My Fav 5: Week of February 18th

My Fav 5

Number 3

Doing My Nails

I love doing my nails, but sometimes it can be a pain in my butt. I can my right hand always looks worse than my left! But I guess my left does need to look better since it's basically useless (I'm not the least bit ambidextrous). And then after all the hard work you have to wait until they are COMPLETELY dry, but that never happens because one always gets mysteriously smudged. After going through quite a few disastrous self-manis, I hope that my tips will make your home salon experiences a little easier.

My Process:

1. I do some cleanup.

• I clip my nails to the length I want. ( I have super bad nails so they usually aren't long.)
• I use a basic emory board to smooth the edges. I also shape: if my nails are longer I go for a square shape, but when they're short I round them to fit my fingertip.
• I go around my cuticle with cuticle clippers, to remove dead skin that turns into painful hang nails. (TIP: always pull toward the tips of your fingers, never toward you palm or you'll rip the skin into a "quick" and draw blood and a few tears)
• I use a Seacret Buffing Block to even the surface of the nail. it also makes the surface rough so the nail polish holds better.

2. I do maintenance work.

• I use Seacret Cuticle Oil to treat dry cuticles and make a healthier nail bed and nail. I put one drop at the base of each nail, and massage into cuticle. Let sit for a minute or two.
• To get rid of the oily feeling I use Avon Naturals Antibacterial Hand Gel.

3. I start with a strong foundation.

• My favorite right now is Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat.
• Make sure it dries completely before starting the next step. (TIP: To make sure wait enough time I use a timer that I stole from a board game. Flip it once for clear coats, and twice for color coats.)

4. I add a pop of color.

• I go through and add one thin, thin, thin, coat of the color I choose. You don't want to add too much nail polish at one time or it will be goopy and won't dry. 
• I do the first layer on all of my nails, before going back to do the second coat. Do how ever many coats you need to get the even color, but make sure you let each layer dry first to avoid the goop. (TIP: On the last layer, take a small amount of polish and run the brush along the edge of your nail. This seals the color and prevents chipping longer.)

5. I top it off.

• I apply a thin coat of Delore Nails Nail Polish Dryer before the top coat, just to make sure everything is drying completely.
• I put a generous coat of Borghese Presto Fast Dry Top Coat and use the sealing technique I mentioned. 

Make sure when you do your nails, you have time to spare afterwards. Avoid touching anything (especially your hair! it's a common thing that most people don't think about) for at least ten minutes, fifteen to be completely safe.

My Look:

Don't be afraid to go crazy! Try something new, have fun. :)

pinky: Ulta Punch, ring finger: Ulta Guess Who, middle finger: Nail Slicks In the Buff,
pointer finger: Sally Hansen Mudslide, thumb: Ulta Baby Doll