My Nail Care Routine.

Hey everyone, so I just thought I'd do a really quick post on my nail care routine. Lately my nails have been pretty amazing, I started taking better care of them and they're growing out pretty nicely. They are so much stronger now too, I can definitely tell since I have a pretty physical job and haven't broken a nail yet. :) 

So first thing is I started using a crystal nail file. I kept seeing this all over the place, and when I finally bought one to just try it out, I was amazed. You will never go back, and they last forever! This is definitely a necessity for nail care.

After I take off any polish on my nails, I wash my hands thoroughly, maybe exfoliate a little with a scrub, then dry them completely. I then do any filing or buffing I need to, then I apply a drop of cuticle oil to each nail and rub it in. I actually rub it all into my nails and the skin around my nails for extra moisture, and I usually try to rub it in until it is almost all absorbed into my skin/nails. After that I just do a really quick rinse with some hand soap to remove excess oil, then my nails are ready for a manicure. :)

The cuticle oil I use is No Lift Nails Cuticle Oil, available at Sally Beauty. And I have the OPI crystal nail file, but any brand will work.


So for the manicure part...I ALWAYS use a base coat, no matter what I am doing on my nails. It acts as a shield to keep my nails from getting stains, and also helps to keep my polish on longer. I choose to use a sticky base coat, since you don't have to let it dry all the way before applying polish and it anchors the color onto your nail. For a longer lasting manicure, I find that it helps to take the time to do many thins layers of polish, and give at least 5 minutes or so in between layers to dry. This technique definitely gives you at least another couple of days with your manicure. And lastly a good top coat. I live by Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat- it is amazingly glossy, and dries within a couple of minutes. You can even apply it over polish that isn't completely dry yet, and it doesn't smear the color. :)

I had been using CND Stickey Base Coat for a while, and just got the Nail Life Gripper basecoat to try out, which is also a sticky basecoat. And my Seche Vite Top Coat. :)


I've also discovered silk wraps. Since growing out my nails I have had one little tear to a nail, just on the side, so I looked up ways to save my nail. Silk wraps are really easy to do on your own, and pretty affordable. I just went to my local Sally Beauty and picked up self-adhesive wraps and a bottle of Gel Resin. You take a piece of the silk wrap, and you can cut it into any size you want, just make sure it will completely cover the break/tear. Stick it over the area, apply a thin coat of gel resin, wait 5 minutes then apply another coat. Then when it is dry you can buff over any uneven areas to make it flush with your natural nail. 

Everything pictured I found at Sally Beauty.


Last thing...I have also been taking a Biotin supplement, which is for skin/nail/hair support. I believe this has helped as well, and many other people will tell you the same. 

So my major problem I had before doing all of this was peeling. I did some research and found out that it happens mainly because of polish remover drying out your nails. So cuticle oil has definitely cured this for me. :) I know this seems like a lot, but if you want to have beautiful nails it really helps! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this. :)

-Nicole