Long and strong

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. :)

Today I'm going to go over some tips, tricks and products to make your hands, nails and cuticles look like you've never worked a day in your life. Some of the products I'll be listing I haven't tried yet but I've heard nothing but good things and they're on my list to pick up. I'll also be listing some that I found haven't worked for me (that doesn't mean they won't work for you).

Okay! So! I have had horrible nails/cuticles for as long as I can remember but it never really bothered me until I started really getting into polishing. Once I did, I tried as hard as I could to get my nails to look nice and I couldn't find ANYTHING that worked for me; it was very discouraging. If you're having the same problems, I promise there IS a way to get your hands/nails in better shape. 

I feel the best advice I can give is to wear gloves. If you have a dirty job like I do where you have to do dishes constantly or if you do a lot of cleaning around the house, wear gloves. It's like all the chemicals in cleaning products are made to just eat your nails. I can't even begin to tell you how much this simple thing has helped. Also, if you swim a lot or have to have your hands in water without gloves, put a good clear coat on your nails to try and keep them from getting too soaked. Chemicals, man. I'm telling you.

Now, nail strengtheners! Each big brand company has their own 'miracle nail strengthener' and there are of course people who swear by them. I am an OPI fan girl. Their strengthener, Nail Envy, is what I use religiously. A lot of people use it as a base coat, I dont because I can't seem to part from Orly Bonder. I just use it between manicures to give my nails a little break. I am currently testing out Pink Armor nail gel, it's an 'as seen on tv' thing, so I'm not sure how well it will work.. I'll let you guys know in a couple weeks! Others I have tried and didn't love are: Butter LONDON Horsepower and Sally Hansen Miracle Cure. They didn't do much for me, but that doesn't mean they don't work for others. Also, I haven't tried Revlon but I've heard lots of good things about their whole nail care system.


Next, moisturize! There are SO many products out there that are supposed to help with dry skin, we all know that, but which are worth the money? I, like many others, HATE the greasy feeling of most lotions. The few I have found and swear by are Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing, OPI Avo Juice, and Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening cream. They leaving your hands soft as a baby butt and non-greasy. Some other lotions I've heard great things about are: O'Keeffe's Working Hands and Neutrogena Hand Cream.











Cuticle care is a big part of having great nails. For mine, I use cuticle oil (any with vitamin E and Jojoba oil are fine) all throughout the day, Burts Bee's cuticle cream 3-4 times a day and then of course lotion. For cuticle removal, I use Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. You can get all this stuff at Walmart or stores like it. You just put the gel on and then GENTLY push your cuticles back. I have a specific tool for pushing them back but I tend to go overboard with it and ruin everything. I've found using the tip of my glass nail file works best. It takes a few practice runs before you get it right, so don't get discouraged if you mess up the first couple times.



That brings me to the next thing. Glass/crystal nail files. This one is a personal preference thing I think. I've heard all kinds of reasons why you should or should not use glass files. I personally LOVE them and definitely recommend trying one before you knock it. It makes my nails much more smooth after filing and it doesn't leave any rough edges. I will never go back to emory boards.







And last but definitely not least... Vitamins. I take Biotin every morning and every night along with a regular multivitamin. Biotin is specifically for hair, nails and skin; I've had great results in all areas. You can find it at Walmart with all the other pills.


Alright, that concludes it! Just remember, this takes TIME so don't feel disappointed or discouraged if they aren't perfect after two weeks. I've been working on mine for two-three weeks and I'm just now seeing results. Also, this is a trial and error thing... What works for me might not work for you, you've just got to try different things until you find your concoction. 
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this helps you get your nails to the condition you want them in.

Happy polishing,
Amber