At your fingertips

With so many nail polishes and so little time, it's important for me to look after my nails and hands. So in between painting my nails all the colours of the rainbow I try to fit in products that provide some care and nourishment as well.

A while back one of my bad habits was to pick off nail polish with my fingers as soon as it started to chip - I just couldn't help myself and it was terrible for my nails. Since I discovered Pretty Quik Instant Nail Polish Remover there's no need for any of that anymore. There are several version of this out there and Bourjois is a well known one, but this little cheapy works just as well. Open the bottle, put your finger in it and twist to get rid of any polish. For ordinary polishes it takes seconds for it to disappear, but if you're wearing several layers or maybe even something sparkly (oooohhh, yes!!!) it might take a little longer. It's a little miracle in a bottle. The only thing I can't stand with this product is the smell - the remover is phenomenally effective but the pungent smell of acetone could knock out an elephant. I really wish they had a similar product that was acetone free - and it would be more healthy for nails too. The things we endure for a magnificent mani....

After that I'll use my beloved glass nail file to do any shaping necessary - truth be told, I do this as little as possible since I find that once you start filing your nails a lot, they get more and more brittle. The great thing about glass nail files is that you only need to barely touch your nail and you've corrected what you wanted. And of course there are so many pretty designs out there with sparkles, flowers, butterflies - you name it and I'm sure you can find it on either Amazon or eBay.

I've tried many nail polishes from Essie but up until a while ago never any of their nail care products, and truthfully I wasn't at all sure about the Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil when I bought it. I thought £9.95 was pretty expensive and I've used some great products that were bargain buys from Lush and Avon, but since I like to try different things I had to take the leap. It has a subtle apricot smell that makes it pleasant to use, it's absorbed quickly and it seems to do the trick. But you can get any of all the multi purpose oils that are popular at the moment, and probably achieve exactly the same result.

When it comes to nail care, there's no other brand in my opinion that produces so many little gems that really do work, as Sally Hansen. I've tried many of their products, and at the moment I alternate between the Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Growth Treatment and the Sally Hansen Nail Growth Serum.

The Miracle Nail Growth Treatment can be used as a base coat, and should then be reapplied every other day to bare nails. When I don't use that, I opt for the Nail Growth Serum and massage that into both the nail and the cuticle. Out of the two products I probably prefer the lacquer since for me that replaces the base coat, but regardless of which one you go for they certainly make your nails grow. A few years ago I had very short nails and simply couldn't seem to get them nice and long. I tried the Nail Growth Treatment and haven't looked back since. If you were to have only one single nail care product - THIS would be the one to invest in. 

I do try to give my nails a few days of rest without polish every couple of weeks to let them breath, but if I do apply a colour I'll finish off with the Rimmel Finishing Touch Ultra Shine Top Coat. Again I know that there are many options available for top coats, including the cult item Seche Vite Top Coat, but for me Rimmel works just as well, and I love the gleaming shine this gives.

I finish my glam it yourself mani with a nice creamy hand lotion and it doesn't get much better than the Caudalie Hand & Nail Cream. It has an absolutely divine smell that makes me feel energized and ready to get on with things - sun kissed Valencia oranges with a sherbetty sparkle for freshness that remind me of citrus candy. Not only does it smell amazing, but it also nourishes your hands and leaves them feeling soft, soft, soft!