Brides spend months planning, prepping, and carefully crafting their wedding day look: working out, getting facials, attending numerous dress fittings, visiting a hair salon, etc. Oftentimes, nail care is a last-minute thought on their list, but it is equally important – especially when you are going to be showing off that sparkly ring.  

Suzanne Shade, Founder of Bare Hands and the inventor of the Dry Gloss Manicure, offers her expertise on how to keep your wedding nails looking pristine the whole weekend of your destination wedding.

Step 1: Soften your cuticles.

If you’re just starting out in your natural nail journey, chances are you’ll need to soften your cuticles before pushing them back neatly. I recommend using a paste of coconut oil and sugar and letting that sink in for at least 10 minutes before wiping it off. This will make them pliable enough to push back gently with orange wood sticks. 

Step 2: Shape the nails.

The best way to determine this will be based on your nail beds’ natural curve. If you have steeply curved nail beds, then a sharp side cut is fine without compromising the nail. If your nail beds are much flatter, those steep cuts will make them prone to peeling and breaking.  

Step 3: Let your natural nails shine.

Using a glass polisher is the fastest, most precise way to get a high gloss shine. It removes the superficial layer of keratin on the nail bed to create the effect. It will take a week to grow back to “dull.”

Step 4: Finish up with a nutrient-dense cuticle oil.

A brush pen helps to dispense only the amount your skin and nails can absorb at once. Reapply daily, or even several times a day if you constantly wash your hands.

“Getting your nails wedding-ready should actually happen a few months before the wedding, ensuring your nails are strong and beautiful. Using an at-home nail kit, like the Dry Gloss Manicure Kit, helps to hydrate the nails, condition the cuticles, and add a natural shine using only the purest ingredients. Daily oil application keeps your nails consistently resilient and less likely to break and tear or disturb your manicure.”