Allo polish Pals!
How are you all doing today? I hope
things are going well in your world.
This week I plunged myself back into
fitness fully, I figure since I have free time why not crunch those
steps and crack on with it. I hadn't stopped as such but my fitness
tracker broke. I have replaced it and somehow the level of self
competition stepped up, fun!
Today I am showing you my five top
items for healthy nails. This is in no way sponsored, this is a
collection of items I have come to love through my own personal use –
I'll run these into categories and tell you which products I like
best.
Nail art is fun and all but if you want
pretty, healthy looking nails you need to take care of them. Our
nails are jewels, not tools, remember that the next time you use them
to pry off a lid! Here's my top five products for the best nail care.
Cuticle Oils.Invest
in a good quality cuticle oil. While a little will go a long way your
nails and cuticles will thank you for it. Cuticle oils are especially
good if you tend to get dry cuticles and will soak into the nail to
provide great nourishment. While I've tried many brands of oil my go
to is ORLY's 'Argon oil cuticle drops' – it comes with a handy
dropper which means delivering the right or controlled amount to your
nails is no hassle, it absorbs fairly fast and has a pleasant smell.
In the past I've also used OPI's Avoplex which did a good job but I
just couldn't get behind the fragrance. It was also brush application
which I enjoyed far less.
Base coat. I view base coats as the nurturing hug before nail art. This is what is first touching my nails and for years now I have stuck by one exact base coat. I've tried many base coats but this one has stuck with me. I'm talking about OPI's Nail Envy base coat and while it is slightly on the more expensive side it is 100% the reason I believe I have not had a nail break in years. Bet I've jinxed it now. It is super fast drying and will be ready for you to paint within a minute or two. It dries clear meaning it can be worn alone when nail polish isn't appropriate but also now comes in a selection of nude shades. I stick to the original and it will take a lot to shift me from that.
Glass Nail Files. I have not
cut my finger nails in years. Instead I rely on
gently filing them down. About once a week I will give them a quick
file around the edges – if you've any snags or tiny tears that may
transform into nail breakages you are more likely to catch them at
this stage. Then every two weeks I will file down to maintain my
desired length and shape. There are many glass files out there, I
prefer glass as they can be reused for literally years, are easy to
keep clean and offer a rather gentle file compared to the old
cardboard emery boards. My go to file is from Mont-Bleu, I also keep
a miniature one in my handbag for emergencies (The amount of times
I've had to lend this on a day out!!)
Hand Creams This one
seems pretty obvious but most of the ladies I know don't use hand
creams. During my routine of cuticle oil and filing I also use hand
creams. I've tried many, high end to drug store and I feel like there
are good and bad on both grounds. My most favourite was a Christmas
gift from my sister and feels like a touch of luxury, Molton Brown
'Gingerlily Replenishing Hand Cream' – a little goes a long way and
the scent is absolutely divine. It absorbs quickly and wont leave
your hands slimy. Slimy hands is not a personal favourite. One of my
favorite drug store hand creams is Superdrug's own, 'Intense Moisture
Hand Cream' which comes in a generous tube and is great for the
price.
Nail Polish Remover
As a nail blogger this is something I come into contact with often –
I don't like to peel off all my manicures and most of them are
removed manually with remover. Over the years I've learnt what I do
and do not like. Anything that smells incredible acetone-y is off my
list. Try picking nail polish removers that are acetone free (less
damaging to your nails) My go to are ORLY's 'Gentle Strength Nail
Lacquer Remover' and for drug store I go with Boot's own, 'Nail
Polish Remover, Moisturising' which comes in a generous 200ml bottle
and contains Pro-Vitamin B5 and moisturisers.
Join in the chat! I'd love to know from you guys which
items you rely on for taking care of your hands and nails – do you
rub in a little hand cream on the go or do you tend to neglect your
hand care? Are there products you swear by? - Join in the discussion
in the comments section, I'd love to know your hand care habits!
Have a beautiful weekend my friends,
thank you so much for visiting today! I'll catch you again on Monday.
Love,
Ithi
I totally agree with the base coat, the hand cream (I discovered Yardley's English Rose last fall and I'm on my second tube already) and the glass files (and yes, I too have a miniature in my purse/pocket/backpack ;)
ReplyDeleteThe cuticle oil is semi-replaced by a cuticle balm that I use several times a day and carry with me at all times but I do use oil when it's time to pamper my hands.
The only thing that is really different is that I use a remover with acetone. I don't like the smell but it takes less time to remove the polish so less time for the solvents to stay on my nails and dry them out. And I use pure acetone for clean up after I've painted my nails. Of course after I've used either one I wash my hands and grab my cuticle balm or oil and hand cream to moisturize my skin.
My nails are so brittle and break constantly, While I just started using a nail harden, I'm not liking the brand I have, I think its CG, Nest time I get to store I'm going to have to try OPI like you've been using.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great items to have handy for your nails! Love the ORLY cuticle oil!
ReplyDeleteWell these post is encouraging me to treat my nails too like a jewel. Because I literally ignore the health of nails and cuticles. I know it's not an easy task to find nail care products here in India but I can definitely find substitutes. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOH this is a great post. I definitely need to take better care of my nails. Thanks for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteI love the OPI nail polish products! They have the best base coat which helps the polish stay on so much better. I need to try this cuticle oil! I have never done my own cuticles, I just go get my nails done and let them do it.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I really need to focus on more. My poor hands take a beating and I'm so bad with maintaining my nails, cuticles and hands! Thanks for your suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI try to incorporate nail care prior to applying nail polish but I should start a consistent nail care regime.
ReplyDeleteWell, your nails definitely look like jewels, one can tell that you treat them well. I fear I'm quite neglecting the health of mine, so they are degraded to the rank of "tool." I shall check out the products you've recommended, it's time for some self-care!
ReplyDeleteI needed to use a base coat. I used a red polish and now my nails are yellow. Ugh! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI have been painting my nails with shellac for the past 4 years and it's been 2 months since they started to become very fragile and break a lot. At the salon they always use a base coat from Opi and a cuticle cream but I wonder if there is something else I could do to prevent them from breaking.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice on nail care. I really learned a lot from this post.
ReplyDeleteMy nails are SO messed up at the moment due to gel polish. Ug! I love the idea of the glass file and could use all of these items!
ReplyDeleteIts sad that I've neglected my nails so much lately. I really need to at least get back into the habit of using cuticle drops. I'll have to try the one you mentioned out.
ReplyDeleteI love the OPI nail polish products! that brand is my fav for all the shades they have and is important to take care of our nails too
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend rarely put on nail products and I never understand why. But now I know, because there's so many procedures to it, especially for people who do their nails often!
ReplyDeleteOoh great tips, love OPI! Also, that Molton Brown hand cream looks fab too!!!
ReplyDelete