Giving Your Nails Some TLC

I love having freshly painted nails. Something about it makes me feel all special and girly. I hate, however, chipped nails and having to re-do them. That is just not fun. But I'm also a fussy one who doesn't like not having anything on my nails. I know, I'm never happy. However, lately I've found a little routine, mainly for Sunday, that leaves my nails looking and feeling healthy for the week ahead. Hurrah!

I begin my giving my nails a file with that round looking nail file you can see here. I like to do this whilst I still have the old polish on as my nails are stronger then and not weakened by nail varnish remover or water. Once I'm happy with the shape I then take my nail varnish remover and get rid of the polish that's left from the previous week.

Next up I take my Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover to get rid of any overgrown cuticles and help me push them back a bit. Once they're all pushed back I grab my No7 Revitalising Hand Saviour and give my hand a good scrub and refresh. I bloody love this stuff!!!

Nails and hands all fresh and washed, I take this second nail file and give my nails a bit of a buff and shine. Then it's down to painting. I find that something strengthening such as the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails is a good base coat when you're trying to rescue your nails. Finally, to make them look a bit more polished I grab Essie's Mademoiselle polish to go over the top. I find this colour is almost like a BB Cream for your nails if you like. Love it.

What do you do to treat your nails?

Laura xoxo

Review: Mavala Oil Seal Dryer

I'm sure many of you agree with me when I say waiting for your nails to dry is one of the most tedious tasks out there. The worst is when you've waited an hour, desperate for the loo or to pick up that biscuit next to you, and you end up smudging it within minutes. Well, fear not, I may have found a solution!

The Mavala Oil Seal Dryer aims to dry your fingers to touch within a matter of seconds, whilst also nourishing your cuticles. Sounds a bit too good to be true right? Well I've tested it and I must see I'm very impressed.

I've not once smudged my nails since using this, and it pretty much is dry to touch in a matter of seconds. The fact that it's an oil makes it super easy to apply too. You don't need to concentrate on the application and I find it has a nice nourishing quality to it too. I'm also hoping that this will mean I'll be able to use a whole bottle without any of the glooy -ness that occurs with polishes.

I've tried both the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry and the OPI Rapid Dry and must say that I think this wins hands down. Coming in just over £10 it won't break the bank and is definitely worth each and every penny.

Have you tried this? What do you think?

Laura xoxo

Manicure Must Haves

I love having freshly painted nails, however hate it when they start to chip after a few days. It got to the point where I just decided I couldn't be bothered with the up-keep and stopped painting them all together. But then I found some pretty awesome items that help keep my main fresh for a good 5-7 days, score! So today I'm sharing them with you.

Mavala Oil Seal Dryer - One of the most annoying things when painting your nails is the waiting time after. The number of times I've thought my nails were dry then ruined them is ridiculous. I did have a long standing relationship with the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry but it got to the point where that wasn't even cutting it for me so I decided to try this one, and boy am I glad I did. It dries my nails in seconds, and as it's an oil is really nourishing too.

Orly Bonder Top Coat - I would marry this little bottle if I could. The difference it's made to my nail lasting days is amazing. I honestly believe this is the reason my polish lasts for as long as it does. I can't sing its praises enough. I think everyone should try it.

Maybelline Super Stay 7 Days Colour in Clear - For me this top coat is the best I've tried. It gives a nice gel-like finish to the nails which I'm fond of and does help nail polish stay in place. It's not as good at keeping polish in place without Orly, but the finish is something I love.

Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover - I find it quite soothing to push back my cutilces each time I paint my nails and I think it's great at giving me a good canvas to paint as my nail beds are quite small. You simply pop this on your cuticles and after 15 seconds they've dissolved and easy to push back.

What're your manicure must haves?

Laura xoxo