Show your nails some TLC and they could be post-mani perfect forever!
It’s all very well slicking on colour after colour, but if your nails are dry and brittle, your mani’s never going to be perfect. You wouldn’t think of colouring your hair without slathering on conditioner and treating it to a mask every so often, so why neglect your nails?
There’s never been a better excuse to really show your talons some love, there’s oodles of strengtheners, conditioners, growth serums, nail-friendly files, you name it, out there, and plenty are at pocket money prices, it would take one trip to the supermarket nowadays to see you stocked up on nail saviours, so why not start now. Make a resolution to toughen up your nails, and keep them in peak condition from here on in. Oh and fyi that means removing nail polish properly too! No more picking! We know it’s tempting, but trust us, opting for an acetone-free remover is the way forward.
Did you know that it’s a myth you need to give your nails a break between painting sessions? As long as you care for them correctly, you won’t ever have to sport a naked nail again! Here are the best nail care products on the high street to help you grow, strengthen and repair your nails for your best mani yet!
The grower
Nails Inc’s Nail Grow, £15, is super powered by on-trend health food matcha (a highly charged version of green tea) to stimulate growth – oh and it looks darned pretty too!
The low cost strengthener
This might sound like a bit of a crazy one, but bear with us! Put a teaspoon of crushed garlic in with your base coat to strengthen nails pronto, says celebrity manicurist Lucy Tucker. This costs a fraction of most high street strengtheners, and really works!
The cleanser
Kiko’s First Step Cleanser, £4.90, removes any dirt or debris, nourishes your nails with kukui oil, and lengthens the life of your manicure, it’s got a perfectly polished thumbs up from us!
The cuticle softener
Hand creams are great but cuticles can need extra attention for a salon finish. Revlon’s new Cuticle Softener, £7.49, contains hydrating gel beads that soften stubborn skin helping sooth and remove them.
The quick fix
Paint Mavala’s Oil Seal Dryer, £11.85, over your topcoat and they’ll be touch dry in seconds. Plus the cotton oil and Vitamin E softens and smoothes rough cuticles.
The texture tamer
Age can cause nails to thin, creating ridges on the nail bed so use Orly’s Nail Armor Liquid Nail Wrap with Ridgefiller, £8.95, as your base coat to fill in unevenness and give you your smoothest finish yet.
The does-it-all treatment
Rimmel London’s Nail Nurse Rescue, £4.49, is a two-week treatment that will give you smooth, split-free nails if followed correctly. Day one, apply one coat, day two, apply a second and on day seven remove completely. Follow the same pattern the week after!
The brightener
When nails are suffering from polish overload, they have a tendency to turn yellowy. Leighton Denny’s Bright & White, £11, restores their natural colour making tips whiter and nail beds pink and healthy-looking.
The super power protection
Jessica Nails Fusion, £11.20, reinforces and fuses together each layer of the nail to stop them fraying and splitting at the edges. Use it on top of your polish too.
The no-more-flakes formula
LCN’s Unique, £5.70, is a base coat, topcoat and treatment in one. As well as leaving your polish glossy, it contains urea and wheat germ oil to feed nails back to health.
