From hands to toes, beauty should never be underestimated. Taking care of your nails must be a habit beyond the one-time, perfect manicure. Whether it be for a romantic dinner or a professional meeting, neat nails show elegance.
Just like lips, nails are very seductive, and most men consider girls with nails done hot and sexy. Emma Watson claimed, “I don’t have makeup on all the time, but when I want, I have fun with my friends choosing clothes and putting nail polish on.” If you are like Emma Watson — and cannot live without nail polish — then keep on reading.
In this guide, we provide tips to help you take care of your nails, choose the best colors, and how to get the best manicure.
Healthy food for strong nails
If you want healthy, pink nails, there are a few tips to follow which start from your food diet. Healthline recommends eating eight vitamins and nutrients to get more durable nails.
Consuming biotin, a water-soluble type of vitamin B may reinforce brittle nails. Examples of biotin-rich food comprise of egg yolk, nuts, seeds, salmon, avocado, and cauliflower.
Folate, or vitamin B9, is an important food complement for healthy nails also. Vitamin B9 is in many green vegetables, peas, and lentils.
Iron helps oxygen to circulate throughout your cells, which may result in more durable nails. You may improve iron absorption to your body when eating spinach, oranges, and strawberries.
Magnesium improves nail growth, too. To add more magnesium to your diet, consume whole grains and quinoa, or buy magnesium tablets.
Be sure to incorporate a sufficient amount of proteins to your diet. Diversify your protein sources by adding eggs, dairy, and plant-based food to your meals for more durable nails.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help your nails grow faster and stronger, too. You may find omega-3 acids in most fishes like trout and sardines, as well as walnuts.
Deficiency in vitamin C may slow nail growth. As your body lacks vitamin C, your nails may appear brittle and pale. Add vitamin C to your diet by eating grapefruits or oranges every day.
You should also consume zinc daily to fight against the degeneration of your nail plates. Foods such as soy, eggs, chickpeas, and black beans contain enough zinc and should be added to your meals.
Daily habits for taking care of your beautiful nails
You don’t need to wait for your weekly manicure to take care of your nails. Having neat, beautiful hands and nails require routine.
To make your nails shine, hydrate your hands every day with your favorite hand lotion, ensuring you massage all the areas gently around your nails, including cuticles.
Here are some home-made remedies you can use to vitalize your nails, protect them, and add a little touch of brightness.
Add some olive oil into lukewarm water and let your nails absorb the liquid. Studies claim that if you soak your nails into olive oil infused water each day for 5 minutes only, you may restore shine naturally within a week.
Coconut and almond oils reinforce nails and fingernails, and if applied regularly, can boost nail growth. Such oils are highly rich and can help achieve rapid growth and shine. Furthermore, coconut and almond oils prevent nails from breaking.
Borage oil is a common herbal treatment known for multiple health benefits, including nail growth. Extracted from borage seeds, this oil contains salicylic acid, mucilage, omega-3, calcium, and magnesium, all perfect for nail strength.
Lemon juice may remove any white stains on your nails. Add a bit of lemon and vinegar in lukewarm water and dip your nails for a few minutes.
Whitening toothpaste can be used to exfoliate your nails and make them look brighter. Apply some toothpaste and brush your nails to get whiter, brighter nails.
Tips on choosing the best nail polish
You can choose a nail polish according to your skin tone and what you will be wearing. You may select different nail colors to adapt to your style of the day. For example, if you attend a party, you might want glittery nails, but for work, you may prefer classic colors such as red or grey.
If you have light skin, opt for a nude or pinkish nail color to preserve the balance of your skin tone. Remember that dark skin doesn’t match nude shades.
If your skin tone is medium, you can be more creative and opt for darker and vivid colors such as bright red, light brown, or even red-orange.
For darker skin tones, experiment with deeper shades of blue or purple, black or dark brown, or even pink-red.
For any skin tone, pink, light pink, or dark pink may suit. Celebrate summer with light pink and winter with darker shades of pink.
For formal occasions, choose natural or bright colors. For example, if you attend a meeting with your boss, or need to go to the doctor, pick up a neutral color. For a fashion show, be creative and add a touch of eccentricity with nail art or glamourous gel nail polishes.
A pioneering creative, Vivienne Westwood played with recycled nail art in her latest fashion creations. For joyful parties, play with shades of blue, dark, and purple. For a romantic dinner, prefer dark or classic red to add a touch of sensuality.
French manicure, basic polish, gel and nail art — our ultimate manicure tips
For the ultimate treat, you can get a manicure, either at home or at a salon, from time to time. In this guide, we cover four types of manicures and why we love them.
French manicure: a forever classic, you can’t go wrong with a French manicure. A common request at beauty salons, French manicure describes a light, pink nail base color with a white layer polish over the extremities.
Beautiful, classic, and trendy, this manicure is best for a preppy, glamorous look. Contrary to what most people think, the French manicure didn’t originate in France but in the USA. The term was first coined in 1978 by Jeff Pink, the founder of the well-known cosmetic brand Orly.
Yet, the practice was known earlier in the 1930s when Max Factor, a pioneer name in the cosmetic industry, invented this type of manicure for French women in Paris.
Basic polish: simple, efficient, and always chic, the basic polish manicure combines your favorite nail colors with the most straightforward technique. Lasting up to 10 days, unless you don’t take care of your nails, this manicure is convenient for everyday wear.
Choose the best shades according to your skin tone and the occasion. A basic polish manicure can be done from the comfort of your own home as it doesn’t require high maintenance (compared to nail art or gel manicure). Prefer a deep red classic for a week full of romances, or darker shades of grey for a busy week at work.
Gel manicure: Hard gel — or gel manicure — can be applied to natural nails or fake nails. A gel manicure can last up to one month. However, you will need the help of a nail technician, which may require up to 3 hours of preparation.
Although this type of manicure lasts longer, it can also damage your nails. Therefore, it’s best to do a gel manicure once in a while but refrain from overdoing it. Visit your favorite nail therapist to undergo gel removal and use lots of oils to rehydrate your nails afterward.
Nail art: In Japan or the UK, nail art has reached new heights. Known as the practice of applying a fake nail — or nail extension — with various drawings or accessories to natural nails, this type of manicure is popular among younger generations, looking for the craziest way of expressing themselves.
You can become extremely creative with this type of manicure, from drawing your newest art addiction, to dazzling stars and moons onto your nails. Check out these cool Picasso-inspired nail art for your inspiration or this romantic bridal nail art version.
The best nail polish removers
Choosing a good nail polish remover is essential for keeping your nails healthy. Unless you want nail art or gel manicure, you can easily remove your nail polish yourself, without the help of a nail technician.
There are two kinds of nail polish removers: acetone and non-acetone formulas. Acetone nail polish removers use more aggressive solvents — such as propylene carbonate and ethyl acetate — than non-acetones ones. They may help remove stronger, thicker nail polishes or gel-based manicures.
Choose an organic, non-acetone based nail polish remover to preserve gorgeous nails for French or basic polish manicures.
You can buy a hydrating, acetone-free formula nail polish remover to remove nail polish quickly and easily. Most of the time, you’ll need cotton balls and your favorite nail polish remover. You can also try a nail polish sponge remover.
The Do’s and Dont’s for preserving healthy, lovely nails
Do’s:
- Eat well, and stay fit.
- Try a variety of brands. Don’t stick to just one brand.
- Explore different shades.
- Let your nails sometimes breathe — with no nail polish.
- Don’t forget to use a top coat to protect your nail polish and to make the color last longer.
Dont’s:
- Do not bite your nails.
- Be careful when cutting your nails. Find your favorite cut and shape your nails accordingly.
- Don’t use a nail remover, as you don’t want to add chemicals to your nails.
- Give your nails enough time to dry after a manicure. Get your favorite magazines or books and read while your nails dry.
Matching lipstick with nail polish: the ultimate glamour ceremony
To achieve a super glam and chic look the way Natalie Portman or Juliette Binoche does, match your lipstick with your nail polish.
To preserve the aesthetics and the fashion codes, use the same shades on your lips and your nails. For example, dark brown on the lips won’t match a dark grey on the nails.
With the recent red addiction fashion trend, explore different shades of red both on your lips and on your nails.
Remember that nude or natural nails are also trendy. If you want to give your nails a little break, alternate the manicure types, and in between, let your nails breathe.
British Vogue has mentioned naturally groomed nails as one of the most ultimate fashion Spring trends. Other trends include berry and Bordeaux color, as seen in Tom Ford campaigns.
Chanel stated, “the brighter, the better” fashion rule. Celebrity manicurist, Elle, mentioned 5 Neon Chanel nail polishes to try out this season.
She tells about the most iconic French fashion brand, ‘Chanel’s formula is 5-Free, which means that each polish is without formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde resin, and camphor — ingredients that have strong odors can trigger asthma and are known carcinogens.”
Whether you decide to pick up a Chanel nude shade or extravagant Tom Ford nail polish, you’ll stay elegant if you follow a daily care routine for your nails.
Final tips:
Stay hydrated and drinks loads of water every day to preserve general good health and beautiful nails. Follow the fashion trends of nail art on Lovablepicks and feel free to comment about your newest nail creations below this post.
