a clear basecoat to protect the nails, then two thin coats of colored nail polish, and finally a top coat to seal in the color and protect the nail surface. You should let the basecoat dry for around three minutes before applying the polish. The nail polish is applied using three strokes working from the base to the tip of the nail, first of all along the center of the nail, then at either side. Leave three minutes between the coats, then five minutes drying before applying the top layer.

11. Use a white pencil to color underneath the tips of your nails to make them look brighter and add emphasis.

As an alternative to applying nail polish, you could try simply buffing your nails. This will make them smooth and shiny. Buff them gently in one direction only, from the base to the tip, raising the buffer after each stroke. So about ten strokes of the buffer on each nail.