Hi guys!
Today I have a sort of unusual post for you all: a nail care post!
I love reading these sorts of posts, and I've been meaning to write one for myself for awhile, but it just never seemed to come together -- until now! Yay!
(Oh, and for removing old polish I use some sort of protein enhancing non-acetone nail polish remover -- not pure acetone. But I think you could use either, I used to use acetone and switching to non-acetone didn't make a difference)
First, I file. I use these glass files from Amazon -- until recently I was using one of the cheap emery boards, but these are so much better. The tips of my nails feel more smooth and are less prone to splitting since I switched. Also, you don't have to keep running out to buy emery boards every couple of weeks: glass files pretty much last forever!
I use a 200-220 grit file; you can read more about file grits in Nails by Kayla Shevonne's post here.
The next step: get rid of those gross cuticles! I don't do this every week, usually two times every three weeks or so; basically whenever I feel like my cuticles are getting kind of gross. I use Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover and then push them back with an orangewood stick.
I'm not entirely happy with my cuticles now, though; there's always a line of thick, dried looking skin at the base of my nail no matter how much I push/scrape/moisturize! Do you guys have any tips on that?
Now it's time to make your hands happy! I use either Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream or RGB cuticle oil; the RGB oil works better, but it's pretty oily (surprise, right?) so when I need to not leave oily fingerprints everywhere I use Burt's Bees.
I'm also thinking about trying Essie's apricot cuticle oil -- have any of you guys tried it? Would you recommend it, or should I spend my $8 elsewhere?
It's almost time to start painting! But first, I take a Q-tip dipped in acetone and swipe it over the nail to prep the surface.
And finally, base coat time. I use Deborah Lippmann's Turn Back Time base coat, but I'm not really happy with how my nails are right now -- they keep chipping and peeling so I keep having to file them down :(
I have a bottle of Nail Envy coming in the mail though! Eeep, so excited to have long nails again!
So that's what I do every time I paint my nails! Hope you guys enjoyed :) I'm thinking about doing a sort of mini-post on how I take/edit photos, would you be interested in that?
Thanks for reading!
Lucy xx
I didn't know Burt's Bees had something like that! Is it anything like Lush's Lemony Flutter? I found that one to be a bit too greasy for cuticle use, but I'd be interested in trying another one out. The nail files look like the ones I buy from eBay, but mine don't seem to last forever... The mini ones are a handy size, though, but I guess you do get what you pay for :P
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried out Lemony Flutter, but Burt's Bees is pretty greasy! I've heard Indigo Bananas makes a really good non-greasy cuticle balm, maybe you should give that a try. Yeah, they're supposed to last forever, but it probably depends on the quality of file you buy -- I think the higher-quality glass ones are worth the investment!
DeleteI tried out the Burt's Bees after I read this, and I love it! It sinks in a lot faster, and I love the little gritty bits - it's a lot nicer than the Lush one, I think, and a lot cheaper! And I'm sorry to hear about you having to abstain from painting your nails... It doesn't seem a very fair punishment, controlling what you do with yourself, to yourself... But I hope you can get back into painting soon and that it'll be a fun month for you nonetheless <3
DeleteYay, I'm glad to hear someone was actually helped by this post! Ah well, my nails could use some TLC anyways :P
DeleteThanks for the good wishes, I'll definitely be thinking about possible designs even though I won't be able to paint them for a little while!
Great post! Now, I think I need that cuticle cream:)
ReplyDeleteThanks! It has done a pretty good job moisturizing my cuticles :)
DeleteAmazing tutorial :)
ReplyDeleteLove the post and your pic! I've never tried glass file
ReplyDeleteThank you! I would definitely recommend it :)
DeleteI tried the nail oil from Essie. It's great, but I only use it at night with cotton gloves, because I don't like oily fingers. It also smells very good.
ReplyDeleteHm, I think I'll try it out then -- I've heard a lot of good stuff about it, and it turns out you can get it for pretty cheap on Amazon :) Thanks for the advice!
DeleteWow great to see what products you use!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :D
DeleteI'ts very interesting to see what other bloggers have as a nail routine!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this article :)
Xx Julia
Thanks! I felt like since I enjoy these types of posts so much, I might as well write one :D Glad you liked it!
Deletei love posts like this too!
ReplyDeleteYay! Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI love these types of posts, too. Will have to try those Czech files. I order the old Essie ones from Ebay but I am always looking for new ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hm, I've never tried the old Essie ones but everything Essie makes is usually pretty good :)
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