 Of all the amazing things I saw at New York Fashion Week, what I was most excited to come home and try is a look that never even appeared on the catwalk. It’s a new nail art technique that CND Co-Founder Jan Arnold discovered in Russia and I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you.
It’s a technique for making your own nail art decals using nail polish that CND’s Russian Education Ambassadors created. Essentially you are designing your own version of Minx or Sally Hansen Salon Effects at home. It’s easy and fun and I just know you DIY peeps are going to love it. |
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Happy Friday Fanatics! Things have been a bit slow this week because I suffered a massive tear on my ring finger and I’ve been been babying it. However I do have a few fun things to show you that will go up later today.
In the meantime, I was reading a recent article on Glamour’s Girls In The Beauty Department blog about whether or not nails need to “breathe” (they don’t btw) and in it they mentioned “buffing is key” to getting your natural nails to look good.
I’ve talked to many a manicurist over the years and there are definitely two camps when it comes to buffing. Those that feel that an occasional light buffing to smooth out ridges/imperfections is okay and others who consider a regular buffing part of a proper manicure.
Now let me clarify, when I say “occasional” I mean once every few months and by “regular” I mean once every week/two. I doubt I could find a manicurist worth their salt that would advise to buffing your nails every few days as that would severely weaken the nail plate.
Personally, I stand firmly in the anti-buffing camp. I rarely buff my nails because they are naturally weak. When I do, I use a tip I received from Celebrity Manicurist Elle who told me to apply cuticle oil to the nail plate prior to buffing. The oil provides slip that prevents you from removing too many layers from the plate.
So what’s your take? Is a good buffing part of your regular manicure routine? Are you in the no-buffing camp? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
 Much like wrapping the perfect present, a flawless, long lasting manicure requires a little wrapping of its own. Wrapping the free edge of your nail with polish helps extend the wear of your manicure and should become an essential step in your routine.
I’m sure most professional nail techs consider this part of their everyday manicure service but it’s not as well known in the consumer world. Since we discussed this technique in the comments of my Quirius review, and there were multiple requests for details, I figured a quick tutorial was in order.
Read on to see my step-by-step guide to wrapping your tips and get a look at one of American Apparel’s latest nail polish releases. It’s GREEN! |
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 I should really call this manicure “An Afternoon of Frustration” because that’s how trying to create a water marble manicure left me feeling; FRUSTRATED! Those of you who have mastered the technique, I bow down to you. I honestly have no desire to try this ever again but since I made the effort, I thought I’d share my experience with you.
A few years back when China Glaze introduced the OMG! holographic collection, they posted a tutorial for their “Color Swirl” manicure and I was intrigued but intimidated by the process. Since then a whole mess of YouTubers have made countless water marble tutorials including lots of great tips and tricks to make the technique easier. I found myself watching a few this morning and got inspired.
Find out more about the water marble technique and my adventure trying to recreate the look after the jump! |
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 A few weeks ago, I unofficially polled you all about my nail length. Whether I should keep the slightly longer shape I showed in my Zoya Sparkle review or go back to my usual short tips. Ultimately I decided that a filing was in order for two reasons:
1. Being an accident prone klutz, I’m certain to break a nail as soon as it gets more than a few millimeters past my fingertip.
2. I just prefer the look of my nails when they are short. My ring fingernail tends to get a little wonky as it gets longer.
The problem with keeping my nails “active length” is that I’m saddled with short, wide nail beds that look more stubby than chic. So what’s a girl to do when she doesn’t want the hassle of long nails but desires a slim, elongated look?
That’s the exact I asked CND’s Roxanne Valinoti backstage during Fashion Week. Roxanne shared a great application tip she dubbed “The Slimline Technique.” It’s very simple and really does thin the shape of the nail.
Check out my example above using OPI Funkey Dunkey and then find out more about it after the jump! |
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