Natural Nail Care 101

Hey Guys!

Everyone knows I’m obsessed with long nails but unfortunately for me I have the kind of nails that split and break. I’ve tried to pacify myself with acrylics and various other nail extensions (stick-ons, fiberglass, gel, shellac) that are supposed to be good for your nails (all lies) in the past but nothing
seemed to work for me. After my last set of acrylics my nails felt paper thin. They were soft, chipping, splitting- performing everyday tasks was so incredibly painful. From then on I decided to take care of my nails. I’m happy to say they’re finally on their way to recovery so I thought I’d share a few things I’ve been doing with you.

I swear by regular manipedis. Just because I’ve stopped getting extensions doesn’t mean I’ll be giving up my monthly trips to the nail salon. I absolutely love getting my nails done. I love the smell, the massage chairs- the whole process is just so relaxing. Not to mention a good manicure will clean and shape your nails and treat your cuticles, which is vital for keeping your nails healthy and strong. Your hands and feet will also be exfoliated to remove dead skin cells, improve circulation and stimulate blood flow leaving your skin baby soft.

I have a disturbingly large collection of nail polishes and a love for painting my nails so whatever colour I end up choosing at the nail salon probably won’t be on my nails for more than 5 days. When I do my own nails at home, here are some of my favourite nail products to use:

A good base coat is a necessity. They create a barrier between your nails and the actual nail polish and prevent your nails from getting stained (an absolute must for green and blue nail polishes). I’ve been using the Orly Nail Defense as my base coat for a few months now and its great. In addition to protecting my nails I’ve also noticed that it makes them stronger. OPI Nail Envy is still my favourite base coat/nail strengthener combo out there but this is a decent alternative and its a lot cheaper too.

Top coats are great for providing shine and preventing your nail polish from getting chipped. A cult favourite that lives up to all the hype is the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. This product gives you the best shine EVER! And it helps your nails dry fast as well. It tends to get a bit gloopy after a while and there’s been a lot of talk about it containing a harmful ingredients but no other alternatives have been able to give me the same shine.

The worst thing about getting your nails done is waiting for your polish to dry. I’ve tried so many nail sprays and various quick dry top coats so when I came across OPI Drip Dry I was so excited to try it. It works like a DREAM.You just put a drop of the product on each nail after your topcoat and your nails are completely dry in 5 minutes! No lie.

I bought these Sundown Naturals Hair, Skin & Nails vitamins but I haven’t been taking  them properly because the instructions say you have to take them THREE times a day and they’re HUGE which makes them very uncomfortable to swallow. But I’ve decided to start off taking them twice a day for now. I’ll do a full review on them in a few months.