All Hail Beautiful Nails!

by our Skin Care Consultant and member of the Ribbons and Pearls team, Karine Antinoro

1. Quick-Fix Splits - never leave the house with a split or tear, it’s too ugly and could develop into a ripped nail. You can buy a repair kit that contains a strip of fibrous paper applied over the split before painting nail-mending liquid and covering with polish.
2. Nail Hardeners - do not use these too often as it will result in dry nails. Instead rub equal amounts of jojoba and vitamin E into cuticles and nails once a day - or just as effective is greasy lip balm.
3. Buffing - nude nails that are clean and shiny look more attractive than a single coat of chipped polish, so buff up only once a week. Too much buffing takes away the top layer and making your nails more porous.
4. Bases - always apply a base coat before polish; it helps it to bond and prevent colour staining the nail.
5. Overpaint for Protection - gorgeously groomed nails with acrylic or gel can then be painted over to make them last.
6. Margins - avoid smudged or bleeding varnish around the nails; instead leave a margin around the nail when applying varnish, as it will also make the nail look longer and thinner.
7. Strengthening - silk fibreglass enhances the nail when needed; glued onto your nail and built up with layers of glue. The nails are then buffed up and polished to create a natural effect.
8. Always on Show - clear or pale pink varnish gives a chic and finished look and will always get you noticed.
9. Take your Vitamins - as we age our nails grow at about half the rate of when we were younger, so feed them with a little vitamin-rich oil every night.
10. Healthy Diet - splits and broken nails are signs of lack of protein, so include meat, poultry and fish in your diet.