All About Nails!

Hello and Happy Friday everyone! TGI(frickan')F amiright? I don't know about you guys but I am so ready for the weekend *insert multiple dancing women emojis here*. Today I'm doing a post about all of my favourite nail care products/ my nail routine. 

Full disclosure, I am OCD when it comes to my nails. I absolutely hate going out in public when my nails don't look nice, and if I have even just a tiny chip in the polish on one nail I have to pick off the polish on all of my nails and repaint. I'm aware I have issues, but I just don't feel put together if my nails look like crap. 

I always like to prep my nails before I put polish on them and this includes using the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover (which you can purchase at Walmart) and cuticle cutters (picture below). You leave the Cuticle Remover on for about 20 seconds, let it do its thing, and then run your hands under some water to wash it off. I push any remaining cuticle down with my finger nail and then remove it with the cuticle cutters. 

Next, I always shape my nails with a nail file and use a base coat polish. I use the Essie All in One base coat but any base coat will do. Base coats are really key in your nail care routine because they they prevent the polish you apply from staining your nail, they extend the life of you polish and many contain ingredients that nourish your nails. 

Speaking of nourishing your nails, I recently took a trip to London and while I was there I picked up three NailsInc nail polishes. Each polish is enriched with different ingredients that are meant to hydrate your nails and keep them strong while you wear them. The first polish below is from NailsInc's hugely successful Nail Kale line. The other two polishes are from their new nourishing lines that launched earlier this year. One line is enriched with sweet almond oil and matcha, while the other line is enriched with coconut water. 

In the Nail Kale line I purchased the color Windsor Mews which is a beautiful muted lilac. In the Sweet Almond Oil and Matcha line I purchased the color Gloucester Crescent, a lovely linen blue grey shade. In the Gel Effects line with coconut water I got the awesome bright blue shade called Portobello Terrace. I actually had a really had a hard time choosing which colors to get because I loved them all but I'm super happy with the three shades I did buy. 

You don't have to go all the way to London like I did for NailsInc polishes, they do sell them at Sephora but the price point is slightly higher than your average polish. In my opinion they are totally worth it though: the formulas are glorious, the brush shape is great, you don't need much polish to get a solid color and I found that the color doesn't chip. 

I love a nude nail polish but my absolute favourite nude polish of all time is the color Zakynthos by Nars. I just find that it is perfect for my skin tone and every time I wear it people always compliment the color. However, when I'm not wearing a nude polish I am wearing a black polish. Currently I'm using the OPI color Black Onyx. These two colors are definitely Holy Grail products for me and speaking of Holy Grail products, the Seche Vite quick drying top coat is number one on that list. If you haven't tried this product yet you need to because it will change your life. It seriously dries within minutes, no more being helpless for half an hour or more while your nails dry.

After my nails are done and dry, I like to apply hand cream. I have extremely dry skin so I find that the green Glysomed hand cream works best for me because it contains silicone, which locks in moisture. I know a lot of people don't like this hand cream because they find it greasy or heavy but I'm a huge fan. I literally always have this with me and I buy it in packs of three at Walmart because I go through it so quickly. At night, I religiously apply the Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil which I just dab onto my nail beds and massage in. I started using this in the Winter because my hands were so dry, but I continue to use it nightly because I find that it really keep my nails strong and healthy looking. Finally, I  follow up the cuticle oil with a really moisturizing lotion like the Good on Ya body butter in the sent Femme or Sweet Bay, turn off the lights and go to bed!

So there you go, my (slightly extensive) nail care routine*. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and if you have any nail care products you love please comment below! 

Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back here on Tuesday.

XX

D.

*I got a lot of these product recommendations from my favourite YouTuber/Blogger, Estée LaLonde, so if you guy liked this post you should check her out!