Day 62: Nail care and maintenance

Hello lovelies! Today's post is all about NAIL CARE. I shall share my goodies, only if you promise to incorporate at least 1 tip from my nail care regimen. Promise? Ok, good. Moving on :)

I get asked alot, via instagram, friends, family etc. about how I manage to take care of my hands and nails. The answer is quite simple: I MAKE TIME FOR THEM. Just like people make time for work, fun, hobbies, etc., I TAKE TIME OUT to care and tend to my hands. Why wouldn't I take care of them? They get as much publicity, stares, and whispers, as my face does. Right?

Lets be real here, we always look at people and think stuff about them, be it good or bad. Don't you think the same happens with our hands? What?? You thought that bag boy was just being polite and not staring at your mug? NOPE! He was was too busy looking down and gawking at your crusty, dried, spinster looking hands!! *gasp*  Tee hee teee heee. (Don't be offended peoples, its all fun and humor...but if it did offend you...are you rocking some dried up spinsters? hmm. just saying :) *shrugs*

So, what do I do to keep my hands moisturized, primped and proper? Well darling, IM GLAD you asked!
Here we go then. Enjoy!

This STEP-by-STEP is for when you have nail polish on and the time comes to TAKE IT ALL OFF. tee hee. :)

 STEP ONE: I apply coconut oil all over my nails and surrounding areas, with a cotton ball or two. I like quality and wholesome products that have the least amount of adulteration,hence why i use organic. The reason I apply coconut oil BEFORE i take off my nail polish is, to moisturize and combat some of the dryness which comes from using acetone/nail polish removers. I find the skin around my nails is very GRATEFUL for this Pre-prep step. :)

 Once i lather up my nails with coconut oil, 

STEP TWO: Acetone to remove polish. I use 100% percent. Here's why I use just straight acetone versus the other kinds.  A little blurb quote from Ana: "Acetone is the better choice since it dissolves the polish quicker. Less time scrubbing equals less drying damage to your nails." Click HERE to read the full scoop.

STEP THREE:  I wash my hands (plain old soap) to remove coconut oil, acetone and nail polish residue. At this step, i usually wash them again using BAKING SODA ,only, which helps to whiten nails, clean nail beds and just because .COME ON NOW, who doesn't love baking soda?!! You like cookies? Then you like baking soda. That simple. :)

STEP FOUR: I use sunflower,olive, or almond oil which i add to very hot water. This is what i call a HAND SOAK recipe. Quite simple ladies. If you want to spruce it up a bit ADD: milk, baking soda, honey, lemon, baking soda,( hint* can you tell i like baking soda? tee hee) peppermint tea (tea can stain nails) and/OR essential oils etc. to the water oil mixture. 

Sometimes I ADD milk or honey but do what you feel comfortable with and what you know YOU will keep up with. So if water and oil is about all you can muster, then that's good enough *thumbs up*

 BELOW: This is basically what the water and oil mixture will look like, once you transfer it to a metal or glass ( i don't recommend plastic since water and oil is very hot) container.

STEP FOUR: I then PLACE MY LOVELY HANDS into the oil water mixture and let them soak for 5- 15 min, depending how long i can just SIT there waiting... don't judge... j/k. I HIGHLY suggest you get a bowl BIG ENOUGH to soak your two hands completely. Whats the point of going through the trouble of preparing a hand soak, if your hands are not in the soak? Get it? I knew you were smart! (humor, its good for the soul) 

STEP FIVE: Wipe off my hands (using any rag or cloth) and done. THOUGH, I typically wash them after the soak cause i add milk, honey etc. and other ingredients that i don't care to leave on my hands ALL DAY LONG. Then, its time to apply hand lotion/cream, cuticle oil, OR whatever i have at hand, and patiently wait for 2-5 min to allow the creams and oils to soak into my nails and hands. 

BELOW: my nails in various stages and at different times but i like to think the nail soaks are really working. Understand, some of these pics were from my beginning nail journey and some are much more recent. 

A BEFORE AND AFTER. Nubs were how i started and bottom pic is a few weeks ago. The crappy lighting gives them the yellow tinge but their actually white and not yellow at all. 

A pic of my nails a few months back. As i hope you notice, my LOVE of baking soda is not in vain. Because I use baking soda after EVERY nail polish removing session (when you wear glitter nail polish and then time comes to take it off, it becomes a session. Trust me. Anyone know the feeling? *drag* darn you glitter *fist pump* *inside voice* : " but i love my indies".....and thus the session continues)

and it helps to keep staining nail beds at bay. 

My pretty squared nails before I changed them to a more round shape which I am currently rocking now. Got tired of squares. Sue me.  *blows a raspberry*


I hope you enjoyed this STEP-BY-STEP post on how i take care of my hands and nails. 
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENT BELOW. 

Until next time,

"Have a grand day and dont forget to Glaze!"

Day 31: Maybelline Express Care Cuticle Moisturizer - Review

 

Hi everyone!!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful 2014 :) Here in the lovely Gamble residence, Moi (me) has been faithfully shopping all holiday season. I haven't shopped so much in such a short amount of time EVER! Wow did it feel GREAT! Any hoo, hubby and myself want to purchase our very own home so the shopping madness has dies down to a snail pace race. he he. Honestly though, saving for a home is our our 2014 TOP PRIORITY.

Shopping did allow me to get a hold of some wonderful items which i will be sharing with you for months to come (turned into shopaholic all of December. was on the verge of having to join a self-help group. j/k but it was crazy. )

The blog post today is to share with you all a wonderful little item I found on my many trips to Dollartree. If you have been following my blog, you will remember that my VERY 1st BLOG post talked about how the polishes at Dollartree converted me over to become a POLISH AFICIONADO (read more about that in DAy1 blog post)

Enough suspense, by now you probably wondering WHAT IS THIS POST ABOUT ALREADY? I shall leave you in suspense no longer.

Maybelline Express Care Fast Dry Cuticle Moisturizer. 

          Left pic: Product in package                                        Right pic: Actual product in hand. Standard Nail polish size

What the product claims to do for the cuticles 

Applied the cuticle cream which look just like a nail polish stick, on dried unmoisturized hands 

Close up: You can see that the cream did moisturize the cuticle area and removed some of the lines

BOTTOM LINE:

• Great price ($1)
• Acts like a lotion for cuticles
• Smells like medicated lotion
• Contains: Aloe & Vitamin B5
• Moisturizes the cuticle area

There is nothing I find really fancy or special about this Maybelline Cuticle moisturizer but for the price, YOU CANT BEAT IT. Hope you enjoyed my review. LEAVE COMMENTS PLEASE, I NEED TO KNOW PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING INTEREST IN WHAT I POST. :) :) :) :)

Have a Grand Day and DON'T forget to GlaZe! 

Day 22: Healthy Nails - nail growth

Hi everybody! So, as many of you may know I am doing the whole healthy nail thing. This is like week 4 of taking care of my nails. Want to know my regimen? Read more to find out.

1.Weekly warmed milk oil soaks- 10min (I do this every time I remove polish from nails)

2. Religious use of DIY hand and body oil on my hands (I make myself) 

3. Wash hands thoroughly and immediately apply hand oil - water and open pores help soak in oils better and faster

4. ALWAYS, ALWAYS base coat and top coat to protect my natural nails

5. Occasional use of nail strengtheners (though I don't keep up with this as maybe I should)

hmm what else do I do? Oh yeah,

6. Push back cuticles every time I wash my hands- use cuticular remover when necessary

7. File my nails in only 1 direction (to reduce any ragged edged tips and keep nails smooth) 

AND Polish, polish, polish!!! 

Painting my nails, and photographing them, has really made me conscious of taking care of my hands and nails. I'm so glad my nail biting days are BEHINd me. :) 

Hope this nail regiment provides some inside into how to take care of your own nails. PLEASE,please share your comment or thoughts. It means so much to me when I know people are actively reading my posts. 

Have a grand day and don't forget to GlaZe!