Hi everyone,
As i promised in my last post, i will be sharing the routine i use for keeping my hands and nails looking beautiful. Let me state that i developed this routine on my own after a long period of nail care, it is the routine i have always used for myself and i have found it effective in keeping my hands looking lovely. I hope it works for you too. Let's get started!
These are the materials i use for my nail care routine, listed below.
(1) Cotton wool
(2)Polish remover
(3)Glass nail file
(4) Cuticle pusher
(5)Cuticle remover
(6)Buffing block
(7) Nail clippers
(8) Cuticle oil
(9) Moisturizer
STEP 1: Remove any old polish with polish remover. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water (or any good quality handwash). Work up a lather and use an old toothbrush to get under the fingernails. Do this for about a minute or two and rinse hands. While hands are still wet, apply a good hand scrub and work on the hands concentrating on the knuckles and nail borders. Rinse hands thoroughly and pat dry. (your hands should feel noticeably softer)
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| Wash and Scrub |
STEP 2: Clip down your nails slightly with the nail clipper, concentrating more on the free edge which is prone to breakage. Avoid cutting too close to the skin and be sure to follow the shape of your nails. (it is easier to clip the nails when the hand is wet, dry nails can crack if clipped too forcefully)
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| Clip nails |
STEP 3: File the free edge into a nice shape. I use a glass hand file with a superfine grit but you can use any nail file at hand as long as you file carefully and only in one direction. This is key to preventing cracks/splits along the free edge. Be gentle on your nails sweeties!
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| File nail free edge |
STEP 4: Apply a generous helping of cuticle remover to the nails and allow to sit for at least 3 minutes. This will soften the dead skin on the nail bed for easy removal. (i use the Supernail brand. Most cuticle removers have a cream or gel consistency. All work well, be sure to use generously)
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| Apply cuticle remover |
STEP 5: Use a cuticle pusher and gently scrape off the cuticle remover. You should see some white bits of softened flakes. That is dead cuticle. Use the cuticle pusher gently along the corners of the nail bed. It is also good at this time to gently clip the hangnails on the sides of the nails. You can see an example of the scrapings from mine on the pusher in the pic below to have an idea of what to expect. (the white icky stuff..lol)
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| Use cuticle pusher to scrape |
STEP 6: Wipe the entire nail bed dry with the cotton wool dipped in polish remover. Your nail bed must be thoroughly clean by now. (Phew!! You're doing great, good job!! Well done you!!)
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| Wipe thoroughly with remover |
STEP 7: Gently buff the nails with a buffing block to restore shine back and also remove any previous discolouration on the nail bed (mostly from dirt and lacquer pigments). By now your nail beds should be looking noticeably brighter. Rinse hands when done, pat dry and then apply a generous helping of moistuizer on your hands. Massage in thoroughly. (Your hands are feeling supple by now right?! *winks*)
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| Buff gently |
STEP 8: The final and most important stage. Apply a GENEROUS amount of cuticle oil to your nails and massage in. By now i'm sure you can see how glossy your hands and nails look. Well done!! If you missed my last post, read here on why cuticle oil is so very very important for beautiful looking nails.
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| Apply cuticle oil |
Check out my before and after pictures. Aren't they just darling?
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| Drab To Fab |
I'm happy to share this with you. Why don't you go ahead and give it a try? Leave comments here and on my Instagram page to let me know how well my routine may have worked for you, i would seriously love some feedback!
For some of the products and tools i used, please visit MaisonDeOngles to purchase. I cannot recommend them enough. Simply click the name link and shop for all your hand and nail care needs. They have pretty much everything and you should have no problem making good choices in hand and nail care products.
Thank you for taking the time to read, hope you enjoyed this. I look forward to my next post where the real fun begins with real nail art.
Until next time, stay beautiful!
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Read Also:
The Benefits of Cuticle OilLabels: Dotun nails, Nail Care
