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GOOD GROOMING: Nails 101

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Continuing with last month's theme, I've decided to do a feature this month on good grooming. This will be posted every Thursday throughout the month of October. I believe good grooming is an essential part of being elegant and stylish. You can't possibly wear good clothes and not be well groomed and expect to be admired.

 This is the second post in the Good Grooming series. Last week I posted about the importance of taking care of your hair.
Nails form an integral part of a person's outfit. A man and woman should have well-groomed nails. They speak volumes on the kind of person you are.
I have formed a habit of looking at people's nails when they are sitting next to me in the bus. When I see a man or woman who is impeccably dressed and their nails are well manicured, I can't help but admire them and give them marks for being so well turned out. Many people don't realize it but your nails do get noticed especially when writing or typing.
I don't wear nail polish on my fingers although I would love to. I love working with my hands so for me, having nail polish on my hands means that I have to be extra careful and I will think twice before doing any work. I even stopped growing my nails and now I keep them short. But I will try to apply nailpolish at least during the week.
A Simple Manicure
I read in a certain local newspaper about how to do a home manicure and I thought for this part of the series I could share it with you.
  1. Shape your nails using an emery board moving the board in one direction, preferably coming from the side of the nail to its centre. There are different nail shapes one can go for: round, sharp or square.
  2. Soak finger tips in warm soapy water to soften cuticles. Then push the cuticles back with and  orange stick.
  3. Buff your nails from the tip to the cuticle. Apply hand cream to the nails and hands.
  4. Before applying nail polish, remove cream from the nails with a piece of cotton dabbed in nail polish remover. 
  5. Apply a base coat of clear polish then apply your nail polish of choice. Apply three thin layers for a lasting coat. 
  6. Wait for about 30 minutes from the final coat before you apply a top coat.
  7. Keep applying a top coat through out the week to prevent chipping. 
  8. If you use your hands a lot, having short nails will ensure your nail polish lasts longer.
Adapted from The Standard, Eve Gal Magazine 10th October Pg 3

i2s Extra
  • I would encourage every woman to get a manicure set. It should contain a nailcutter, nail file, nail scissors, orange stick, a buffer and cuticle remover. These items can be bought individually or in a set.

Manicure set
  • For the office I'd suggest going for subtle designs maybe a glitter nail polish that doesn't call too much attention.

Glittery Nail Polish
  • For college students or those lucky enough to be working in a more relaxed environment, you can use nail art to add a bit of personality to your nails, like this simple tutorial.
Simple Nail Art DIY

Happy Thursday!!!


xo

Audrey

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