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!
