ON THE COVER Nicer Nails
You’ll be looking your glamorous best when you give your nails the wow factor with our top tips
PREP
For a per fect manicure, start with clean, fresh nails. Remove old polish – acetone can dry out the nails, so try an acetonefree polish remover such as OPI Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover £7.35, Boots. . Use a clean, lint-free wipe to remove every trace. Next, file your nails ( File £1.99, Superdrug) with a gentle nail file – coarse emery boards can cause splitting – and always file from the outside to the middle of the nail, smoothing into your preferred shape. Wash your hands thoroughly ( Hand Wash £10 BRONNLEY.CO.UK), soaking your nails in the soapy water to clean. Pat dry and gently buff the sur face from the cuticle to the tip to create a smooth sur face for your polish (buff once a week only as over-buffing can weaken the nail). Apply a few drops of cuticle oil ( Dadi’Oil Cuticle Oil £11 SELFRIDGES.COM) and allow it to soak in; this improves and nourishes the nail, helping prevent splitting and breaking.
PRIME
Before painting your nails, ensure they are free from oils or moisturising cream – nail polish will adhere more easily to clean, dry nails. Experts for OPI nail care recommend using a nail sanitising spray for squeaky clean nails, though thorough washing and drying will work equally well. A good nail preparation product will help your polish look per fect and last longer, so always apply a base coat – try BB Base Coat £4.90 KIKOCOSMETICS. COM. This prevents lacquer from staining your natural nails, as well as giving a smooth, even base for your polish. If your nails have unsightly ridges, apply ridge filler to even out the sur face, eg OPI Ridge Filler £12.50, OPIUK.COM. Tinted nail strengthener is a good all-in-one alternative to gels or lacquers for weak nails which are prone to breaking, as it’s kind to the nails and specially formulated with nourishing ingredients to restore them to health. OPI Original Nail Envy Nail Strengthener contains wheatgerm and calcium and the latest Strength in Colour range (£ 19.50 OPIUK.COM) is available in delicate shades of pink, including Hawaiian Orchid, Bubble Bath and Samoan Sand so you can follow the “nude nails” trend while improving your nails at the same time.
POLISH
Celebrity manicurist Lucy Tucker recommends applying nail polish in three strokes, starting down the centre from the cuticle (leaving a little gap) and painting towards the tip, then one stroke down the left and one down the right side, remembering to leave a gap around the sidewalls. This prevents colour from bleeding onto the skin. A top tip from OPI’s experts is to paint with your left hand first if you’re righthanded (vice-versa if you’re left-handed) so your concentration goes into painting the hand you find most difficult. Steady your elbow on a solid sur face for more control.
Apply two thin coats of polish and leave two minutes between coats to allow them to dry. This prevents lacquer from bubbling. If applied too thickly, it will be difficult for the base layer to dry, causing the polish to peel away from the nail. If time is short, one coat of neutral polish adds colour without showing mistakes! Polish £3.99 New Look; Mavala £4.95, John Lewis.
PERFECT AND PLUMP
Don’t despair if you’ve made a mistake! Barry M Nail Corrector Pen £4.99, Boots, is brilliant for fixing smudges – use it once your polish is dry around the cuticle area to remove any excess paint. Give your manicure a glossy, chip-resistant fifinishfinish with Barry M Wet Set Quick Dry Topcoat £2.99, Boots. Opi’s new Plumping Top Coat £14.50 OPIUK.COM gives an extra-plump, gel-like finish, or try Brilliant Top Coat for extra shine.