Weekend Beauty- 28.10.2012

This weekend’s mission? Nail pampering time 

With an interview coming up on Monday and a worsening cold limiting my pampering ability, I decided it was time to have a good old sort out of my nails. Whilst I normally keep my nails painted, and am constantly applying hand cream (by the bucketload in this weather!), I don’t normally pay as much attention as I should to my cuticles. I really need to do this on a regular basis as my nails weren’t looking particularly neat. Operation cuticle is go!

I took off all my scuzzy, chipped nail polish (still last week’s Victoria) with the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (£4.99, 75ml). This makes nail polish removal a breeze- literally add your finger to the tub, swirl around against the sponge which is soaked in polish remover inside and voila! I have to say 1 second is a definite exaggeration on Bourjois’s part, but this is a brilliant product. Just a shame I can’t get my toes in there- I’ll have to stick to traditional remover until that one is invented.

After washing all the nail varnish remover off, I added a dab of Boots Salon Nail Cuticle Remover (£4.20, 12ml), to each cuticle, massaged in and left for a minute before pushing back my cuticles with one of those weird, rubber, cuticle tools (no idea what the technical term is) and then washed off. Once washed off, I trimmed my cuticles and hangnails using my QVS Cuticle Groomer (Superdrug, about £4)- a little tool I find a lot easier to use than a cuticle nipper.

I buffed and filed my nails, then massaged in a drop of Champneys Spa Treatments Cuticle Softening Nail Oil (£8.50, 10ml) to moisturise. Once this had dried in, I slathered on a good dollop of The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector(£10, 100ml). This is a really thick cream that is too rich for me for everyday use unless it is really cold out, but I keep this tube on my bedside table and try to remember to put on overnight for a more intense hydration boost.

Finally, I’ll be keeping my nails ship shape whilst out and about by keeping my OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to go (£9.60, 7.5ml) in my handbag. This has a really handy brush applicator so its really easy to keep your nail beds nourished. The only problem is remembering to do so!

I think I’ll keep my nails either polish free or with a coat of strengthening polish for Monday. I want my hands to look groomed, but not overly prepped.

How do you look after your nails? Anything great to recommend?

Josie x