Hands say alot about people: whether they are nervous, neat or not too fussy about hygiene. Dirty fingernails say that you are sloppy. Bitten nails say that you are nervous and prone to fear.
You don’t want to look dirty or fearful. Particularly for job interviews or business engagements, you want your nails to say “this person is healthy, polished, and good with filing”.
If you want to grow long fingernails or just keep them looking nice, it is not necessary to spend money in a nail salon, although that may help. What is necessary is a little tender, loving care and an orange stick.
The Perfect Home Manicure and Pedicure
First, clean your nails. Use an orange stick or pointed nail file. Second, shape your nails using a file. Do not saw the file back and forth over the nail.
Instead file from the middle of the nail to the outside, first one side then the other. Having done this, you want to soak your hands and feet in warm soapy water. Use bath soap or hand soap.
If the water is too hot, you will dry out your skin. Let them soak for five minutes. After this, push back your cuticles, which is the little half ring of skin at the beginning of your nail.
Use the slanted end of an orange stick for this and do not jab too hard. If you have some cuticle remover, this is fine. Massage a little olive oil into your cuticles.
Now, you will need to dry your nails and moisturize you hands. Vitamin E cream will work. If you want color on your nails, then add a base coat then the color. If not, then polish your nails with some clear nail hardener, dry and you are good to go.
Tip
If you run some cold tap water on your nails, they will dry faster.
Choosing the Perfect Nail Color
Nail polish comes in every color, but that does not mean that you can or should wear all of those colors. If you have light skin, something close to peach color, then you should avoid dark colored nail polish.
No black, purple, burgundy or brown for you. These colors are too strong for you, so save them for Halloween. Choose middle shades and light ones.
If you have dark skin, stay away from the pastels. Light pinks, peaches and lavenders look childish on you.
If it looks awful on you as a lipstick, then it’s no good for your nails either. Remember, anyone can wear red nail polish or a French manicure.
Age appropriateness is also something to think about. No professional, adult woman should be seen with butterflies or teddy bears on her nails.
If you like them that much, get a key chain. A simple design might work but don’t go overboard.
Orange, lime green, or blue nail polish is never appropriate for work or evening, and neither are super-long nails. If you are trying to break the Guinness record, then you can be forgiven.
Too long nails look freakish, so trim them at some point. If you can measure your nail with a ruler, it is far too long. The ‘ghetto’ look, featuring long orange nails topped with shiny rhinestones, says the wrong thing about you.
Growing Your Nails
If your nails are long, it doesn’t take much to make them pretty. Having long nails will save you money at the nail shop. First, if you want your natural nails to be as pretty as the false ones, you have to stop getting false nails. They weaken your real nails underneath, so choose one or the other.
Paint your real nails with a simple color that goes with everything. Red polish or a coat of clear or tinted nail hardener will be fine. For the next several weeks, keep that polish, without using nail remover.
Paint over it with a new coat whenever you have chips or cracks showing. Keeping enamel on your nails will keep them strong while they grow.
While you are painting and repainting your nails, drink plenty of milk and take a daily multi-vitamin. This will help your whole body, not just your nails. After a while, you will see results.
Your nails are a part of your body and must be kept tin good condition. Besides, pampering yourself by getting or giving yourself a manicure. Like a massage or a book, a manicure is relaxing.
Make a positive statement from head to toe, including your nails. Get yourself a handshake you can be proud of.
