The latest trend for nails is a personalised manicure – think nail art and edgy colour combos. Thanks to these pro-inspired products, even a rookie can easily upgrade their look at home
TWO IN ONE
TOOLKIT ESSENTIALS
CUTICLE CARE
Moisturising Hand and Nail Cream, $23, Enbacci. Choose polishes Good. Kind. Pure, $16.95, Sally Hansen. Use a more environmentally friendly polish remover, Crystal Nail Polish Remover, from $8.95, Mavala.
Crystal Nail File, $19.99, Manicare. Nail Polishing Block, $9, The Body Shop.
PUSH, DON’T SHOVE
DESIGN TIP There’s no end to the design possibilities you can create with a fine brush, from simple line work to repeated shapes and colours, Nail Art Pen, $11.95, The Body Shop.
free of nasties,
Make your nails both stronger and prettier at the same time, Nail Envy Strength in Colour in Samoan Sand, $34.50, OPI.
Avoid trimming cuticles unless they’re ragged. Their role is to protect your nail bed, so only trim excess, uneven skin. Full Jaw Cuticle Nipper, $26.95, Revlon Beauty Tools.
Enjoy healthier nails and longer-lasting colour,
Arm yourself with a good file,
Buff nails to smooth the surface,
Once a week gently push cuticles back from the nail plate, but only when the skin is soft, Cuticle stick, pack of 4, $3.59, Manicare.
Salon gels last about two weeks without a chip, but they can leave the nail underneath thin and fragile if you peel or pick at them. When the polish is forced off, you take off layers of the nail plate, which weakens the nail. Soak nails in pure acetone for at least 15 minutes, or until the gel lifts, then flick it off.