Nail It!

Posted: Monday 25 July 2011 10:56am

Not everyone can afford a professional manicure and pedicure, but you can always take good care of your hands and feet at home. Be tip to toe ready for when the warmer weather arrives and the strappy sandals and peep-toe shoes come back out to play.

MANICURE MAINTENANCE

Give your hands some at-home attention with this fool-proof manicure:

1. Fill a small bowl with warm water and soak hands to soften cuticles and hangnails. Dry hands.
2. File and shape nails with an emery board such as File It Nail File, RRP from $2, and make sure you do it in the same direction from the side to the centre, in an upward motion. This will prevent weakening the nail. Go for a square contour.
3. Moisturise and condition cuticles with a gel or cream. Try Dr LeWinn’s Revitanail Cuticle Remover Gel, $14.95.
4. Buff each nail with a smooth buffing board in one direction, to give a lovely gleam.
5. Exfoliate hands with a hand scrub such as OPI’s zingy Lemon Tonic Scrub, $29.95.
6. Massage hands with a rich hand cream like Skin Doctors Younger Hands, $34.95, which has active ingredients to take years off your mitts in a month.
7. Remove any residue with nail polish remover and paint with a base coat.
8. Apply nail polish and a clear top coat to seal in colour and to strengthen.

 THE PRACTICAL PEDICURE

1. Soak and soften your feet in Billie Goat Peppermint Foot Soak, $15.95 for a 120g tub. Enriched with goat’s milk and cocoa butter, and the heady scent of peppermint, it keeps feet soft and supple.
2. Trim nails with a file, rather than scissors, filing straight across and then give a slightly round shape.
3. Buff your nails with Manicare’s 4 Way Buffer, $8.20, to give a smooth finish.
4. Soften cuticles with a cuticle remover such as Manicare’s Cuticle Remover, $13.50, and use an orange stick to push back cuticles from nails.
5. Smooth rough spots with OPI’s Callus Foot File, $29.95.
6. Massage feet and lower legs with Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Crème, $24.95.
7. Put special separators between the toes and firstly paint with a base coat, then two coats of varnish. Make sure you let this dry for up to 15 minutes so no smudging occurs.

LONG LASTING NAILS

Shellac is the new name for longer-lasting nails. By Creative Nail Design (CND) Shellac UV Color Coat ensures your nails are smudge and chip-free for at least two weeks. It is applied like normal polish, is thin and flexible, and cured in UV light. It keeps fingers glossy and flawless, not to mention protected during all activities. There are 24 shades available at nail salons and day spas. Pay $20 to $50. Visit www.cndshop.com.au or phone 1800 449 109.

BLIX FIX

Nail foils are a fab way to strengthen your nails while giving them a unique painted pattern at the same time. The adhesive foil is applied directly to a natural or false nail, with 100 different designs including popular nude shades. It can be done at home or in the salon. They last for about two weeks, and cost around $17.50 for 16 foils.

THE BEST COLOURS

Pinks, purples, greens and blues abound. The romantic look of Essie’s new collection takes inspiration from French style and retro pastels. Essie founder Essie Weingarten explains, “I think every woman has a little Brigitte Bardot in her, and this palette coaxes her out!” The French Affair collection is a new spin on neutral with opaque coverage in spring shades which are very clean. The bright pastel colours set a new fun and optimistic tone for the season. In six shades, try French Affair, Innocent Pink, Nice is Nice, Wisteria Mauve, Coat Azure, which is a Parisian blue. All $18.95, and available in September.

Orly’s limited edition Happy Go Lucky Collection, $18.95 each, features Flirty, a cheeky pink shimmer, or Frolic for those purple lovers. Fiona Hay, Creative Director of ORLY Australia also suggests adventurous “rainbow” nails. “They are a fun new way to bring fashion to your fingertips, experimenting with different colours on each finger tip.” Likewise, “rebel” nails involve painting eight fingers in one shade and the other two in a contrasting bright tone.

You can’t go past the OPI’s luscious tones for hands and feet. Try the fuchsia pink of Be a Dahlia Wont You, the tangy melon of Are We There Yet, or the vivid coral of I Eat Mainely Lobster. I like the classic ruby red of Color to Diner For but if you’re very courageous, the acid yellow of Need Sunglasses will do the trick. All $19.95 each.

Revlon, known for its range of great colours, features 32 hot shades in its Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel, $15.95 each. While the bright colours are superb, the best feature of the varnish is that is it dries within 60 seconds – a boon for busy women. For a look of luxe, opt for the Revlon Heavenly Metal Collection, $13.95 each, in gold, silver and bronze.

Feel the heat with Hawley’s Summer Love collection which has six fresh and flirty shades. My pick is the soft and sweet lilac (259), peach with a punch (252) and shimmering teal blue (251), all at just $7.95. www.hawley.net.au

FAMOUS NAILS

Want high-fashion nails like your favourite celebrities? Try these:

1. Zoya’s Dannii, $17, made for Dannii Minogue, a judge on Australia’s Got Talent, is in a gorgeous sparkly purple shade.
2. OPI’s Serena Williams Glam Slam! England collection in metallic silver, glittery silver and metallic purple, $19.95 each.
3. OPI’s Katy Perry Collection, $19.95 each, in sparkly pink glitter, metallic blue or deep berry.

by Kate Mahon

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