Let's talk nail care. It surprised me that I rarely talk about nail care on here, yet it's something I enjoy taking time for. I wouldn't say I have the healthiest nails, nor do I know the right tools or techniques to care for nails/hands. I just love that 'me-time' a few days a week where I prep my nails for a coat of colour. These are the tools I'll use:
Nail clippers- Depending on the shape of your nails a file isn't always that easy. That's why I use these nail clippers to clean up the sides of my nails - in the long term there's a chance the nail will grow into the skin if you don't - and get them to the same length before I file them into the shape I want.
Nail file- Glass or crystal nail files are my favourite. First of all they're gentler on your nails than metal or sandpaper nail files and you can wash them after each use too, which makes glass/crystal the more hygienic option.
Cuticle pusher- I use an acrylic tool to clean up my cuticles. The red tip is a flexible, silicone material that's not too harsh on the skin.
Hand & cuticle cream- Gotta keep those hands nice and moisturized! Massaging a cream or oil into your cuticles once a day will keep them soft and supple. For me it also results in better-looking cuticles because they're easier to push back. Lately I've been using Punk Bouquet from & Other Stories or the Shea hand cream from L'Occitane.
Nail strenghtener- A good tip would be not to overdo it with this step. A while back I tried this nail strenghtener/base coat hybrid from Rimmel in the hope of improving the condition of my nails... Until they started breaking, one after the other. Apparently too many nail strenghtening products and little hand cream = your nails get too dry, which causes them to break. I decided to skip the Rimmel polish more often and focus on keeping my nails healthy. Long story short: A 'normal' base coat will do too!
Clear top coat- To top off a manicure and to make the nail polish you applied last longer. The top coat pictured is Essie's No Chips Ahead.
Like I said, I will apply hand cream every day and massage the product on my cuticles if I remember to, but besides this routine that's pretty much it!
3 comments
That's a nice routine you have. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI definitely stick to glass files, too! I used to have a lot of problems with traditional nail files, and then glass files came along and saved my life! My nails are waaaay too fragile for anything else!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them too! Glass files make such a difference
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