Nails

Whether you want lusciously laquered nails with a dash of clour or simple clear gloss on your weding day will depend on your style of outfit. Natural nails are preferable to even the best artificial variety, but only few are born with great nails. They require cultivation.

Nails are not all alike. The differ from person to person, just like hair and skin. To achieve and maintain naturally beautiful nails you need to identify your nail type and then get into a routine of regular manicures, pedicures and maintenance, including a good hand moisturiser. You can do this at home. You'll start seeing results within days, and within about six weeks you should have strong healthy nails that will ook perfect either nude or coloured.

Identify your nail type
Flaking - are the layers seperating leaving thin edges?
Soft - do they blend like paper?
Brittle - Gently flex the sides of the nail. If they do not move at all, the nail is to hard and brittle and may tend to shatter or break.

If you do have problem nails, specialist treatments are available. Some are only available in salons, but others can be purchased from high street chemists. Most nail treatments can be used with or without nail polish. And don't forget your feet: exfoliate hard skin, moisturise and complete with the perfect pedicure. The guideline are the same as for a manicure.

 
MANICURE GUIDELINE

Filing
Use the correct grit of emery board (soft, normal, hard), depending on your nail type. This will avoid any trauma to the layers of your nail. File in one direction with big strokes, like you are playing a violin. Do not file down sides of the nail, because it needs a wall to support it. The sides are where the stress areas are and where they are most likely to break. The shape of the nail should mirror the shape of the cuticle. A square or oval shape is best. Finally, very gently level with soft downward strokes on the tip of the free edge. Theis seals the layers of the nail together.

Cutting
Cutting the nail encourages growth and eliminates flaky edges. Cut the nail to reduce its length and file to shape. Use nail clippers, because scissors encourage splits and fractures.

Cuticles
Never cut cuticles, it encourages the skin to grow back quicker, thicker and harder. The cuticle is there to protect and prevent bacteria and infection entering the matrix where the nail is born. Soften cuticles morning and night by massaging with a cuticle oil to naturally shrink them and make look nice. With a linen towel dipped in water in water and the corner wrapped around the thumbnail, trace around the cuticle and push the excess back. This will naturally remove any loose dead skin.

Cleaning
Nails must be clean and dry for polish to adhere. When using polish remover, wash it off the nails immediately, Use a nail brush a in warm soapy water and brush in downward movements, Dry thoroughly until squeakly clean.

Polish
Keep nails covered and protected at all times. Apply a base coat, two coats of colour and a 'quick dry' top coat. Apply the polish fairly generously, using long sweeping strokes fromedge to edge. Always run the brush fromside to side, to the centre and across the tip of the free edge. This seals and cushions the nail from everyday breaks.

Maintenance
Apply another layer of topcoat every two or three days, sealing the free edge. If the colour wears touch that up too. Only remove nail polish once a week.