Posts

How to Save Money on Manicures and Pedicures

If you were to add up how much money you spend a year on manicures and pedicures you might be appalled. For me, the cost is totally worth it. I live in New York City and my twice monthly pedicures are so cheap, it makes better sense (and cents) to pay someone to do the job rather then spending the time doing a poor job myself. That said, I still find ways to save on my manis and pedis. Here are some of my best secrets to saving money on manicures and pedicures. Learn to Do It Yourself This one is obvious. If you want to save money on nail care, simply start doing your nails yourself. Depending upon where you live, you could save yourself $100 or more a month by doing your own fingernails and tootsies. I live in NYC, where cheap nail salons reign supreme, so I like to think my time is better spent NOT doing my own nails and paying someone else to do them. Here's all you need to know on DIY-manis and DIY-pedis: How to Give Yourself a Manicure How to Give Yourself a Pedicure Thin is B...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cuticle Products 101

No manicure is complete without neat, moisturized cuticles. Cuticles are the thin ridges of skin that surround the bases of our nails, are they are an important area to  take care of . Whether you simply push them back or opt to remove them, keeping your cuticles in check is important. There are several different types of cuticle products on the market, and they all serve different purposes. Here's an overview of the most common ones to help you find out what each type of cuticle product does, how to use it, and which one might be best for you. Cuticle Cream:   Cuticle creams  are thick, moisturizing creams meant to be applied liberally to cuticles and nail beds. They can be applied at night or during the day, but nighttime is ideal so that you can apply a thick coat without worrying. Many cuticle creams also contain light exfoliating ingredients that are safe to be left on all day. Cuticle Oil:   Cuticle oil  often comes in a bottle that looks similar to nail p...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's Causing My Cracked Cuticles and Skin?

5 Reasons for Cracked Cuticles and Peeling Skin Around the Nails Question: Why Are My Cuticles and the Skin Around My Nails Cracked & Peeling After a Manicure? There are a number of reasons why you have cracked cuticles and ragged skin around the nails after a professional or home manicure. 1. Cutting Cuticles Never cut cuticles. Even your nail technician should not be cutting your cuticles. Why? The cuticles provide a barrier of protection for the nail bed from damage and from bacterial and fungal infection. Cutting makes the cuticle hard and can easily crack and become prone to infection. 2. Rough Manicurists Is your manicurist using too aggressive and harsh handling of your fingernails? In addition, some nail technicians use strong and irritating solvents to remove cuticles. These solvents breakdown keratin (protein in the cuticle) but this can cause inflammation and infection to the nail root, nail bed and surrounding skin. 3. Using the Wong Nail Tools The use of sharp instrume...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Keep Nail Polish From Chipping

These few little tricks will extend the life of your manicure I hate it when my nail polish chips prematurely. Here are my 8 favorite tips to keep your nail polish from chipping when doing your own manicure. Follow these rules and your manicures and pedicures will last much longer. Always Start With Clean Nails When you get your nails professionally done, they always clean your nails with nail polish remover even if you had no nail polish on them. Why? Because natural oils will keep the nail polish from actually adhering to the surface of your nails. So, always swipe each nail with remover before applying polish. I recommend your basic Cutex Nail Polish Remover,  buy it from Amazon . Prep Nails With a Base Coat Polish will adhere best to nails prepped with a base coat. I recommend OPI Natural Nail Base Coat,  buy it from Amazon . Thin Coats, Not Thick Coats Thinner coats are less risk of smudging than thick coats. I recommend 3 thin coats of polish rather than 2 thick coats. T...
Post a Comment
Read more