Let’s talk about… Nails!

It had been a very long time since I wrote anything related to nails and nail care. The reason is very simple: for the last  1 or 2 years, I hardly did my nails.

Doing my nails used to be something I really enjoyed and actually looked forward to, but somehow during the last year, I hardly found the time for it or had the will to do so.

Also, my nails had been in really bad shape; chipping all the time, breaking very easily and simply not looking good.

But when September came, I made one of my monthly goals to do my nails and start to take care of them!

So today, I thought I’d share with you what I have been doing and using in order to get my nails healthy and good looking again.

To shape and file my nails, I am currently using Herôme 4-Way Perfect Nail File, and since I have fine nails I use the FINE and EX-FINE sides; this allows me to file and reshape my nails in a gentle way.

For the cuticles, I use Essence Nail pusher to push cuticles away and remove any traces of skin from the nail itself. It’s super gentle on the nails and it does the job perfectly!

In the past, I used a quite harsh nail polish removers, but I found Herôme Caring Nail Polish Remover which takes care of the nails while removing old polish; it’s acetone-free and prevents your nails to dehydrate.

And to correct any mistakes while applying nail polish, I use Essence Nail Polish Corrector Pen.

To prime my nails, I apply one coat of Essie Help me Grow base coat; this base coat helps my nails to grow stronger and a bit faster.

As a topcoat, nothing beats the good old Seche Vite; this thing is just simply AMAZING! It dries your nail polish in no time and with tons of shine. My nails last at least 1 full week in good shape, and if I’d use gloves while doing house chores, I’m sure they would last longer. The only con about this top coat is its very strong chemical scent, but I find that this goes away as soon as it dries out completely. Or maybe I just got used to its scent…

And to keep my cuticles without looking super dry, I apply Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil all over and massage it until it’s fully absorbed. It is advised to do this several times a day but I simply forget.

These are the last 5 nail polishes I applied, always 2 coats for max opacity. How could I resist a polish which is named after my city?! And I actually like purples, so it’s a win-win situation.

The Essie All eyes on nudes is a cashmere matte effect, which almost looks like you’ve got Barbie skin on your nails. This won’t be noticeable if you apply a topcoat.

So this is it! How do you take care of your nails? Do you do it at home or go to a salon?

Let me know if you tried any of the products mentioned above and/or your favorites!

All photos with Sony a6000 + SEL35F18.