How To Remove UV/LED Gel Polish

I've seen damaged nails time and time again, clients trying to remove gel manicures by picking at their nails or using the wrong products. At home gel removal couldn't be easier, the key is patience... and when I say patience, I mean 15-20 mins! So if you want to remove your gel mani at home and save yourself £10 a time at the salon hopefully my below tips will help.

Listed below are the key tools you'll need to have prepared:

• Nail file and buffer
• Acetone - I have found the OPI Expert Touch Lacquer remover to be the best
• Orange stick or clean metal pusher - Sensationail Polish Removal Tool pictured above
• Nail foils - such as Gellux Profile Gel UV Polish Remover Wraps (plus pre-attached lint) If you don't have these some strong kitchen foil cut into squares and some cut and folded pieces of kitchen towel should do the job

Step 1

If your gel manicure was applied correctly each of the nails should have been capped with lacquer. Therefore is quick tip to help aid the removal process is to file the free edge removing the cap, just one stroke of the file in one direction will do

Note: This may be the stage you want to prepare yourself a cup of tea or put on your favourite youtube/tv channel

Step 2

Acetone can be very damaging to furniture, carpets etc.. so make sure you are in an appropriate and well-ventilated environment. Then using your choice of acetone, soak the foil lint pad with the solution and wrap tightly around each nail (lint side to your nail). It is important to do this reasonably quickly and focus on one nail at a time. Acetone evaporates very quickly and the tighter the nail foil the less likely it is for the acetone to evaporate and do its job of breaking down the gel. Wait at least 15 mins, no peeking!

Step 3

After 15 mins remove one of the nail foils and review the progress of the removal process. Ideally, at this stage, the gel will be bubbling up and will start to peel off as soon as you remove the foil (similar to the 'fortune telling miracle fish' anyone remember those??!!) However if this is not the case replace the foil and wait a further 5 mins. Some reasons it might take longer could be; a) Are you in a cold room? Warmth can help in the removal. Wrap a towel around your hands to help. b) Your choice of acetone is not strong enough for the Gel you've had applied, perhaps ask your salon which brand they use c) Have you had the gel polish on for more than 2 weeks? The sun is UV and continues to cure your lacquer for the duration it's on, this might mean it takes longer to soak-off

Step 4

Using an orange stick or metal polish remover tool, gently push the remaining loose gel off each nail. If the gel is not coming off easily DO NOT force, this is highly likely to take layers of nail with it and cause irreparable damage to the nail plate. Simply wrap in foil again (Step 3) and wait a further 5 minutes before trying again

Step 5

Once all polish has been removed I like to gently run a buffer over my nails to smooth and imperfections, leaving clean undamaged nails ready for my next lacquer!

I hope you found my tips for removing UV/LED gel at home useful, be sure to share any of your own tips or questions below. Thanks!

At Home Manicure Tips

During my maternity leave from work, I took some of my daughter's nursery days as an opportunity to up-skill myself in a new trade. My day job for a large financial institution is enjoyable but very stressful and I wanted to use my leave to learn a new skill should I ever be brave enough to leave my current role. I've always had a passion for painting nails, especially mine for special occasions and had always received compliments on my attention to detail and neatness.

I took a few day courses held at my local Capital Hair and Beauty store; manicure & pedicure level 2 and the OPI run Gel Color course. The sessions included both theory and practical elements which definitely helped me understand why I had always suffered from weak peeling nails and how I could modify my approach to finally grow them long and strong. Below I'll share some of my top 5 tips!
Note: I am not sponsored by OPI, I just love their products!

1. NEVER saw back and forth with your nail file, this will cause heat/friction separating layers of your nail leading to breakage, peeling and rough edges. Instead, file in one direction towards to centre

2. 'Cuticles make a manicure'. If your cuticles aren't cared for your manicure will look terrible no matter what colour you use. As I regularly use UV gel, this is a 'dry' manicure process with no soaking, I use the OPI swiss hand guard (both for sanitising my hands and softening cuticles) and gently push with either an orange stick or a clean metal pusher tool. This both removes any excess cuticle matter from the nail plate and pushes the living cuticle back for a clean appearance. Only ever trim cuticles if they are causing hangnails

3. Gently buff away any ridges or imperfections. I use the OPI 100/180 Grit buffer to create a smooth finish. This is great for preparing your canvas for lacquers or even leaving nails naturally glowing and perfected

4. You'd use moisturiser on your face daily, right? So moisture your hand daily too. Your hands are not only open to the same elements as your face, but you also put them through must worse on a daily basis... washing your hands, cleaning the house, gardening etc... Look after the skin on your hands by using an SPF hand cream during the day if possible, but always moisturise at night as this is the best time for your hands to recover as you sleep. I love the OPI chamomile and mint massage lotion, this is great for giving your hands (and arms) a good massage before bed; boosting circulation and aiding in relaxation. ahhhhh...... zzzzzzz

5. Cuticle oil is a saviour of mine, this helps keep your cuticles soft and flexible; eliminating dry and brittle cuticles and thusly the longevity of your manicure

Hope these tips were helpful and enjoy your beautiful manicures!

Lacquer Lover: OPI Gel "Don't Bossa Me Around"

On my pale skin, I tend to opt for what I would call autumnal colours such as rich reds and moody greys as I feel they accentuate my fair tones beautifully. However, with the weather being surprising warm and sunny in the UK I was feeling the need for something lighter and fresh. Scouting through my ever growing lacquer collection I spotted OPIs "Don't Bossa Me Around"

This is an opaque nude with soft pinky undertones. In this picture, I have used all OPI Gel Color range including; base coat, two coats of colour and top coat. If closely inspected you can still slightly see my natural white tips through the two colour coats, however, I'm happy with the results and believe this pale tone might, in fact, make me look as if I have a slight tan, wonders will never cease! I'll continue to road test this new look for the next week or two and will be sure to post my removal process tips for you soon!

Super Summer Salad

A quick summer salad recipe for you all today!

This was super quick to make and if like me you are a hungry bunny, this is surprising very satisfying for a salad.

Firstly griddle some turkey breast, then chop roughly into bite-size chunks. Wash and chop cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, avocado, some cubes of mozzarella and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Could this be any easier?!

This was made from ingredients I had to hand in my fridge. But you could easily mix this up by adding lentils, green beans, feta, quinoa etc... Hope you enjoy!

What's In My Bag?

1. Gucci Soho Leather Cross-body Bag in Nero
After having my daughter I realised that trying to keep my purse, keys etc.. in my diaper bag was impossible as I could never find them! Having a compact bag of my own meant I could securely zip my essentials away and this little beauty has proved perfect for the job. The textured leather is hard wearing and thus far shows no sign of wear, plus I can throw it across my body in the knowledge the zip is keeping everything secure and safe whilst I'm preoccupied with carrying my baby, shopping etc...

2. Clinique Small Mesh Bag
This was a gift free with purchase many years ago. It's the perfect size for my little bag and keeps smaller items such as lip balms, hair ties and much more neatly stored away for a clutter free bag

3. Miu Miu Purse
When needing a compact purse I still needed the room to hold credit cards, cash and coins. Finding one that was the right size was a mission, so when in Las Vegas a few years ago I stumbled across this and have carried it ever since. I'm definitely a big fan of the textured leather, its so hard wearing and no marks to be seen as yet... even though my keys are surely trying their best!

4. Audi Car Keys
Prior to my daughter arriving I decided to buy a 'pre-push' present for myself and part exchanged my BMW mini for the Audi Q3. The boots space was far superior and knowing my little girl would be safely ferried to different baby groups with space for buggies and food shopping was definitely a weight off my mind

5. House Keys
Essential for accessing my house, need I say more?

6. Jemma Kidd Retractable Travel Brush
Again an old purchase which is no longer available, however, many other such brushes are available in boots and super drug. Having a retractable brush not only saves space but also protects the bristles from damage and germs

7. NYX Butter Gloss - Vanilla Cream Pie
Love these! They aren't too sticky and leave a mere hint of colour on your lips. Now available in boots

8. Bourjois Healthy Balance Compact Powder - Vanilla
The powder that claims to "evens out and boosts the radiance of your complexion whilst taking care of your skin". It's nothing to rave about, it's a nice light powder which helps reduce shine during the day. The packaging is super slimline and lightweight making it easy to toss in your bag, it also contains a large mirror and no hideous little sponge

9. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip balm SPF15
I seem to be growing intolerance for certain lip products, however, this one is currently 'a ok' in my book. It moisturises (tick) and provides SPF coverage (tick)

10. Hair Tie
I have medium length hair and get extremely annoyed on windy days when it blows into my face.. hair ties are an essential part of my life... sad I know

11. Superdrug Compact Pop Out Brush
When space is limited but you don't want to look windswept, this is a great option. I tried to carry flat combs, but they just couldn't get through my knotty hair, this solved the problem. It's neat design folds away to a slim clamshell also providing a hand mirror should it be required

12. Mini Tic Tacs
In my younger days, I had invisalign braces and chewing gum was just not possible with my aligners in. At that time I started to carrying mints instead and will either have tic tacs or smints with me at all times for fresh breath and a sweet treat. These little mini versions came from duty free in a rather giant sized tic tac box, which I'm still working my way through

13. Travalo Atomiser
Filled with one of my favourite fragrances Acqua Di Palma - Mandorio Di Sicilia, available from Space NK, the scent is beautiful described as "Almonds met with the freshness of Chinese star anise, bergamot and orange blend with the soft encompassing notes of green Mediterranean almond and ylang-ylang. The base offers cedar wood, vanilla, Tolu balsam and white musk." Personally, the vanilla really shines through for me in a subtle way and not too sweet. Although this is not a cheap purchase at £90 a bottle, one single mist provides enough fragrance to last all day