Who doesn’t like a good party, especially one that promises to leave you feeling relaxed and looking great?

For your next get together with the girls (or any boys who may be interested) consider throwing a manicure party!

A manicure party is easy to throw and is a great reason to hang out with your best friends and family. You can throw yourself and your friends a pampering party any time of the year, since every woman loves to show off a great, new manicure no matter what the season.

Here are the basic tools you will need to prepare for the party:

• Basins or bowls that are large enough for one pair of hands
• Nail polish shades, including a base coat and a top coat
• Nail polish remover
• Nail clippers
• Nail files
• Orange sticks
• Nail brushes

If you don’t have all of the materials, or not enough of the materials, ask your guests to bring along some things with them. If you’re going beyond the old fashioned French manicure, have your girlfriends bring some of their favorite nail polish colors and shades along with them to the manicure party so you have a wider selection and so you and the other guests can try out a shade of nail polish you have never worn before!

Some optional things you may think of having include:

Wine or beverages
Snacks
Great music (you may opt for more soothing tunes if you are going for that relaxed, spa-like atmosphere)
A professional manicurist or two to help out or even perform the manicures

You can find a professional manicurist who may be wiling to help out at the party at any beauty store, department store, or even a cosmetology class. Not only will your party benefit from it, but the beautician will benefit from the bit of extra cash he or she will receive in return!

TIP: You can turn your manicure party into a manicure and pedicure party! All you need are some extra basins that are large enough to accommodate two feet.

Before or shortly after your guests arrive, fill the basins with warm water and place them on a table that is large enough to accommodate all of your guests. Set chairs up around the basins. Add a few drops of both liquid soap and your favorite essential oil into each basin for a truly relaxing experience, or you can allow your guests to choose the oil or oils of their choice once they arrive.

Before anyone begins to soak their hands in the basins, be sure to remove all traces of nail polish from their finger nails (or toenails) beforehand. Trim and file fingers to the length and shape desired, and then push back the cuticles on each finger so that they are even. Place hands in the bin, allow them to soak for ten minutes, and then scrub beneath and on top of the nails with a nail brush. Rinse and towel dry hands, and then you can get to applying one another’s nail polish!

TIP: Never forget to apply a base coat before any colored nail polish shade are applied, and follow up with a top coat. Allow each coat of nail polish to dry completely before applying the next coat.