How to Perfect Your Waterless Manicure

A waterless manicure is a traditional manicure without the addition of water. This means that nails are not soaked in water before beginning the manicure, but the rest of the manicure process remains the same. When soaking hands in water during a manicure, the nail absorbs the water and then becomes damp and expands due to water absorption. Once the nail returns to its natural form when the water has dried, the polish is not able to move with the nail—which is what causes chips in nail lacquer.

A waterless manicure helps nail lacquer last longer on the nail as it helps to prevent any chipping due to the nail remaining in the same state throughout the manicure. If you want to learn how to perform your own waterless manicure at home, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Clean Your Hands

Before beginning any other manicure prep, it is important to make sure that your hands are clean of any residue. Apply a few drops of Super Clean No Rinse Cleansing Hand Crème and massage evenly onto hands, nails, and cuticles to help keep hands and nails clean with a 62% alcohol formula and an enchanting rose scent.

Step 2: Cuticle Care

Having clean cuticles is key to having a good manicure. To ensure that our cuticles are taken care of, apply Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator to cuticles to gently remove dry, overgrown cuticles without having to cut the cuticles. After applying Melt Away and waiting 2 minutes for the Cuticle Exfoliator to soak into cuticles, use a Signature 2-in-1 Glass Cuticle Pusher to gently push back cuticles to help create the appearance of longer, healthier-looking nails. 

Step 3: Scrub Your Nails

Once hands are clean from Super Clean and cuticles are pushed back, use our Nail Scrubbers to remove any old nail lacquer or residue from Melt Away and prep nails with a boost of Vitamin E and Aloe to hydrate nails and cuticles 

Step 4: Prime

Before going in with a nail colour, we need to prime the nails to help prep nails for a longer-lasting manicure. Award winning Horsepower Power Nail Rescue Basecoat leaves nails restored, revitalized and healthier-looking with good-for-nail ingredients such as Horsetail Extract, Biotin, Vitamin B and Calcium.

Step 5: Time for Colour!

Now that nails are cleansed and primed, it is time to go in with one to two coats of our Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer peoducts. Each of our nail lacquer hues are proven to promote brighter, stronger, healthier-looking nails with a gel-like finish and undeniable wear. Whether you choose a nail colour from our new Fall collection or a classic cheeky red in honour of the upcoming holidays, all Patent Shine 10X formulas will help smooth and strengthen nails with each chip-resistant coat. 

Step 6: Lock It In

To extend the life of your manicure, apply one coat of our high-performance Hardwear Shine UV Topcoat to lock in nail colour and help prevent fading. This ultra-glossy top coat is chip resistant and leaves nails with a brilliant shine.

Step 7: Quick Dry

Our P.D. Quick Dry Conditioning Drops help accelerate nail lacquer dry time so you can go about your day without having to wait longer than necessary for your nails to dry. This dry oil serum helps prevent nicks and smudges in nail lacquer while helping to condition nails and cuticles.

Step 8: Moisturize the Cuticles

Once nails are fully dry, go in with a pin-size amount of Quickfix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm to deliver moisture to dry cuticles with a non-greasy formula. Formulated with Coconut Oil and Avocado Oil, the no-mess cuticle massager hugs dry cuticles to help deliver maximum absorption.

Step 9: The Final Step

To complete your waterless manicure, apply our Extra Whip Hand and Foot Treatment with Shea Butter to indulge in uber-rich hydration. Formulated with moisture-locking ingredients such as Shea Butter and Cocoa Seed Butter, Extra Whip helps leave skin feeling softer and smoother after use.

If you try out this waterless manicure, be sure to tag us @butterLONDON on social media so we can check out your nail looks!