nails

Blogmas Day 20: Festive Holiday Nails

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Only 5 days left till Christmas! All of my shopping is done, all of my wrapping is done. I have none of the hard work left to do! So it’s time to relax and enjoy the last little bit of the Holiday season and Christmas. Time to plan my outfit and paint my nails!

You’ve heard me rant about sparkle nail polish before. I hate it, with a passion. It looks amazing and is so festive and nice, but the removal is a b*tch and is really not worth the anger and frustration in my opinion. But, alas, it’s Christmas! And Christmas really is the perfect time for those shiny and bright, sparkly nails. If your nails can’t look like twinkle lights at Christmas then you’re not Christmas-ing properly. Right?

It doesn’t matter what kind of sparkles you go for, they’re all festive. My favourite is the Sephora by O.P.I Nail Colour in the shade Eggnog. It’s the most perfect rose gold/champagne coloured sparkles that are amazing on their own or layered on top of black or burgundy nail colours. After quite a few years of love I reached for it this season only to find a solid lump in a bottle. Sadly it’s no longer useable. So my gorgeous friend Laura (doing what friends do) didn’t miss a beat and automatically posed her hands without question as I snapped away at her lovely holiday sparkles. (Thanks  Laura!)

Laura’s holiday sparkles are BeYu Sparkling Top Coat, which she picked up on a recent trip to Germany. BeYu is a great German brand that develops products based on trends, colours and lifestyles spotted around the world! Truly is the brand of travellers! Check it out next time you’re there and add a bit of sparkle to your life!

What is your favourite holiday nail colour?

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Office Appropriate Nails

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I’m all for bold colours and decorative nails all day everyday. Even in the office. But sometimes, on the day of a presentation, the day you meet the boss’s boss, or the day of a rather important interview, less is more. Just like you wouldn’t walk into that room with a bold va-va-voom lip colour, you should probably avoid the crazy and outlandish nail colours as well. First impressions are important and as much as it sucks to say it – your clothes say a lot about you before you even open your mouth. But the same is true about all aspects of your appearance. When you go to shake a hand, make sure you have office appropriate nails.

Now everyone can judge variations of this based on their office environment. I for one can’t think of a nail colour or design that would not be appropriate in my laid back office. But for some, the bright greens, floral designs, or even the stiletto shaped talons I envy so much would be highly unprofessional and inappropriate. So for those of you who are in that category – I have some solutions that are still fun! Or at least I think so.

I’m a big fan of neutral nails. I know their not for everyone, but I love the ‘nude’ nail look. And it’s incredibly subtle. I love the fresh and clean look of it and I think it’s highly professional for any office or business situation. I love Orly Dare to Bare for my nude nails. Moving on to a bit more colour, I think that the subtle pinks and dusty rose colours are the perfect shades. As long as you don’t go to barbie or bubblegum, the light dusty pinks are quiet enough to be professional as well. I am a big fan and slight hoarder of the dusty rose shades, but one of my favourites is O.P.I Gouda Gouda Two Shoes. And finally, lets get you a bold nail. If you want to add colour and a little BAM! then go for red. Red nails are the classic femme fatale. The bold and sexy, yet appropriate for every situation type of nail. For summery red I love Essie Fifth Avenue but for Autumn and Winter I tend to take my reds more to the burgundy side of things and go for Sally Hansen Insta-Dri CinnaSnap! 

What are your thoughts on office appropriate nails?

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At Home Manicure

Screen Shot 2015-06-14 at 3.44.52 PMSundays mean pamper time – especially some much needed nail care. I don’t go get manicures very often, but every Sunday I like to trim, file, cut and paint my nails myself (I save the pricey mani-pedi’s for special occasions). No need for special, expensive files or this, that and whatever (see I get manicures so infrequently I don’t even know the proper terms) – just a few, well-priced products from the drug store, a little patience and a steady hand.

1. First I give my fingers and cuticles a good moisturizing massage. The skin around my nails often peel and get sore, so moisturizing is important. For this I use the Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser + Balm. You simply massage a little bit into your cuticles to help keep them in check.

2. Then I cut away those ragged cuticles by using the simplest of tools. It’s the Revlon Cuticle Trimmer, which is a tiny little contoured clipper to trim your cuticles by following the natural curve of your nails. No need for a small set of scissors that will very likely cut your cuticles too short and leave your nails sore for the rest of the week.

3. If you’re happy with the shape and length of your nails, then move on the the base coat. I like to use the Essie Protein Base Coat. It helps strengthen and protect using wheat proteins for healthy nails – makes a smooth base and extends the wear of your polish.

4. The polish!! I change it drastically every week – switching from the dark, the bold, the neon, and the simple neutral colours. This week I chose a simple dusty rose pink – Essie’s Eternal Optimist. 

5. Finish it all off with the only top coat out there that will actually dry your nails as fast as it claims to – it’s Seche Vite! Dries your nails in about a minute – and makes for a smooth, long-lasting finish on your manicure and colour.

Love my Sunday nail routine! Now that I can wear nail polish to work it’s become one of my favourite pamper sessions! With a few special occasions coming up this summer I am excited to splurge on a manicure or two, but my routine at home is just as good for the daily nail needs!

What do you like to do with your nails at home?

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