Over the years, I’ve picked up numerous manicure tips from professional manicurists, my fellow nail fanatics and my own experiences. I’ve shared a lot of them with you in other posts but never pooled together my faves.
Tip 1 – Swipe bare nails with vinegar prior to polishing. Yep, plain old white vinegar. It removes any oils or residues to help your manicure last.
Tip 2 – Use a thin brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up polish mistakes. This one seems so obvious to me now but, when I first learned of it, it was a total, “Eureka!” moment. Lightly swiping the brush inside the cuticle will give you the perfect, professional polish curve, EVERY TIME!
Tip 3 – Wrap your tips (aka cap the free edge). This is one of those blink and you’ll miss it techniques that all professional manicurists use. As you finish each coat of base, polish and top coat, lightly swipe the edge of your nail to prolong wear. Pictured below is an exaggerated version of what wrapping your tips looks like.
Tip 4 – Roll your way to the perfect French tip. As you know, I’m not a fan of the classic French manicure but I’m always on board for a funky, colorful French. If you have the patience, using tape will give you foolproof results but in this fast paced world, as Sweet Brown says, “ain’t nobody got time for dat!” The key is to use a polish with a thin brush, like Revlon Nail Art Expressionist, hold your brush steady, and roll your finger underneath.
Tip 5 – Apply cuticle oil to the skin around your nail prior to polish removal to prevent staining. This is crucial when you are using dark polishes or colors that are notorious for staining. Blues & greens I’m looking at you. The added benefit, you protect the skin from the drying effects of nail polish remover.
What are you favorite nail tips? Do you use any of these in your typical manicure routine?
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Revlon and Style Coalition. For more info, view my Disclosure Policy.
If you look back on the ’80s with great nostalgia, as I do, you should have your DVRs set for the National Geographic mini-series The ’80s: The Decade That Made Us starting this Sunday, April 14th. Bonus: it’s narrated by my number one celeb crush, Rob Lowe. Though I’m still waiting for a “The ’80s” movie like the ones NBC produced for The ’60s and The ’70s. IT’S TIME NBC!
Kids may not be in my life plan but I know mothers, like my friend Sara, who have children on the Autism Spectrum. And even though it’s a fictionalized account, I cry on a weekly basis watching Parenthood and the struggles Christina and Adam deal with in raising their son Max with Asperger Syndrome.
April is Austism Awareness Month so in support of the daily challenges the mothers of autistic children face and to bring awareness to the cause, I polished my nails in a blue ombré manicure. With so many fun blues released for spring, it was hard to narrow down my selection. I wanted to show you colors I haven’t swatched yet so I chose Nails Inc. Chelsea Physic Garden, OPI OPI… Eurso Euro and Revlon Brilliant Strength Mesmerize. Click here to view more pictures and read the rest of this story.
I don’t know what it’s like in your neck of the woods but in my part of the CLE, shopping for nail polish in drugstores can be pretty time consuming. On average I’ll hit up to 3-4 stores looking for specific seasonal displays or brands. Well, thanks to the new CVS Nail HQ, those days are over, people!
Rolling out to CVS/pharmacy stores across the country, the Nail HQ is a nail-focused kiosk that showcases the latest trends in color and nail products. You’ll find the newest releases from brands like Essie, Revlon, Sally Hansen and more including the CVS exclusive Nuance Salma Hayek line, not to mention a wide range of core colors.
365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.
When I reviewed Revlon Vixen, I pretty much ripped it a new one thanks to the extreme bubbling and difficulty in application. Then I tried Revlon Top Speed in Emeraldwhich I fell for, hardcore, since it’s an OPI JitNB twin. In my eyes, that one polish redeemed Revlon in a big way so I wanted to give the regular line a second chance as well.
I don’t remember when I found Revlon Blue Lagoon sitting in the Summer Romantics display but I know I purchased it before I tried Vixen. All I can remember is that I couldn’t resist the tiny sparkles peering at me from behind the glass. Will it be the disaster Vixen was or will it be a winner like Emerald? Keep reading to find out.
