PolishSWATCHES

What nail shape appeals to you more?

fabulousfashion — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:06:12 -0700

I find that asking people what their favorite nail shape is and why is never a question that gets old. I love to hear all the different reasons people give as to why they prefer a certain shape because it can range from that's just always how I've shaped them to this is the shpae that makes my hands look the sexiest. It's stated that your nail bed or half moon shape should determine the way you shape your nail, but honestly I say you should stick to what your personal preference is, as it generally falls within those guidelines anyway.

The nail bed acts as a guide to dertermine what shape might look best. I personally perfer that my nails be shaped in either a square or squoval fashion, because yes, due to the fact that my nail bed is large and slightly square these are the shapes that look best on me. However I do find the almond shape to be somewhat flattering to me at times when I decide to wear nail enhancements.

These are some of the best pictures that I have seen capturing in detail the different shapes or smile lines. Picture credits go to NailsMag who did an excellent job nailing the smile line shapes and sizes.

So what's your favorite?

Spa at Home: Natural Nail Whitening Soak

fabulousfashion — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:20:39 -0800

Yellowing nails is an issue that many of us are faced with and whether it be due to years of nail polish wear or other underlying factors, there are ways to naturally whiten your nails at home. Doing an at home lemon soak is one of them. The lemon juice acts as a natural astringent which helps to remove stains from the nail.

Spa at Home: Natural Nail Whitening Soak

Nail Whitener Soak Recipe

Ingredients:

4 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs warm water

Directions:

Mix juice and water in a glass or ceramic bowl.

Soak nails 10 minutes or until stains are removed.

Rinse well, then apply a good cuticle oil.

Note:

*To make your hands soft and smooth add 4 tbsp of olive oil to the mixture*

Nail Care: Easy Steps To Making Your Own Cuticle Oil

fabulousfashion — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:27:08 -0800

Due to me being in the process of transitioning from permed hair to my hair in its natural state (ok, and yes being somewhat of a product junkie), I have noticed an abundance of all these wonderful natural oils with countless health and beauty benefits in my product stash. And wether my husband thinks so or not, this has actually proven to be a wonderful thing.

Having all these different products readily available has enabled me to become such an enthusiastic DIYer. I have begun making everything from natural "LUSH-like" bath bombs, to homemade facial scrubs, and even my own cuticle oil. Which is actually very easy and the whole reason for this post. I wanted to share with you how easy it is to make your own cuticle oil with natural oils, as cuticle oil is one of the key essentials to happy healthy nails.

Some of the products that I'm about to list, which are coincidently the main ingredients in most retail brand cuticle oils, you may already have readily available to use. But if not, investing in these oils would definitely be worthwhile due to them having so many other beneficial uses. I plan to name several oils that can be used to make your cuticle oil while also telling you the most popular choices. That way you have the option to choose, customize, and use what you have.

There are several types of essential oils that can be used when making your own cuticle oil that are excellent at moisturizing and softening your skin. Oils that can be found in most cuticle oils on the market are Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Almond Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, & Grapefruit Oil. I'm sure there are many more, but I just wanted to give you some of the choices. And the most popular ones from the list seem to be Jojoba Oil, Almond Oil, Vitamin E Oil & Rice Bran Oil.

Easy Steps To Making Your Own Cuticle Oil

First, gather the essential oils that you would like to combine as a whole to make your oil. I personally like to infuse Tea Tree Oil or Neem Oil in mine because it serves as a wonderful antiseptic and wards off fungus as well. But keep in mind when using Tea Tree Oil or Neem Oil that it shouldn't be exposed to the light and should be housed in an amber or dark colored bottle to shield it from light exposure.

Second, determine what you will be placing your cuticle oil in. As stated previously, it's preferred that you store your oil in a dark colored or amber tinted bottle. This prevents the oils and ingredients from being broken down due to light exposure, but should you choose not to place ingredients in such as the Tea Tree Oil or Neem Oil you can house your oil in the container of your choice, but still be sure to store it in a cool dry place.

Third, begin mixing your ingredients together. The easy part about mixing the ingredients is that you can pretty much mix equal parts of everything. For example if you choose to make your oil up of Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Rice Bran Oil (Solar Oil's ingredients) just mix around 2tbsp of Almond Oil, 2tbsp of Jojoba Oil, & 2tbsp of Vitamin E Oil and viola. You may also choose to add a few drops of essential fragrance oil to the mix if you'd like to add a nice aroma to your oil. If you choose to add Tea Tree Oil Or Neem Oil to your mixture, I recommend adding around 20 droplets into your mix.

After you've done these three steps your all done!

Just close your container and store your wonderful new mix in a cool dry place. I recommend against storing it in a bathroom cabinet since there's steam there and it tends to retain moisture due to the sink pipes. If you do not have that issue then it's fine, otherwise I would maybe mark it and house it in a kitchen pantry or somewhere similar.

How to apply Minx-Like Nail Foil to Your Fingernails

fabulousfashion — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:40:38 -0800

Would you like to know How to apply Minx-Like Nail Foil to Your Fingernails?
Minx Nails are easily one of the nail industries hottest trends right now and with celebrities such as Beyonce, Megan Fox, and Rihanna flashing all of those fabulous designs on their fingertips, it's no wonder why women are flocking to the salon in droves to re-create the look. Well if you;re a DIYer like me and would rather spend $20 on your nails versus$50 for the same effect, you may be interested in learning how to foil your nails. The process is similar to the Minx nail application while also achieving very similar results. Of course to master the process it's takes a little skill and patience, but practice makes perfect and it's so worth it in the end!

Foil supplies and kits are sold here at very reasonable and affordable prices along with any other nail care and health & body items you might need. They have an extensive selection of polishes that include Essie, OPI, and China Glaze and even carry Konad art supplies, so be sure and check them out.

polishSWATCHES: Pure Ice Nail Polish Haul

fabulousfashion — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:54:13 -0800

My Pure Ice Polish Haul from Wal-Mart....

Starting with the sparkly blue and moving clockwise...

Strapless

Celestial

Calypso

Kiss Me Here

Cheatin

Busted