Active mom and often overwhelmed, difficult to devote time to her manicure… And yet! To have beautiful, clean, neat and well filed nails is to be a sensual and well-groomed woman, the very essence of chic.
beautiful from head to toe
A file and a polisher fit in your hand or in a bag, no wasted moments: in front of the television, in line, in transport, before sleeping, or during Baby’s nap, you will find well 10 minutes to devote to an express manicure ? Even if it requires patience and rigor, it is above all a pleasure moment to pamper yourself a little.
Clean : We wash our nails with a small brush and soap, before “removing make-up” with nail polish remover, whether they are varnished or not!
File : On dry nails, we shorten and unifies the shape in a rounded square on the angles. Always file in the same direction, from the edge to the center. The “back and forth” is tempting, but it doubles the keratin.
Clear : To soften the cuticle that goes up to the base of the nail, apply an emollient oil for 2 minutes. You can also dip your fingers in a bowl of hot water. Then you have to push back the cuticle with a stick. A craving tweezer is used to remove small skin, but don’t get into the bad habit of cutting the cuticle, it will only make it thicker. The trick? After the shower, the cuticle is easily pushed back with a corner of a dry towel.
Polish : Like a scrub, we polish the nails to refine and close the scales using a polisher with several sides. Then we shine to make it shine. Final touch: a line of white pencil moistened under the nail!
Good to know: Grandmother would say that to whiten and strengthen her nails, you have to rub them with lemon, and to harden them, olive oil!
Taking care of my hands
In winter, beware of the water that dries up and the cold that damages. Carefully wipe the water between your fingers to avoid crevices. Wear rubber gloves for household chores and protective gloves (wool, leather, silk) from November to March. Abuse cream and nourishing vegetable oil in order to reconstitute this protective barrier day after day, by massaging the wrists to the tips of the nails. Shock treatment to sting Japanese women? Before sleeping, spread sweet almond oil on your hands and put on cotton gloves (Jules will be happy…). When you wake up, your hands will be soft and hydrated.
The varnish, the glamorous asset
Addicted to colored nails or even intimidated by the technique? Nothing rocket science, applying a varnish is a simple, fast and precise gesture, if one respects some codes of good conduct. The nail is dry, especially not oiled because nothing could adhere to it. An advice ? Store your nail polish in the refrigerator, tightly closed, upside down so that it retains an ideal consistency longer. We always put a base in a thin layer before any color of varnish so as not to stain the nail with pigments. Do not abuse hardening products which dry out and weaken. The first coat of varnish is thin and stretched. We apply a touch of varnish at the end of the nail, in the center. Then from the cuticle (without touching it) at the end of the nail, pulling the brush down to extend the line and make the junction with the tip. By turning the finger slightly, we make a rounding to the left then to the right, always from the base to the tip of the nail. The second coat is applied in the same way but thicker to reveal the true color of the varnish. A hitch? It is necessary to tap on the nail with the tip of the finger with a little nail polish remover and smooth until the roughness disappears. We finish by applying a “top coat”, a transparent fixer which will dry and protect the varnish.