Hair Styling Tools

Did you know that researchers are saying that if you wear nail polish or a ring, your hands will look younger?  This along with proper use of nail care products and hand care products will produce some beautiful looking hands and nails……just perfect for hand holding with that significant other in your life.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

NAIL POLISH DO’S

• If you don’t already have a shimmery or glittery polish that goes with a particular dressy outfit you’ll be wearing, apply a coat of clear gloss or sparkle on dried nail polish.  If you can find silver glitter this looks best on black and blue shades, and gold glitter looks best on red shades.
• If you are a clubber, try using nail tattoos or nail piercing.
• Do you want chip-resistant nail enamels to last longer?  Try submerging your freshly painted nails in a bowl of ice-cold water for 30 seconds.

NAIL POLISH DON’TS

• If your nail polish is continually chipping and the touchups just aren’t cutting it, just give in and take off the polish and reapply.  After a while, the texture of multiple layers of polish take on that uneven look and it starts to look pretty gnarly.
• Never file the corners of your nails. If you do, you can expect the nail to weaken and result in breaking more easily.
• Do not store your nail polish in a warm place as this can cause a change in the consistency of the polish.  Instead, consider storing it in the refrigerator.

A look is not complete until you’ve put effort into your hair, make-up, and accessories. What about your fingers and toes? If you want to have a truly head to toe look, you should consider painting your finger and toenails. It is a cheap, easy way to complement any style.

For the fall and winter when hair and nails tend to dry-out more easily, keep your nails trimmed shorter and use darker nail polish. Deep reds, purples, and metallic colors will spice up your look. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can add snowflakes and other seasonal decals. For the spring and summer seasons, use nail polish in bright, sunny shades. It’s especially important to keep your toes painted so you can flaunt your feet in flip flops and strappy sandals.

I’ve been pretty daring lately in trying out a lot of the new shades of nail polish available.  Several of the holiday colors include glitter in them or other little glitter-like ingredients.  I found, however, that the polish was much harder to get off than usual.  In fact I spent a lot of time rubbing back and forth with the cotton ball only to get most of the color off but leaving bits of the glitter behind.  So, I finally decided rather than rubbing, I would soak each fingernail.  What I mean by soaking is that I fully soaked a larger size cotton ball with nail polish remover and set it over the nail.  I pressed lightly for about 30 seconds.  I then slowly lifted the cotton ball off my fingernail and found that most of the glitter had come off and was sticking to the cotton ball.  With a few more firm swipes, the polish and glitter were finally removed from my nail.  After this process I was talking to a friend and she said the last thing you want to do is use a scrubbing motion with the cotton ball because glitter has a tendency to scrape your nails and could ultimately be damaging to the nail.

It is the season for darker nail polishes to be worn if you are one that likes to wear color on their nails.  It is said that when you consistently wear dark nail polish, your natural nails can turn a yellowish hue.  This is sad but true.  However, this is not something to be concerned about as there is a solution to the problem.  All you need to do is polish your nails with a clear base coat to protect your nails from any discoloration.  Once the base coat has dried, then you can apply your darker shades of nail polish and the whole yellowing routine can be avoided.

Applying nail polish can sometimes be a daunting task as it is difficult to know exactly where you should start polishing on the nail.  If you are applying your nail polish properly, it should only take three strokes.  Start with one stroke on one side of the nail, followed by a stroke on the other side of the nail.  Then your last stroke goes down the middle.  Repeat the process and you are done.

How many of you have those indentions on your nails that are also called ridges?  If you have always had them, you always will.  If you have just recently noticed them it could be due to stress or it it comes with aging.  Unfortunately, as we get older our fingernails and toenails become ridged.  To be able to get  a smooth nail polish application you will need to gently buff the nail surface with a white block buffer.  Next step is to apply a Ridge Filler Base coat (I like Orly or China Glaze), two coats of nail polish, and lastly a topcoat.

It’s getting close to the season when there will be a variety of party invitations coming your way.  The holidays spark all sorts of festive occasions that provide us with opportunities to get gussied up.  Whether we are dressing up for the party or just wearing something seasonal or casual, the one thing that really sets off the look is manicured fingernails and toenails.  There are so many fun holiday nail colors that are just hitting the marketplace and whether your fingernails or short or long, having them in good shape can really enhance the look of the polish.

There are a variety of nail care products in the marketplace, and depending on what your particular nails are lacking, will depend on what type product you should buy.  One of the biggest complaints I hear from both men and women are that they seem to have trouble with their nails being soft and splitting.  Another problem is that so many of us have this nasty habit of biting our nails when we’re nervous, or because they are soft or thin, the nails tend to peel off in layers.  If either of these are a problem for you, there are two products that I am recommending today that are excellent for these situations.

If you have thin, soft, splitting, and/or peeling nails, the product for you is by Nailtique.     Nailtique Nail Protein Formula 2 is a unique blend of protein and conditioners.  The protein in this formula immediately acts to help bond the nails that are splitting or peeling.  All you have to do is to apply this product to your nails just as you would any nail polish.  If you apply the product once a day for several days you will be building up a protective layer on your nails while at the same time is is helping to strengthen the nail.  It will take several weeks before you should notice any improvement, but it by far is one of the best products for this particular type of problem.                                                                                                                                

Now for all you nail biters out there.  Orly has a nail care product called “No Bite”.  Yes, it is exactly what it says.  If you put your finger up to your mouth to start nipping away at your nail, you will not be happy with the result.  The bitter taste will definitely deter you from the usual nail biting and thus your nails will have the opportunity to grow out instead of you having to contend with that annoying                                                         and sometimes painful nail biting habit.  This treatment can be used alone or over nail polish.  It dries to a natural looking non shiny finish.

I’m sure that most of you who polish your fingernails, or toenails, and go with a color rather than the “french manicure” or “pink and whites”, debate over what color to wear each and every time it is time to change your color.  It can be a dilemma simply because if you are anything like me, it has got to coordinate with what I’m wearing or the color will really stand out in a negative way rather than positive.  Also, if the color just doesn’t go with your skin tone, it can also be a problem for you.  So how do we overcome this?

I ran into a shopper recently who shared this great idea with me.  I then later read in a Family Circle Magazine that Essie Weingarten, the creative head and CEO of Essie Nail Polish also had this same idea that the customer shared with me.  When you are ready to try a new color, and are in a place where they let you sample a color, take a piece of clear tape on a clean nail and brush color over it to see if the shade is the right one for you.  Now granted, most stores are not going to have a tape dispenser at your disposal, but if you already know that you are going to be shopping for a new nail polish color, then simply throw a small tape dispenser in your purse and you are good to go.

I have tried this idea and I’m telling you it works.  It is so much easier to tear off the piece of tape from your nail and discard rather than having to go home and get out the polish remover.  And, I wasn’t second guessing my color selection once I got  home with the newly purchased  polish.