Hi Goddesses
And welcome to another edition of Crumpet's Choice.
I am often asked about my nail care routine. To be fair, I'm quite lazy, and I am not good at building the right habits, so rather than be all technical, I thought I'd just show the 7 basic products I would recommend. If you're just starting to get into nails, learn from my mistakes - these are the products I swear by after trying a lot of others!
Just one disclaimer - don't ignore your own personal body chemistry. These are the products that work for me, and I would urge anybody to use them, however, some of us are more acid, and some of us are more alkaline, and that's why no one product is perfect for everyone. So, these may not be perfect for you, but they're a great starting place.
Base Coat
I've ALWAYS been an OPI Nail Envy girl. My nails peel, so I use their Sensitive and Peeling version. This makes my nails stronger, harder and glossier.
Lately, as you know, I've had some issues, so as an emergency rebuilder I've used Duri Rejuvacote, and this has done just as good a job, but maybe achieved the results a little quicker.
Top Coat
For me there is only 1 product in this category - Poshe. I adore this above all others, and it's the only top coat I've worn for about 18 months.
I personally couldn't get on with Seche Vite - I am one of the people who gets shrinkage with it. Poshe and Seche deliver the same results - super fast dry time and super glossy finish.
Nail Repair Kit
Who hasn't had a nail break JUST when their nails were starting to look perfect? For a while I tried silk wraps, but I'm not super dextrous so they always looked a little messy. Also, if you need to take your polish off regularly, they are not a good option.
Lately I've been using the Orly Nail Repair Kit and it's great. You apply glue, then dip your nail into the powder. Let it dry. Repeat. Once it's dry, file it down for a smooth finish. It's great. It doesn't work when you grate your nail half off (there are some things no magic will work on), but it is good for breaks of a few millimetres.
Polish Remover
For me there is only one polish remover - Zoya Remove. I love it. I love the smell, the fact that it strengthens your nails, and that it's not pure acetone.
It IS pricey though, especially if you don't live in the US, but there are loads of Google recipes for how to make your own.
Nail File
For the longest time I used clippers and any old nail file, and then I read recently that clippers can weaken your nails. One long education from my nail group later and I was persuaded that glass nail files are the only way to go.
I chose this HUGE one from The Edge - it's about 20cm long - and it's awesome. It powers through claws like it's melting ice. I've only had this a couple of weeks and already I wouldn't be without it - total love!
Hand Lotion
For the longest time, I didn't use hand lotion, and then about a year ago I really started to notice how other bloggers didn't have rough looking skin around their nails!
I love OPI Avoplex - it's my favourite of the ones I've used. A bottle like this will last me about a month. It hasn't solved ALL my issues, but I think that's because I have dry skin anyway - eczema and psoriasis - so it has an extra challenge on me. Either way, I really notice a difference when I use it.
Cuticle Care
And this is what I turn to when I need a little extra help - Avoplex. This is super moisturising - it even glosses up my keyboard when I type after applying it lol.
The only drawback is how small this tube is, and it costs about £10. When I need to use this, I need it every day, so the smart thing is to avoid needing it by being a good girl and remembering to apply hand lotion twice a day. Yeh, still working on that :)
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These aren't your only nail care options of course. Ashley from Smashley Sparkles swears by Trind as her nail strengthening base coat. Victoria from The Manicurator soaks her hands in olive oil a few times a week - it's easy to see that that clearly works. The Queen of nail care is Bee from Bee Polished - she's a qualified nail tech and has tons of nail care posts on her blog if you want more science and more details.
Enjoy xx :)
