SAY GOODBYE TO BIWEEKLY MANICURE & PEDICURE APPOINTMENTS WITH THESE 5 NAIL CARE TIPS & PRODUCTS

Due to our priorities, expecting the 21st Century women to go beyond the bare minimum beauty necessities seem inhuman. There are still some beauty upkeep that are followed obediently by most women in our generation due to absolute necessity. We might get a hair cut here and there, or shape our eyebrows to stay away from the dreaded uni brow. But what about the non-necessity items that many people might not notice about you, but still makes you cringe inside: such as upkeep of your nails with Mani-Pedi's.  

In my last article I gave out some lazy skin care tips for those of us whose only skin care regime is scrubbing their faces with a cleanser, as quickly as possible, before turning in for the night. Our Estheticians gasp at our clients lack of skin care. Our nail technicians are not any more thrilled about some of the hanging nails and chipped polish they see. This article was particularly inspired by a client who came in today. She told me that the last time she got a pedicure was when her first daughter was born. She was very beautiful, very clean, presentable and classy. It was hard to visualize someone so put together with a chipped nail or overgrown cuticle. But for a mother of two, finding a baby sitter and running to a nail salon is something she conjures up in her day dreams. Don't get me wrong, going to a nail salon bi-weekly or monthly to have a professionally trained person is always ideal. But it is not always possible. I put together some tips & a list of products for my DIY ladies. This list can act as a mini substitute for those long intermissions since your last visit to your favorite nail technician. Most of these tips you can perform in under a minute and the products you can purchase at any Beauty Store such as Sally's or even online on Amazon. 

1) Cuticle Nipper & Pusher: If you have a nail clipper, make sure you also have these two essential tools in your beauty kit. These tools play a key role in a professional manicure-pedicure process. 

2) Cuticle Softener: Whenever you trim your nails, put some cuticle softener on your cuticles & push back the cuticle with a cuticle pusher. You can then easily nip them off with a cuticle nipper. 

4) Cuticle Oil: Use a cotton pad to dab cuticle oil onto your cuticles & around your nails. Cuticle oil is an amazing moisturizer that heals & fights dryness. 

4) Mani Stick: If you don't have time to get your nails painted professionally, but want the salon finish, buy some mani sticks. Even those of us working at a Salon are not the best at keeping the lines straight when we paint. But we have learned the tricks of the trade. Before you start painting your nails, tear our a little piece from a cotton ball, wrap it tightly around one edge of the mani stick and dip it in polish remover. If you go over the edges or accidentally paint part of your finger, fear not. Just clean out the edges with the mani stick for a perfect polish with no smudging. 

5) Top & Base Coat: Base coat is glue for polish & Top coat is the finish to keep your polish intact. Do not skip these two steps. Always use a base coat before polishing your nails and finish with a top coat. My favorite base and cop coat is the CND brand, but any reputable company will do. 

HAPPY PAINTING!!