Nail care tips and tricks

Everything you want to know about proper nail care. ...Here are very useful tips for hand and nails

Health can be determined by your nail color. To keep your nails healthy and beautiful you have to take proper care of your nails and hands as well. Also a manicure and pedicure on a monthly basis will be beneficial for you and for these treatments. Removal of all nail varnish every week and allowing nails for breathing are important. The use of a good nail strengthening cream as well as good quality nail products such as nail polish and nail polish remover is advisable for healthy nail growth. Good nail growth tips also include opting for a healthy diet. A low protein diet is believed to be one of the causes of slow nail growth. Foods rich in group B vitamins for nail growth are recommended.

There are a number of home remedies for nail growth. The best and simplest method to promote nail growth without any hassles is through a regular hand and foot massage, concentrating on the nail beds. After a bath, gently massage your fingers and toes with cream paying special attention to the tips.

• File your nails using a gentle stroke. Avoid corners of your nails.

• Always use a mild soap for washing your hands and finger nails.

• Shape your nails. The most popular shape to use is oval, but choose one that suites to your hand and finger shape.

• A proper cleansing is essential to keep the nails healthy and problem free. After coming from outside, wash your hands and feet properly with a mild body wash and then apply a moisturizing lotion.

• To harden soft nails, soak in warm olive oil for about 20 minutes on alternate days.

• Try to eat sulfur enriched vegetables like cauliflowers and cabbages. Drink lots of fruit juices and water.

• To clean stains from your nails, mix one tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of water and soak your nails in this liquid for a few minutes. Then, wash off with warm water and apply a hand moisturizer.

• In case you wear nail polish, make sure to give your nails a break from time to time.

• Coconut Oil & Castor Oil Nails can be made to shine by massaging coconut oil or warm castor oil on them.

• One of the most important parts of nail care is taking care of cuticles. A proper care of your cuticles help you avoid many nail related diseases.

• Drink fresh carrot juice daily, this is high in calcium and phosphorus and is excellent for strengthening nail.

• Dipping your nails in a mixture of cup of water with one tablespoon of lemon juice is wanted before a nail manicure.

Publications: Febstore

How to Blend Nail Tips

For some women, 10 long and flawless fingernails make them feel more feminine. However environmental and physical factors can cause nails to peel or chip. Fortunately, alternatives to perfect natural nails exist. Nail professionals apply artificial tips to the nails to lengthen them.

If you have patience and a steady hand you can apply your own tips. Blending the tip well is a critical step in application.

Significance

Blending the tip creates a natural-looking nail extension. It also creates a smooth base for the application of nail enhancements such as acrylic, silk, fiberglass or gel nails. Without properly blending the nail, a ridge forms where the product joins, and does not create the stable base needed for a long-lasting enhancement. Blending the nails becomes especially key when you intend to wear sheer or French manicure nail lacquer since an obvious seam detracts from the beauty.

Tools

Select a thin, fast-drying glue that dries clear and leaves no reside. Purchase a file to gently reduce the plastic material that forms the artificial tip. To make the job easier and faster, use a tip blender. It has acetone, which breaks down the plastic material of the nail tip. For the finishing touch, use a buffer to smooth the tip and make the transition to the natural nail seamless.

Techniques

Select a nail tips that fits snuggly between the sidewalls of the nail. Apply glue directly to the tip, using a small dot of fast-drying nail glue, allowing it to spread evenly on the tips, so you do not have air bubbles once you apply it to the natural nail plate. Place the tip at the top of the free edge of the nail plate and gently roll the tip onto the nail. Once the glue dies, apply the tip blender. Use a 180-grit file to thin the tip where it forms a joint with the natural nail. Buff the nail with a 240-grit buffing block to give the nail a smooth natural surface.

Considerations

Use a soft 240-grit file to remove the natural shine from the surface of the natural nail. A coarse file could disrupt the layers of the nail plate and cause air or contaminates to become trapped between the natural nail and the tip, resulting in the growth of mold or fungus. Dehydrate the natural nail with alcohol to remove the oils from the nail plate and improve adhesion of the tip to the nail.

Publications: Febstore

The French manicure is a timeless classic in the beauty world.

I can lift any outfit and instantly make you feel pretty, feminine and ready for any special occasion.

Increasingly, nail art is expanding with new colorful tricks and techniques being introduced, and we're not just talking glittery acrylics.

Nail wraps, crackle polishes and newspaper print nails are among the new wave of artist designs that are taking the beauty world by storm. And the best bit? You don't need to spend a fortune on having falsies put on to achieve the looks.

None of us have the luxury of having salon perfect nails, but if you want to achieve a quick and simple manicure, then here a quick step-by-step guide.

1. Apply a base coat to the nail and let it dry.

2. With white polish draw two small vertical lines at either side of the tip and draw a thin line along the tip of the nail. The two lines make it easier to keep the line even. A handy hint, keep the brush flat and make sure there is no excess on the nail to avoid dripping.

3. Once you have your basic line on each nail, go back and make it as dark and defined as you like.

4. When it has dried add a couple of coats to add color and pigment to the nail.

5. When dry, add a clear nail polish for extra shine and protection from chipping.

If you struggle to achieve a straight-ish line on the nail, either use paper tape or French manicure stickers for a rough guide.

Following on from the spring/summer season's love affair with color, it is so easy to use this classic style to change it up a bit with a twist.

Instead of using the traditional base coat pink and white tips why not go for something a little more colorful and daring.

You can combine any contrasting or complimentary colors you’d like and chose a different combination for each finger and really follow the block color trend.

Follow the same technique as the above, but empty out your collection of polishes and have fun creating your own personal manicure!

A little tip...my nails at the moment are red and bubblegum pink, but instead of a red body, pink tip I've gone a little different and drawn a diagonal line across from one top corner down the nail. You can make the line as fine or big as you’d like.

It's eye catching and is a great tip for shorter or longer nails.

Publications: Febstore

How to do newspaper print nail art

Nail art is becoming more and more artistic with creative and innovative techniques popping up all the time.

One trend about to take the beauty world by storm is the simple to do, but oh so effective newspaper print nails. Here's a step by step guide as to how to achieve this funky look, with a picture of my nails to show you what the finished product looks like.

For this look you will need:

A pale basecoat, a small amount of vodka/rubbing alcohol 10 strips of newspaper cotton buds A clear topcoat.

So:

1. Apply two coats of your pale basecoat and leave to dry thoroughly. The lighter the color the better for this look as it helps the newspaper print to show up better. Go for either a pale pink/white or grey depending on how much you want the nail to stand out.

2. Put a little vodka into a bowl or a lid. Dip a finger into the vodka for about 10-15 seconds.

3. As soon as you remove it, lay a strip of newspaper, words facing down.

4. Press firmly and rock your finger over the strip of newspaper for 15-20 seconds.

5. Lightly peel back the newspaper and the words will be left on the nail.

6. Repeat this process for all the nails and leave to settle for 2-3 minutes before touching anything or moving around.

7. When the ink has dried sligthtly, apply a LIGHT top coat to the nail. Try to make this as thin as possible so as to avoid it running with the ink. If you do it lightly, then it will stay in place.

8. Once this has dried, go on to do a second coat, this time a little more liberal. This will protect the design and add shine to the finish.

9. When your nails are protected, go around the nail with nail polish remover and a cotton bud to clean away the print.

10. Wash your hands in warm, soapy water to clean the hand thoroughly

There you have it, take a look at mine done with exactly the same process.

Apparently, using filtered water in place of the vodka/alcohol is an option for those with irratable skin or brittle nails.

The print may be a little lighter, so you may have to press down a little longer with the print to achieve a darker tone. Keep practising until you have a look you're happy with.

Take a look at mine, and have a go yourself.

Let FemaleFirst know what you think...

Publications: Febstore