Posts Tagged ‘nail tips’

How to Give Yourself a Pretty Pink French Manicure at Home

The French Manicure has prevailed as the ultimate in nail chic. From day job to dance floor, first date to wedding day, hip to haute couture, it is a beautiful style that many women, since the 1970′s, have desired for their nails. It is chosen because its simplicity and natural look. An added bonus to this particular style is that it matches everything! No matter what outfit or color you put on, the French manicure will match it.

The creation of the famous French manicure can be accredited to Jeff Pink. He worked in Hollywood as a make-up artist. One day a movie producer asked him to come up with a color that would coordinate with all of his leading lady’s costumes. Now what makes a French manicure so French? The reason why we tack “French” on to the front of it is because the idea originated in Paris, France.

 

Here are steps on how to give yourself a pretty pink french manicure at home with some product recommendations from Spa Boutique:

STEP 1 – Prepare and have all your supplies handy. You’ll need the following items:

• 4 types of nail polishes – a base coat and top coat (I recommend Orly Top 2 Bottom Base & Top Coat in One), a tip color (like Orly White Tips), and a transparent color (a natural or pink like Orly Pink Nude ).
• Nail polish remover – I like Orly Extra-Strength Nail Polish Remover
• Cotton pads
• Cuticle oil – I recommend Orly Cuticle Oil+
• Cuticle stick (also known as Orange wood stick)
• Emery board
• Hand & nail moisturizer – I recommend Orly Rich Renewal Ultra Hydrating Crème

STEP 2 – Make some time – don’t rush give yourself some time and do it right.
Find yourself a comfortable place in your home and have a side table for your tools. I can’t remember how many times I tipped a bottle of nail polish being in an awkward position and wished I set myself up better!

STEP 3 – Clean up and get rid of remnants of old varnish with a polish remover. Soak a cotton ball in nail polish remover and wipe off nails.

STEP 4- Soften and repair dry hard cuticles. Put on a generous amount of cuticle oil and rub it in thoroughly.

STEP 5 – File and shape your nails with an emery board. With nail clippers, beauty scissors or a nail file, shape your nails evenly.

STEP 6 – Tidy up cuticles. Soften them in a warm water soak for 5-15 minutes. Or alternatively, you can also apply cuticle oil and moisturizer and wrap your hands in saran wrap – leave for about 10-15 minutes. After soaking in warm water or in saran wrap, gently push back your cuticles with the cuticle stick (also known as a orange wood stick) so they are all even with each other.

STEP 7 – Wash hands and clean away nail dust and grind. Wipe your nails with nail polish remover again to remove oil residues (if you don’t remove the oils your nail polish will flake away and won’t last that long).

STEP 8 – Apply base coat. Apply a clear base cost (in 2-3 stokes) – it prevents pigment (colors from the nail polishes) from seeping into your nails.

STEP 9 – Apply the tips for your french manicure. You can use pink, white or creme. Creme or pink has a more natural look than white. With a steady hand, carefully paint only the tip of each nail. A second coat may be desirable, depending on the thickness and opaqueness of the polish. Allow polish to dry between coats.

For a neater straighter line. You can use strips/stickers than come with some manicure sets. Or you can also make a simple homemade tool by taking a piece of cardboard and cut a diamond shape and pull your nail through the hole. This will help you to apply the tip to your nails and not the skin around it!

STEP 10 – Apply the color. Make sure you don’t have not to much on your nail polish brush (maybe brush on inside of bottle to remove excess before applying on your nails) Let it dry and apply a second coat. Classic top colors are a transparent pink or beige.

STEP 11 – Apply a top coat. Use a hard clear color top coat – it seals the color and protects the nail.

STEP 12 - Wait for your nails to dry. You can use cuticle oil on your nails to avoid lint to stick to your tacky nails after 10 minutes. Ideally it is best to watch a movie and wait at least 1-2 hours to avoid nicks and indentations and have that perfect french manicure that lasts!

STEP 13 - Tidy up your skin around your nails. Use a cuticle stick with a little cotton wrapped around the tip, dab it into your nail polish remover and wipe the skin around the nail carefully. Seal up your nail polish (you can wipe the bottle’s edge with a cotton pad and polish remover so it isn’t sealed shut for the next time you want to use it! )

To lengthen the manicure’s lifespan, make an effort to paint a clear coat on each night. If you are feeling especially creative and ambitious, kick off your shoes and match your tootsies to your fingertips!

Check out this video that demonstrates another method of apply French polish:

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

How to Get Healthier Nails

Take a close look at your nails. Are they strong and healthy looking? Or do you see ridges, dents or areas of unusual color or shape? Many less than desirable nail conditions can be avoided through proper care.

No nail care product alone can give you healthy nails. But following these simple guidelines can help you keep your nails looking their best:

• Don’t abuse your nails. To prevent nail damage, don’t use your fingernails as tools to pick, poke or pry things.
• Don’t bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. These habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection (paronychia). Because your nails grow slowly, an injured nail retains signs of an injury for several months. Try SpaRitual’s Cuti-Clean and Stain Remover.
• Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using soap and water for prolonged periods or when using harsh chemicals.
• Perform routine nail maintenance. Trim fingernails and clean under the nails regularly. Use a sharp manicure scissors or clippers and an emery board to smooth nail edges. Never pull off hangnails — doing so almost always results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.
• For weak or Brittle nails. Keep your nails short, square shaped and slightly rounded on top. Trim brittle nails after a bath or a 15-minute hand-soak in CND Citrus Milk Bath for the hands. Then apply a moisturizer like CND Citrus Hydrating Lotion.
• Apply a nail hardener, but avoid products containing toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde. These chemicals can cause redness or irritate the skin. I suggest Orly Tough Cookie Nail Strengthener - it’s a product that I cannot live without!
• Don’t use nail polish remover more than twice a month. Instead, touch up the polish. When you do need a remover, avoid those that use acetone, which dries nails. (try Orly Gentle Formula Nail Polish Remover)
• Repair splits or tears with nail glue or clear polish.
• Moisturize your nails frequently. Nails need moisture just like your skin does. Rub lotion into your nails when moisturizing your hands. Be sure to apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands.
• Moisturize at Bedtime – Moisturize your nails and cuticles at bedtime and cover them with cotton gloves.

It’s easy to neglect your nails. But a little basic nail care can go a long way to keeping your nails in healthy condition.

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Pieces of the above tips were taken from http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/WO/00020.html

How long will it take for my nails to return to normal after removing my acrylics?

I have had the opportunity to have acrylic nails and will never go through that process again as my nails weren’t getting the fresh air it needed and I will also afraid of getting fungus growth….

So how do you get them back to normal and how long does it take?

If your natural nails were filed properly in the beginning, and if you’ve been maintaining your artificial nails with regular visits to the salon, your nails will be in good condition after the acrylic nail is removed.

It took me a good two months for my nails to gain strength and look good. But I definately needed products to help me along the way as my nails were so brittle and weak.

To get your nails back in a natural healthy state, be sure to use OPI’s Nail Envy™ Natural Nail Hardener to strengthen your natural nails (I used it every second day – the large bottle last forever!) , and maybe condition your cuticles with Avoplex® Nail and Cuticle Replenishing Oil . After that I now have regular manicures to maintain healthy nail growth and it is a lot cheaper that getting acrylics done!

If you have any experiences with making your nails strongly after having acrylics or would like to share anything with us, please post a comment or question below!

How to Whiten your nails

To whiten your nails, try these tips:

• Use a common whitening tooth paste. Try scrubbing your nails with toothpaste, its just as easy as achieving a pearly white smile and will take away any stains and shine up your nails.
• Soak your nails in water with lemon juice or lemon slices. The lemon acts as an astringent and will strip away stains. (or you can try SpaRitual’s Cuti-Clean Cuticle and Stain Remover)

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog.  As special offer just for being a follower of our blog enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

Pedicure Benefits, Tools and at Home Tips

People take on average 10,000 steps in a day, adding up to 115,000 miles in a lifetime, enough to circle the planet four times. How are your feet feeling? With the average woman walking 10 miles per day and average man treading 7, a pedicure is the perfect thank you to your feet their continuous support.

A pedicure is a way to improve the appearance of the feet, and their nails. It basically is a manicure for the feet. The word pedicure comes form the Latin words pes, which means foot, and cura, which means care. It also means the care of the feet and toenails. A pedicure can be helpful because it can prevent nail diseases and nail disorders.

Whether you opt for a spa pedicure or would like to try one at home, a pedicure will leave your feet looking beautiful and feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

Materials and Tips for a home pedicure:

Pumice stone or foot file , Toe separators or cotton balls/roll, Nail File, Cuticle remover, Cuticle oil, Orangewood stick, Color nail polish, Base coat, Top coat, Nail polish remover, Quick dry product, Nail clippers, Dish pan, Cotton balls, Towels, Cuticle nippers, Lotion, Nail buffer, Flip-flops if desired.

1. Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and use it to remove any old polish you may have on your toenails from you last pedicure.
2. Fill the dishpan with enough warm soapy water to cover your feet. Soak for at least five minutes. (Note: Whenever you are working on one foot, the other foot should be soaking in the warm water. )
3. Dry your foot and apply the cuticle remover at the base of each nail. Wait one minute for the remover to soften the cuticle. Use the wedged end of the orangewood stick to push the cuticle back. If desired, carefully snip off the excess cuticle. Repeat this procedure on the other foot.
4. Using the nail clippers, cut off any nails that are too long. Length is a personal preference, but make sure the nail is shorter than the toe. Be careful not to cut the nails too short as this can cause ingrown toenails and can be quite painful. With the emery board, file the nail into a square shape.
5. Use the nail buffer to smooth any roughness or ridges on the surface of the nails.
   
6. Wet the pumice stone or foot file in the dishpan. Rub any areas of dry or flaking skin gently. Rinse the foot and dry.
   i. Note: Do not ever use a filing tool with a blade that cuts your skin or allow one to be used on your feet. Not only is it unsanitary, but you may cut too deeply, causing pain or even drawing blood. It is important to have a bit of callus on the bottom of the foot as well, to prevent splitting.
   
7. Apply a generous amount of lotion to the foot, massaging it in and taking care to cover all the foot, especially the dry and flaky parts. Massage the lotion up your legs to your knees. Close your eyes and relax for 10 minutes, allowing your skin to soak in the soothing lotion. You could also wrap your feet with saran wrap after slathering on your lotion, and put on a pair of warm socks out of the dryer for intensive moisturization.
   
8. Rinse feet in warm water and dry off with towel.
   
9. Saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and go back over your toenails, making sure that all lotion residues are removed. This is important, since the polish will not stick to any surface that still has lotion residue on it.
   
10. Press the toe separators or cotton between the toes, so that each toe is not rubbing on the next. Note: If toe separators are not available, use cotton balls or a roll of cotton. Be very careful to keep the cotton away from the nails themselves, as cotton fibers will ruin the look of the polish.
    
11. Brush 1 coat of the base coat over each nail. Allow it to dry for one minute.
    
12. Apply 2 coats of the nail color. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.
    
13. Apply the top coat. Allow it to dry for 1 minute, and then spray your nails with the quick dry spray.
    

Your pedicure should be completely dry after 30-45 minutes. Be sure and wear open toed shoes to allow for additional drying time. Your pedicure should last about two weeks.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog.  As special offer just for being a follower of our blog enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!