Monday, January 10, 2011

Au Naturale

Painted nails look great, but like any other situation in life it's whats underneath that really counts. Making sure you have a healthy base should always be the focus, so here are a few tips to keeping your natural nails healthy.

Number One: Don't cover up.
If you have to wear fake nails (we all know there will be a time when our good ol' "bridezilla" friend will insist on her party to have the same tacky tips), try to keep them on for as little as possible.
Acrylic nails really aren't good for the health of your nails. Just like you need air to stay up and running, your nails need fresh air to stay strong and pretty. I'm sure most of us have found out or seen from others the scary scene that are you real nails after having acrylics removed; bumpy, flaky, thin and discolored (not to mention it hurts!) If your nails need some toughening up, OPI makes great products for strengthening... you will be a lot happier in the long run if you can utilize the naturally given nails you have instead of paying some stranger who knows how much on a monthly basis to apply a bunch of harsh chemicals that suffocate your nails.

Number Two: Push them, don't snip.
Your cuticles are very sensitive and if handled improperly, can lead to some nasty and painful infections. Instead of automatically cutting the cuticles at the top, try moisturizing them very well (after the shower) with some cuticle oil then simply push them back. You can train your skin and nails in less time than you might think. If that doesn't sound worth your while, just go asking around about nail salon horror stories. The smallest cuts can snowball faster than one might think. If you have a hang nail or something of that nature, sure, tend to it but don't go over board. Moisturizing will do wonders on problems that usually stem from dry skin (Medline Remedy Skin Repair Cream and Bath and Body Works body butter are sure winners).

Number Three: Buff it up.
I like to lightly buff my nails about once a month (no more frequent). Lightly buffing your nails once or every other month stimulates blood flow to the nail bed which in turn causes stronger nails to grow. I might not be correct on this one, but I have also heard it makes nails grow faster as well. If you have trouble keeping a "shiny nail" even with a clear top coat, one reason might be due to ridges in your nail. The smoother your nails are the shinier they look.

Number Four: Take a break.
After every few polishes, I like to go au naturale for a little just to make sure my nails get to totally breath freely. Like I stated above, your nails need fresh air. Polish on your natural nails are nothing like acrylics, but it does still block complete air flow. Giving them a little breather now and then is always advisable and can prevent fungus.
Gross personal story alert! My Mom once wore a super dark polish on her toes for too long and wound up spending almost a year trying to get rid of a nail fungus that if not treated could make your whole nail fall off. Not to mention the money spent in treating her nail was much much higher than the polish. Even if you're an economist and you factor in your time spent, she still would have come out on top had she taken off the polish and let her nails breath.

There are WAY more things that you can do to keep your little lovelies happy and healthy, these 4 tips are just things I do on a normal basis.
If you have more in depth questions about a nail problem you or a friend are dealing with, feel free to comment on this post with your question. If I don't know the answer off the top of my head or through Google, there are a lot of great nail techs on OPI's FB page that I would be happy to ask. (My girl, Katie W. is such a pro! She even recently helped my boyfriend's Mom with a nail problem).

Until next time.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Oh Humphrey...

We'll Always Have Paris.

Such a great and classic line from one of the most beloved movies of all time, and what a fantastic color to boot!! This was one color on my Christmas list that I was overjoyed to find in my stocking :).
If you want to look stylish and classy without much effort, make sure to add this to your collection.

Holiday Hiatus

Welcome back everyone and a very Happy and healthy New Year to you all!! I'm sure some of you thought I had done away with my blog, but have no fear!!! It was just a little Holiday Hiatus :). Now that 2011 is in full swing, its time your nails do the same. I'm sure some got put on the back burner with all of the festivities, but bring your nails back with a bang!!

Santa brought a few surprises this year, so I will try to post all of the new polishes in my collection!
This color is one of my favorites. I decided to throw this bad boy on when the fall colors were becoming too repetitious. Not that I don't love those deep and dark colors, I was just feeling a little nostalgic for the summer-time fun. (Not to mention they were a prefect color compliment to a new pair of heels I just purchased :-D ).

Again, welcome back and hopefully you can share and receive some great nail tips/colors for the new and exciting year.
 Dim Sum Plum

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Fly Fly Away

Hello again, my fellow nail lovers!
Hopefully everyone in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and your nails made it through all of that cooking and mingling. Keeping on the subject, mine did not :(. I can't begin to explain how sad I was with the condition of my nails, but when working at a job that sees its busiest times during the holidays... you don't get too much down time to preen. Working 13 hour days up until the day before the fat turkey sings is quite the downer especially when you wake up on the day of Thanksgiving to half of your color on one nail totally chipped off and no time to fix it. Someone had to make the green bean casserole!

Aaaaannnyway!! Like I said, I hope you all experienced a different situation and your nails were the shining stars this past week. To change my sad demeanor (once I actually had time to paint away), I decided to go with a color that was keeping with fall hues yet had some spice to it. Surely others have done this, but I just needed a pick-me-up! What better way to do that than paint your nails with this color. It's so fabulous and the name truly does suit the color.




My Private Jet!
If anyone else had the mayhem ensue like myself, post your story!! It's always nice to know you're not alone. Also if you have the opposite! I love hearing about the great compliments people get on their nails!

Monday, November 22, 2010

VICTORY!!!

I just got the official email from my girl Crista at OPI... I am a winner of the marbling contest!! Yaaaay!!!! I will make sure to take a pic with my t-shirt when I get it! In the mean time, here are my nails today. They remind me of a flag!! (sorry this post is so short, but I have to go get a much needed haircut :)  )




Ski Teal We Drop
Alpine Snow
Fiercely Fiona

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Make it Shorts

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been three days since my last polish. Horrible??? Right!? As much as it pains me, I'd say it was well worth it. Instead of doing my nails yesterday, I got to go to the opera and it was BEAUTIFUL!
However, a busy schedule does not mean you can't plan ahead!! To appease my needy digits, I rollled all three days into one session; three different style all in one day! Let's see if you can find the re-occurring theme (ok.... if you're unable to see it... maybe glasses should be your next purchase :) )
Here they are!




This style is somewhat similar to the second step of the tri-color nail, except I make that corner even smaller. I might try doing it even less next time :)
Suzi Says Feng Shui
Shorts Story



Depending on which angle you're viewing the nail, it can be quite the challenge to figure out just how many colors you have on. (Try layering even more colors than just two!)
No Room For The Blues
Shorts Story



I felt so pretty and bubbly when I wore this style out :) Great pick me up!
Shorts Story
Alpine Snow
Black Onyx