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Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:13 pm  |
well here are my nails currently, and they used to be dry and brittle and prone to splits and rough cuticles and all.
Here's how I did it, these are the essentials:
- Essie crystal Nailfile ($7-10USD, available online/ in nail salons).
Do not be alarmed by the price because this thing lasts forever, is hygeneic, and is 10000% better than those cheap emery boards. Most important of all is it polishes the edge or your nails to prevent future splitting.
- Sally hansen instalnt cuticle remover. ($3-5USD/ drugstore)
- Any generic orange wood sticks/ cuticle pushers. ($1-2USD a pack).
- A good cuticle oil or cream or spritz or balm, much depending on which consistency you like better.
My favorites in terms of different consistency:
Oil:
Creative nail design solar oil ($3-10USD depending on size, online or nail salons)
Cream:
Orly cuticle cream ($3-5USD)
Balm:
Burt's bees lemon cuticle butter ($6USD?)
Creative nail design brand also makes their oil in balm or spritz. So the possibility's endless.
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Firstly, apply sally hansen cuticle remover on the skin/cuticle around the nail. Wait 15 seconds. Gently push back/scrape the rough cuticles lightly with the orange woood stick.
This is for removing/exfoliating the dead skincells around the nail before moisturisers can penetrate.
Then grab a dampened cotton ball and remove the residue. Then rinse thoroughly and wash your hand with soapy water.
Cuticle removers dont need to used more than once a week or fortnight.
Then, use Essie nail file, file nails to desired length in 1 direction only. Do not use nail clipper since clippers tend to cause invisible tears in your nails, that's why your nails break/split/peel. The nail file is made with glass/crystal, it files very quickly, and seals the nail edges perfectly. You nail edges should feel smooth and will not tug on any clothing material.
Apply your desired cuticle treatment, if it's oil, just brush on the oil around your nails and underneath. Wait 1 minutes, massage in lightly.
Oils tend to have best penetration, though the disadvantage being it can get greasy for daytime.
Orly's cutcile cream is the best consistency, it dries velvt matte and great for using in the office during day time.
Burt's bees cuticle lemon butter smells delicious, comforting, though consistency is a bit harder.
Apply cuticle treatment at least once a day, before you sleep. Preferrably once during noon or the mornings too.
Then try keeping your nails polished as this prevents moisture in the nails that cause brittleness. Always use a base coat to prevent staining. (I like Nailtek foundation II which is a ridge filler too, or Orly Bonder which is a runny liquid that dries fast.)
Everything's available in nail salons or drugstore or online. And it's really easy. |
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:20 pm |
sparkle, nice nails. Good job. 
Thanks for sharing. I can never do my nails well myself. |
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:22 pm |
| You did a great job on your nails! They look FABOULOUS!! Thank you for sharing your tips. |
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:26 pm |
| Thanks for the list of products and steps. I am going to try it. Looks like I wasn't using the right tools. |
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 11:59 pm |
| Thank you, Sparkle. Your nails are PERFECT! Love the length and shape. Pretty OPI color, too. I'm currently using the Burt's Bees cuticle balm to tame my cuticles and I LOVE it (smells good enough to eat!). My cuticles are looking very moisturized and no longer raggedy. |
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:00 am |
Lovely nails - I'm going to get the Essie file on your recommendation.
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:21 am |
| Your nails and cuticles look beautiful! Thanks for sharing your "secrets". |
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:43 am |
| Ohh thank you for the tip on the nail file. definitely going to get one now. |
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Mid-20s Asian female (since I am not mature enough to be called a woman ). Skin is combination with tendency to dryness around the cheeks and prone to blemishes. Naturally coarse black hair  . Lastly but most importantly, you need something purchased in Australia I will be happy to CP  :. |
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:26 am |
| Great guide! I will also vouch for glass nail files (I don't have the Essie, but Sephora makes one that is identical except for the color). I used to dread filing my nails with those sandpaper things since even the finest-grained ones were too rough and ended up shredding the tips of my poor nails. I bought the glass file (based on MUA recommendations) last summer because my nails were getting really weak and splitting and tearing. The file did a wonderful job of smoothing out my battered nails without being rough at all, and leaving a perfectly smooth, snag-free edge. This item is a must-have! |
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Light, yellow undertones, dark hair & eyes, extremely combo., resistant skin prone to congestion, dryness AND breakouts! |
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:31 am |
| Agree with this method too! Nails need moisture. Sally Hansen's nail stone works similarly. Love nail oils!! |
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:37 pm |
| Nijey wrote: |
| ... I will also vouch for glass nail files (I don't have the Essie, but Sephora makes one that is identical except for the color). ... I bought the glass file (based on MUA recommendations) last summer because my nails were getting really weak and splitting and tearing. The file did a wonderful job of smoothing out my battered nails without being rough at all, and leaving a perfectly smooth, snag-free edge. This item is a must-have! |
I agree, Nijey. I just bought the Sephora glass nail file and I LOVE it! It works very well and is very fine, but it files the nails so well and so smoothly. Just love mine. |
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Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:30 pm |
| How long have your nails looked like this??? Mine are short and stubby....I guess because I chew them like a 8 year old boy... |
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Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:03 am |
I love Creative's Solar Oil too! Actually I don't just use it on my nails and cuticles - I use it on other places with rough skin like elbows/knees too 
Personally I prefer Creative's products, like their cucumber heel therapy, to other brands like Sally Hansen or even OPI. Maybe Creative just works better for me |
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A girl of 25, living in Singapore & still searching for that one line of skincare products that i can continue using for long term for my combi-dry-prone to bumps/spots skin... |
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Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:19 am |
| Sparkle, your nails are fabulous and thanks for posting your method. Does anyone know where you can get the Essie nail file in Toronto. Thanks |
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Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:04 pm |
hi you can order most nail related stuffs fromwww.8ty8beauty.com orwww.transdesign.com which both ships internationally at decent shipping rates. (These two are the cheapest i've found and what people use on MUA.)
(email them first, let them know which items you are after and they can confirm the rate). The checkout might not work out the correct rate.
My nails been looking decent for 1 yr now, after a while it's pretty low maintenance and i only need to file my nails when they are too long. It takes about 3 weeks to start noticing a change because you need to wait for the peeling/flaky bits to grow out, and especially waiting for the previously invisible tears in the tips of the nail to get removed by glass files gradually first. |
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Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:05 am |
| Thanks sparkle! |
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Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:52 am |
| Thanks sparkle, I am going to order the nail file. |
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Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:08 am |
| Hi, I love all of you recommendations. I am going out to get them today. My nails grow very fast but always look awful because of the cuticles. Now I'm going to try the Sally Hansen cuticle remover. Thanks for all of the tips! |
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Early 50s, blonde hair (natural) with red streaks (mid-life crisis), blue eyes, fair skin, small pores, very dry skin, some pigmentation (thanks to growing up in Miami), starting to see fine lines. Love my NuFace and Quasar SP and the CPs and Retin A are working as well. |
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Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:07 pm |
| wow, looks great. i will definitely try out your regimen. |
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Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:24 pm |
Thank you.
My cuticles are gorgeous. |
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25, very fair, dry/sensitive, mild rosacea, otherwise good skin! |
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Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:24 pm |
| My only worry - are the glass nail files easy to break? |
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42yo, natural strawberry blonde so fair skin, blue-eyed, and dry skin |
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Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:40 pm |
they do shatter if you drop them on the ground, so i've been careful about it. But other than that, simply dropping it on carpeted floor or dressing table seems fine.
I dont mind if I shatter 1 per year since it's really good value over the long run.
Plus it's cleanable (just rinse under tap or soapy water). |
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Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:55 am |
| I swear I'm going to stop biting my nails...I needed this to encourage me . Thanks very much |
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Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:48 am |
Although I don't have a photo, my nails are in incredibly good shape too. All of my adult years it seems I have had thin, peeling, cracking nails. My cuticles always stayed in bad shape too (stayed sore with hangnails)no matter how much hand cream I used. I mentioned my cuticles to my derm and she said I needed some extra Vit C. At that time I don't remember asking her why she thought Vit C would help; I just went out and bought some and started taking 1000 mg a day.
After a couple of weeks I could tell the Vit C was working. That was right before the winter season and I haven't had a hangnail since! But my nails were still brittle and thin, so I bought a Dr Hauschka Neem Nail Oil pen and that brought my nails back to great condition. My nails started growing and now they are thick, strong and without ridges. I could see a real difference in a matter of a couple of days. I keep one pen at my bedside to apply before I sleep and one at work which I apply once during the day.
So Vitamin C and Dr Hauschka combination have really worked for me. Does anyone have any idea why Vit C would help hangnails?
Now I gotta find one of those glass files! I'm not so experienced with filing since I never had anything to work with before. |
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Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:49 am |
Wow! Your nails look fabulous! Making a list of the recommended products right now...
Mary |
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43, Confirmed desert rat (Scottsdale, AZ), animal lover (3 kitties and a pup) and hopeless product junkie (I blame EDS...lol!) |
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