The Busy Mom's Mani

As a working mom of two, I understand how hard it can be to find the time to pamper yourself with things like manicures. But over the years, I've developed a method that allows me to do a home mani in a short amount of time right before I go to bed. The secret is the fast-dry topcoat- my nails are completely dry by the time I hit the sack, and I don't get sheet marks at all! Start to finish, a mani takes me less than 20 minutes. Who doesn't have 20 minutes to pamper themselves?

So without further ado, here are my favorite nail products, shown in order of use for the perfect salon-quality mani. For all products, I start with the pinkie of one hand and continue on to the other hand before I move to the next step. And there's no need to let the coats dry in between steps- just start with the same nail each step.

1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover. I apply this all around my cuticles, wait a bit (you can wait longer that it says), then use the thumbnail of my opposite hand to push back/scrape the cuticles. I typically do this twice.

2. Wash your hands and dry them well.

3. Orly Bonder. Apply one coat. This rubberized basecoat overrides any oily residue on your nails and gives your polish something to stick to. Key to a long-lasting mani.

4. Sally Hanson Nailgrowth Miracle in the gold bottle. Love this as a basecoat. Watch for CVS/Walgreens to have their BOGO or BOGO half off on Sally Hanson products and stock up.

5. 2 coats of color. OPI polish is one of my favorite brands. Tip for newbies: Try a sheer or light color as you are practicing your painting skills. They are certainly more forgiving than a vampy dark shade!

6. Seche Vite top coat. I won't use any other top coat. This is a super-fast dry topcoat with a fab shine. Expensive, but worth it!

7. Creative Nail Design Cuticle Eraser. Keeping your cuticles neat and clean is one of the keys to making your manicure last longer. This product is fabulous and I massage this into my cuticles a few times a day to prevent hangnails and prevent cuticle buildup.



Did you know I love nail polish so much that I've got a separate blog just for my nail polish review and pictures? Visit me at http://www.manicuremommas.com/ if you like nail polish as much as I do!

Really Glamour?

Dear @michaelachaela, I disagree with Glamour's advice to you! There's no reason you can have long pretty nails and there is no need to continually file them down!

I have two recommendations for you, and I think if you add these steps in your nail care routine, it will make a huge difference.

1. Keep polish on your nails!

Unpolished nails are prone to breaking, tearing, and peeling. Things like the hairs on your head are often the culprit of little tiny tears in your nails that turn into big breaks, tears and peeling layers.

Keeping a strong coat of clear on your nails will give them strength. I recommend a product called Instant Artificials, which retails for about $8.30 at Sally Beauty.

Sally Hansen also has some fabulous treatment clear coats that can be found at drugstores and mass retailers like Target and CVS. Sally Hansen even has specific products they recommend for dry brittle nails.

2. Take care of your cuticles!

In my experience, I find that caring for your cuticles is another area that affects nail strength and growth. Taking care of your cuticles equals less problematic nails. Less splits, tears, and breaks. I do two things in particular to take care of my cuticles. First, a few times a week, before I apply fresh polish, I use a product like Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. This softens the cuticles and allows them to be pushed back off the nail very easily. Having your cuticles pushed back allows a better, longer lasting application of nail polish.


Second, I use a cuticle cream with AHA at least once a day to keep them moisturized and maintained. Poshe Cuticle Care and CND Cuticle Eraser are two good ones.

Again, I see no need to continually file your nails down to nothing! Give these tips and try and let me know how they work for you! Once your nails are back in good shape, you can follow my tips for a complete home mani!

Love,

Sasha

Note: Cross-posted on my nail blog, www.ManicureMommas.com.