When it comes to personal hygiene and taking care of your appearance, your nails are just as important as your skin or your hair.
Over time, dirt, debris and other small particles from food and the things you touch throughout the day can get stuck under your nails, making them look dirty and, well…. grubby.
Plus, if not cleaned regularly, dirty fingernails can cause you to feel unwell.
Keeping your nails fresh and clean can be easily achieved by simply washing your hands with warm soapy water regularly.
Your regular hand soap is perfectly fine to use to achieve clean fingernails. But if you are looking for something with a little something extra then why not try a scented or moisturising hand-wash?
Whether you’re a DIY’er or prefer to visit your local salon to have your talons manicured, it’s simple and easy to achieve chic looking nails.
Chic fingernails tend to be on the shorter side with the nail length being kept just a little past the end of your finger, filed into a softer, more rounded edge shape.
If you are a do-it-yourself kind of woman when it comes to your manicure, be sure not to see-saw your nails when filing. You want to file from the outer edge in towards the centre in one swipe each time, then repeat on the other edge of your nail into the centre until you achieve your desired length and shape.
If you need further information on how to properly file your nails then check out YouTube for a plethora of how-to videos and tutorials.
To file your nails you don’t need fancy files or equipment, a basic dual sided file will suffice.
For chic looking hands and nails, be sure to moisturise your hands reguarly, taking care to thoroughly moisturise and push back cuticles in the process too.
Pushing back your cuticles couldn’t be simpler. After washing, when drying hands you can use your towel to gently push them back as you dry. Or, if you prefer, try using a cuticle pusher stick.
Some people like to use cuticle snippers to cut away excess cuticles after pushing back, but this isn’t always necessary. It ultimately comes down to personal preference.
As I said earlier, you can always gently push back your cuticles when moisturising your hands. Moisturise cuticles in a circular motion with your fingertip as you do.
Find a hand cream that works for your particular needs.
Now to the fun part, choosing your nail colour. For the chicest nail shades, stick to soft pinks, pale corals, nude shades, classic French manicure style with white tips, or go bold with a stylish bright red shade.
Pro Tip: For healthy nails, always use a base coat before applying colour to prevent nails from drying out or staining that can occur from your polish.
Pro Tip 2: For nail colour that lasts and to prevent chipping, use a top coat after your colour. For even glossier results opt for a gel top coat.
Always remember that your nails are not tools. Treat them with care and respect to prevent breakages and chips to your polish.
How often you should remove your polish and reapply comes down to personal preference as well as lifestyle. Once per week should be fine as long as your polish is still intact. Otherwise, change as needed.
xoxo, Taylor.
The tips and advice featured in this post are entirely optional. Take what resonates and leave the rest. Most importantly, live your life in a way that suits you. ✨️
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