Beauty Tip of the Week: DIY Tomato Masks

I've decided to bring back the Beauty Tip of The Week feature!!  I'm excited because I did this for the first year and a half of my blog and I've missed it. The reason I stopped was because I felt like I was running out of tips and didn't want to just give you useless or repeated tips for the sake of a post. So, now that it's been a while I feel like I have some new tips to share with you and I will be posting them every Friday from now on.

I'm all about DIY beauty recipes and use them a lot. These tomato masks are easy and effective, especially for oily and acne prone skin. The reason why tomatoes are so effective is because they contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals such as A, C, E, iron and potassium which help nourish the skin. They also have an astringent effect on the skin to help remove excess oil and minimize the pores.

Here are two effective Tomato Masks I've used that you can easily make at home. The first one has a few more ingredients than the other one.

DIY Tomato Mask: Recipe #1:

• Chop one tomato and combine in a food processor or blender with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of oatmeal. Blend to a smooth paste.
• Cleanse face first and then apply the mask to your skin leaving it on for about 10 minutes. 
• Gently remove with a damp washcloth and rinse skin to remove all the residue.

DIY Tomato Mask: Recipe #2:

• Cut a tomato in half or quarters (depending on the size of the tomato).
• Using one half or one piece at a time, gently rub the pulp side onto clean skin. (Don't use around the eyes).
• Keep massaging the tomato pieces in a circular motion until the skin is covered with juice. 
• Allow the juice to dry (about 10 min) then rinse with cool water. 

Have you ever tried a DIY Tomato Mask before? Let me know if you try these, I would love to know what you thought :)

Click the links below :)

Follow via GFC

Follow me on Twitter

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Bloglovin

Throwback Saturday- DIY Lemon Facial Scrub

A few weeks ago I wrote about how I wanted to bring back some of my older posts from when I first started blogging. I think it's fun to see how my writing has improved over time and my newer readers get a chance to read posts that they probably haven't read. Like I said in my other post I'm only going to use the posts that got a good amount of views.

The Throwback post for this week is DIY Lemon Facial Scrub and its from June 2011, a month after I started my blog. This is a really great facial scrub and I still use it to this day. Just click here to read the post and let me know what you think :)

Click the links below :)

Follow via GFC

Follow me on Twitter

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Bloglovin

DIY: How to Brighten Yellow Fingernails

There are many things that can turn your nails that unwanted yellow color, nail polish itself, medications people take, nicotine and I'm sure there are other causes. In the past 6 months I haven't been painting my nails as frequently as I used to, and I've noticed that my  nails aren't as bright as they used to be or should be.

 Fortunately, there are 3 different at home remedies to get the yellow out!! 

REMEDY #1 

WHAT YOU NEED:

*water

*lemon juice or a lemon (both work the same)

*bowl

*white vinegar

*nail brush

STEP 1:

Fill a bowl with enough water that you have enough room to fit your nails in, either pour some lemon juice or squeeze the juice out of a lemon into the water. 

STEP 2:

Soak your nails in the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes

STEP 3:

Rinse the bowl and clean it, then fill it with equal part vinegar and water. Then take your nail brush and dip it in the bowl and lightly buff your nails for a few minutes. Then rinse!!

REMEDY #2

WHAT YOU NEED:

*bowl

*water

*denture cleaning tablets (like Efferdent or another brand). These are great for getting yellow stains out.

STEP 1:

Fill the bowl with warm water and let the tablet dissolve in the water. Once dissolved, soak your nails for 5 to 10 minutes. 

STEP 2:

Before washing your hands, take a nail brush and lightly buff your nails and then wash your hands. 

REMEDY #3

WHAT YOU NEED:

*baking soda

*lemon or lemon juice

*bowl

*nail buffer

STEP 1:

In a small bowl mix baking soda and lemon juice. 

STEP 2:

Stir the mix until it forms a paste, apply a small amount to each nail and lightly buff each nail. Then wash, dry and moisturize your nails and hands. 

***Another alternative that works is Sally Hansen's INSTA-BRITE Nail Whitener. I've used this and found it to be very effective. You can apply it over bare nails, under nail color or keep re-applying for maximum results. 

I've used all these remedies and they work! Chances are you have mostly everything you need already in your kitchen. 

Let me know if you try any of these or have any other solutions to get rid of yellow nails!:) Oh and these will work for your toes too!!

Click the links below :)

Follow via GFC

Follow me on Twitter

Like my Facebook Page

Follow me on Bloglovin

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

Hey Dolls,

I know it's been a while since I posted my Wednesday Beauty Tip of the week. To be honest, I started to run out of tips! lol, I posted a new tip every week for almost a year. I didn't want to post tips that weren't helpful or that you already knew about. So I figured it would be better to only post a tip of the week when I found a new one. Hopefully I will have new tips more often for you guys. 

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

Homemade Stand Saver

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

Yesterday I went to use my Hot Tools Curling Iron that I've had for about a year now and couldn't believe how gross it was. You could just see all the hairspray and other hair products built up. 

Yuk! Just look at this scary picture....

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

FACIAL MOISTURE WRAP AT HOME

The number 1 DIY service that can really compete with a high-end spa treatment is this deep facial moisture wrap.  This is a treatment that exfoliates epidermis gently, dissolves visible blackheads or whiteheads while intensely moisturizing and providing a natural glow. 

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

An Inexpensive Way to Brighten Your Teeth

I've tried all sorts of teeth whiteners and toothpastes and the only one I was ever really impressed with was the white strips. But the newer ones they have out now aren't that cheap so I wanna tell you how you can use mashed strawberries and a little baking soda to whiten your teeth. I did this a few months ago and only used  it twice a week and I noticed results in a few weeks.  

Its a great inexpensive way to remove stains from your teeth, strawberries have a certain type of acid in them that works as a stain remover and baking soda has always been known as a cleaning agent. If you do this twice or three times a week you will notice a difference in 2 or 3 weeks, the longest a month.  

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

DIY: MAKE YOUR OWN NAIL ART TOOLS

If you like to play around with different designs on your nails but don't have a dotting tool, a professional nail art brush or a stamping kit that's okay because you can make them at home with things you already have. Plus, who doesn't love a little DIY fun?

REALLY EASY TRICK TO REMOVING GLITTER POLISH THAT WORKS!!

LOVE GLITTER POLISH?

ME TOO!

HAVE A HARD TIME REMOVING IT?

ME TOO!

WELL NOT ANYMORE THOUGH BC......

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

DIY CLAMPLESS CURLING IRON

I know there's a lot of girls that struggle with using the clamp on a curling iron, you can end up with crimp marks and sometimes its just a pain. It finally took me a year to learn how to use the clamp correctly. But for those of you that would rather not use the clamp, try this out.

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of The Week

Use Efferdent Tablets to Whiten your Nails

Efferdent tablets are known for cleaning dentures, retainers and other dental appliances. These quarter sized tablets are strong enough to clean the toughest stains. When wearing nail polish for a long amount of time sometimes your nails start to look a little yellow. It's perfectly normal though. Luckily, there are a few tips to whiten your nails and using an Efferdent tablet is one of them :)

DIY: Pumpkin Facial Mask

After our few weeks of Indian summer ended and the cool temps we've had this week, I'm now in the fall mood. I came home the other day and noticed my mom had put a pumpkin in front of our house like she does every year. As soon as I saw the pumpkin it reminded of this pumpkin facial mask I tried last year. I immediately couldn't wait to post this for you guys. The ingredients in pumpkin will help all skin types, high in Vitamins A and Z and Zinc, this squash helps heal and protect the skin from free radicals, while gently dissolving dead skill cells. When you add egg and milk it helps bind the mask together, nourishing and lifting the skin.
I found these easy recipe to be very soothing and moisturizing and my skin had a healthy glow afterwards. Again, I would never share a recipe with you that I haven't tried on myself :) So after Halloween is over don't throw away your pumpkins!

Ingredients:

- 2 teaspoons of cooked pumpkin (you can also use canned pumpkin)
- 1 egg
- Splash of milk

Optional Ingredients:
  For Dry Skin- you can add a small amount of honey-  it will attract and keep moisture inside your skin where it belongs.
 For Oily Skin- mix in a splash of apple cider vinegar for an astringent effect.

Directions:

• Whisk together the pumpkin, egg and milk
• Add any optional ingredients and mix gently
• Apply to your face with either your fingers or an old makeup brush (avoiding the eyes)
• Relax, read, do chores or whatever you would like for the next 15-20 minutes
• Rinse thoroughly with warm water and apply your regular moisturizer

*Put an old shirt on that you don't mind getting ruined and put a towel on your counter or floor. If you drop some you don't want it to ruin your clothes or floor.

Let me know if you try this and how you liked it :) 

Click the links below :)

Follow my blog via GFC

Follow me on Twitter

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

JUST ADD SOME SUGAR!!

+

So you go to get out your favorite exfoliating scrub, start squeezing the bottle but then realize, oh yea, I forgot that I used the last of it the other day.  It’s happened to me, I have a bad habit of putting back empty bottles of face wash, shampoo, etc. It’s okay though, you still can get a decent exfoliating scrub by just adding a little bit of regular sugar to your everyday facial cleanser and there you go, you just made your own facial scrub.

Sugar produces glycolic acid, one of the natural alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliates the skin.  That’s why theirs so many natural homemade facials that includes sugar. Sometimes I’ll add a little sugar to my everyday facial wash just to give my skin a little extra care.

Gotta Love Sugar!!!

Makeup Organization Ideas

     

 With my ever-growing makeup collection that seems to keep growing every time I turn around, I’ve noticed that my once neatly organized makeup table is becoming a little cluttered. Not only does that annoy me when I’m getting ready, because it takes me twice as long since I don’t know where everything is placed and if you just have your makeup thrown anywhere you could be helping your makeup deteriorate at a rapid rate.

Organizing your makeup products can actually be fun and it definitely doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. There’s a ton of fun DIY organization ideas, plus things you can use from your house. Look at it as a fun project on a rainy day or whenever you want. Before I share with you some of the ways I store my makeup, I want to fill you guys in on the proper storage to keep you from having to toss away your makeup any earlier than you have to.

*Keep it Dry: The introduction to moisture is the #1 reason your makeup goes bad, moisture and humidity will cause the composition in pressed powders, powdered blushes and powdered eye shadows to change, it usually will become soft and crumble. The same with your lipsticks, any kind of cover sticks, cream eye shadows and eyeliner. So don’t’ store these products in your bathroom bc of hot baths and showers that make the temperature change. You know when you take a shower and when you get out sometimes the mirror is all foggy, well that’s bc of the steam from your shower. Just imagine your makeup exposed to that. The best place to store cosmetics is in a bedroom that’s not connected to your bathroom or any storage area with the less humidity.

Ideally the best way to store your makeup is by separating them. lipsticks and lip liners in one, eye shadows by them selves, eyeliner with mascara, pressed powders with cover up sticks and foundations, blush can be stored by itself and of course makeup brushes by themselves.

A great organizer is one that’s intended for kitchen utensils. There perfect for organizing your different products and they can fit right in your draw. I haven’t tried this yet bc the drawers I have right now are too narrow. I use different sized baskets that I’ve either got at the dollar store or Wal-Mart.

Here’s a really cool idea to hold your makeup brushes, I forgot where I got this idea from but its genius and it only cost me a few dollars to make. All you need to do is go to a dollar store (or The Dollar Tree if you have one near you) and buy those clear jars (plastic or glass) either one will work. I have a small one for my skinner brushes and a medium-sized one for my bigger brushes. Then buy a bag of those crystal vase fillers, they come in all different colors and shapes so you can mix up the colors to make it pretty if you want. There only a dollar each, then fill the jar with the vase fillers leaving about an inch empty so the brushes stand up straight. Here’s a picture of one I made a few years ago, don’t mind my dirty brushes they need to be cleaned lol.

DIY MAKEUP BRUSH HOLDER

This one is a real space saver, if your like me and have a bunch of single eye shadow’s then you might like this. I first heard about this from YouTube Guru EnKore (if you watch YouTube videos and haven't heard of him yet, watch his channel you’ll love it). Instead of going out and buying the already made palettes to depot your shadows into, you can easily make your own palette out of an old CD case. You can get as creative as you want with it by adding labels to each eye shadow or printing out cool designs for the front of the CD, it's really up to you. lol. as you can see by the one I made, I wasn’t too creative, I basically rushed through it bc I was in a hurry but wanted to really try it out. Now that I have more single eye shadows that are taking up too much space again, I'm going to make a another one soon, but this time I’m going to take my time and be creative and have fun with it. The first time I watched the videos on how to depot your eye shadows and the video on how to make these I thought it might be a little tedious and time consuming. But it's totally not, and I made this about a year ago and thanks to crazy glue (which I recommend you using instead of magnet strips or any other kind of tape) these shadows haven’t moved at all. Even when I’ve brought them with me to travel. What you're going to need:

-old CD case

-single eye shadow’s

- knife or scissors

- flat iron

-crazy glue

*construction paper or labels to customize the palette (optional)

I wish it was easy for me to explain how to depot eye shadow but it's not so I posted a link for the video I watched on “How to Depot Eye Shadow” by MakeUpGlam1 and a link for EnKore’s “CD Eye Shadow Palette”. Both of these videos are really helpful and will provide you with all the info you need.. If you plan on trying this watch these quick videos first.  Let me know if you try it!!

MakeUpGlam1’s Depot tutorial: http://youtu.be/c1hESi2UcyA

EnKore’s How To CD Palette tutorial: http://youtu.be/124pKIQtEUc

DIY CD EYESHADOW PALETTE

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and please leave any comments on your thoughts on these ideas or storage ideas of your own. I love learning new ways to store my makeup.

xoxo

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of The Week

Everyone’s probably got an old box of this stuff hidden in the back of their fridge. Come to find out, there’s quite a few beauty uses you can get from baking soda that work and will save you money!

1. TEETH WHITNER: make a mixture of baking soda, water and a pinch of salt. and brush your teeth to remove stains and brighten your smile.


2. SQUEAKY CLEAN HAIR: Mix 1 tsp. of baking soda with your regular shampoo to remove build-up from styling products.


3.NAILS: Make a rough paste with baking soda and water to remove surface stains or dirt. Use an old toothbrush for best results.


4. DRY SKIN RELIEF: soak in a bath tub with a 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of baby or mineral oil.


5. BEAUTY TOOL CLEANSER: You should try and clean your hair brushes and combs, they get dirty after regular use. Soak them in hot water with a few tablespoons of baking soda and bleach to remove dirt, germs and product build up.

Hope you guys try them out, let me know what you think!! xoxo

DIY: Easy Homemade Facials you can do yourself

DIY Easy Homemade Facials

How fun is it to hang at home and pamper yourself with a homemade facial? I love it!  I like mixing up all these great recipes from things I can get from my kitchen. These ingredients are just as good or even better than some of the expensive facial scrubs we buy.  I wanted to put together a list of my favorite homemade recipes for you guys to try out. Let me know if you try any of these and what you thought


~Bananas, Sour Cream and Honey Facial~

Mash a half of a banana and add one tablespoon of honey, two tablespoons of sour cream. Then mix together until all ingredients are mixed well. Apply to face and let set for about 10 minutes, then wipe off with a damp washcloth

~Simple Cornmeal~

Take two tablespoons of cornmeal and mix with enough water to make a thick paste. Gently apply to face and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Wash off with warm water


~Yogurt and Berries~

Combine a 1/2 of a cucumber, one tablespoon of plain yogurt, 2 strawberries and one teaspoon of honey in a food processor or a blender. Apply to face and let dry, then either use a washcloth to wipe off or rinse with water.

~Easy Avocado~

Mash a half of an avocado and apply to entire face. Let set for about 20 minutes then rinse off well with warm water.

~Apricot Cream~

Soak one cup of dried apricots into water until softened. Puree in a blender or food processor with two tablespoons of skim milk. Apply to face and let sit for about 15 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp washcloth, then rinse thoroughly.

~Cucumber Yogurt~

Puree a 1/2 peeled sliced cucumber in a blender or food processor and add one tablespoon of plain yogurt. Apply to face and let sit for 20 minutes then wash off with warm water.


Key Ingredients:

• -Plain yogurt- is effective at cleansing and disinfecting pores, preventing acne, moisturizing skin and revitalizing texture. Using an organic yogurt is your best bet because it also contains more active, live cultures, which improve yogurt's nutrient bioavailability.

• -Sour Cream- is like all fermented milk products, contains lactic acid, which is a key skin-enhancing ingredient, it helps the skin retain moisture and is a natural exfoliater. It also boots the production of collagen. Lactid acid is used in many beauty and skin care products.

• -Banana- is rich source of Potassium, antioxidants, Vitamin B and Pyridoxine (Vitamin- B6), also highly prescribed for healthy skin and to treat skin disorders like Psoriasis, eczema, dry skin and even myeloma

• -Honey a wonderful beauty product that has many health benefits including moisturizing, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflattation properties. Also good for treating acne.

• -Cornmeal- is an excellent exfoliant (especially when mixed with other products such as olive oil)

• -Strawberries are great for clearing up acne and preventing acne, its main skin pleasing ingredient is alpha-hydroxyl acid,  a great little substance that helps us slough off dead skin cells so that new, youthful skin is revealed.

• -Avocado- are rich in the oils A, D & E, which are wonderful for the completion and it wonderful for dry skin

• -Cucumber- has a wide range of advantages.on physical application as well as consumption. They are rich in fiber, water and Vitamin C and many other elements like magnesium, manganese, potassium etc., It also cleans your skin by acting as a deep pore cleanser while bringing out a radiant glow in your face

• -Apricot- is a light and gentle oil used in creams, lotions and other beauty products to balance, nourish and lubricate your skin

Click the links below :)

Follow my blog via GFC

Follow me on Twitter

DIY: How To Make Sea Salt Spray (To Get Beachy Waves)

This sea salt spray recipe is used to create that beachy wave look in your hair. It’s a great alternative to the ocean or the sea, it brings out the natural bend or wave in your hair. This will work on all hair types, however if you have poker straight hair or it's really fine, you’'ll just have to put a little more work into this by using some hairspray or a curling iron.  I love this because you only need a few items that you probably already have in your kitchen and if not you could purchase everything for really cheap!  



What you will need:

• A clean spray bottle that holds 8fl. oz. of water (you can find them at the dollar store)


• 8fl. oz. of distilled or filtered water.


• 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt (I like using the more finely grounded stuff because its easier and faster to mix. You can get a large container for $2 or $3)


• 1/2 teaspoon of Coconut scented conditioner (doesn’t have to be expensive, I used the Sauvé brand for a $1 at the dollar store. This is used to add the beachy scent and also to counteract the drying that the sea salt will cause. (if your hair is extra dry add a little more than a 1/2 teaspoon).


• A dab of hair gel (preferably unscented otherwise it will interfere with the coconut smell, try using a cheap brand bc the consistency is more runny and will mix better)

Optional Add Ins:

*Essential Oils: if you have dry or coarse hair this is a good option. It will help condition and add some shine. You can use whatever scent you want. Use 3-5 drops

•   Ylang Ylang is great for sensitive skin and problem scalps


•   Rosemary is great to help deepen the color of brunette’s hair and Chamomile brightens blonds


•   Tea Tree Oil is best if you have oiler hair, it wont make it oily or weigh it down

*Extra Sea Salt: you can add a little more if you have oily/thicker hair. The more salt you use the more it will dry out your hair, BUT the more you use the beachier your hair will look  and it will have more hold

*If your recipe doesn’t have enough sea salt, add 1/4 tsp. at a time until you reach the desired level. (Make sure to write down your changes so you will know how much to use if you want to make more)

How To:

1. Add the water into the bottle leaving about an inch of the bottle empty


2. Measure 1 teaspoon of sea salt and pour into the bottle. (Use 1 tsp. of sea salt for every 8fl. oz. of water)


3. Measure a 1/2 tsp. of coconut conditioner and add that in. Shake the bottle


4. Add a dab of the unscented hair gel and shake the bottle again (you want to make sure the conditioner and gel is mixed well)


5. Shake the bottle really well, make sure you don’t see any clumps of conditioner or gel. If you do warm up the bottle in the microwave for a few seconds.


6. Then add whatever essential oil you choose to use. Don’t add more than 5 drops to the mix. Then shake again.

How to style you hair with the spray overnight:

1. Start with freshly washed hair, detangle any knots gently with a wide tooth comb


2. Part you hair any way you like


3. Take a small section of your hair and spray generously with the sea salt spray, then twist that section of hair into a small bun and pin in place on top of your head.  You can use bobby pins or any clips that will work


4. Repeat until all sections of hair are done. *Choose thicker sections of hair on top to keep the waves loose*


5. Mist with more sea salt spray and sleep on it. If your hair is still damp in the morning take a blow dryer with a diffuser attached and move around your head until you feel its dry.


6. Then take out all the pinned sections and mist your hair with some more spray. Randomly twist some sections of hair with your fingers then flip your head, with your blow dryer and diffuser attached  and scrunch your hair while blow drying. (use the medium setting of your blow dryer)

*If you don’t want to wait overnight you can skip the small buns and either braid your hair into 3 sections (this will give you bigger waves). Or you can split your hair into 3 sections, (one in the back and two on each side of your head). Then twist each section (like you did if you were going to do this overnight) except the bun will obviously be bigger. (You can use a hair elastic to keep the bun in place) Mist hair with the spray again. You can either use a blow dryer to dry the buns/ braids or you can sit outside if it's really warm out. When you feel like its dry enough, take out the braids/ buns and flip head over and scrunch while using the blow-dryer.

*You can now play around with it to achieve your desired look; you can add some hairspray to give it more of a curly effect (don’t use too much, you don’t want it to look crunchy)

*If you have naturally straight hair that doesn’t curl easily, you can use a curling iron and wrap random pieces around the curling iron for a few seconds to give it extra waves/curls.

There you go, you should have nice beachy waves!

 You can choose your own way to style your hair, the options I gave you worked for me but I’m sure if you want you can find other ways of using the sea salt spray to get the effect you want. If you guys try this please let me know, I would love to hear how it turned out! Have a fab day beauties

Egg Your Face!!

How to Add Eggs to Your Beauty Routine

I never realized that that these simple eggs could be used to my benefit (besides for eating)! But for beauty, there’s a few great recipes I've found that you can add to your beauty routine tonight! 

1. Egg and Honey Face Mask

Whip up one egg and a teaspoon of honey together in a bowl

Apply evenly to your face, avoiding your eyes and wait for it to dry

After 15- 20 min wash your face with lukewarm water

The egg tightens pores and the honey moisturizes.

For Normal to Dry Skin: Use only the Yolk of the Egg

For Oily Skin: Use only the Egg White

2. Egg, Vinegar and Olive Oil Hair Conditioner

Mix together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Coat your hair thoroughly with the mixture and cover with a shower cap.

Wait 30-45 minutes and rinse out with lukewarm water. If you use too hot of water, the egg might start to

harden which will turn into a nasty mess

The final step is to do a final rinse with 1/2 a cup of vinegar.

The olive oil seals in moisture and conditions your hair, while the letchin and protein of the egg helps to moisture and strengthen your strands. Adding vinegar at the end adds shine to dull hair.

3. Egg White and Oatmeal Acne Mask  

In a small bowl beat the whites of one egg until smooth

Add 1 teaspoon of oatmeal and mix together until it forms a paste

Apply evenly to your skin and let dry for about 15 minutes

Rinse off with lukewarm water

Egg whites act as an astringent which tightens pores and tones the skin, while oatmeal draws out oils and impurities.

How To: Give Yourself The Perfect Manicure Step by Step

We all love pampering ourselves by getting a manicure at the salon. However we all know it can get a little expensive if your hitting the salon up weekly. If your looking to save some money, you can easily learn how to get a professional manicure by doing it yourself.

Things you will need:

*Acetone free nail polish remover

*Emery board/Nail file

*Nail buffer

*Cuticle trimmer

*Cuticle cream/oil

*Orange stick

*Hand lotion

*Base coat

*Top coat

*Your nail polish of choice

*Cotton balls

*Bowl of warm water

*Nail cutter (optional)

*Nail dryer (optional)

Preparing the Nails:  

1. Start off by getting rid of any traces of nail polish with your acetone free nail polish remover and cotton balls

2. (If needed) trim nails with a nail cutter to your desired length.

3. File nails with an emery board or nail file so that the edges are smooth. File towards the tip and only file in one direction. Never file to deeply onto the sides.

4. Soak your fingertips in a bowl of warm water to remove the nail residue from filing and to soften the cuticles. Leave in for 5 to 10 minutes then dry your hands with a towel.

5. Drop a trace of cuticle oil onto the base of each nail to loosen the cuticle. Then massage the nail base with lotion and use the orange stick to gently push back the cuticle of each nail until the dead skin loosens up. Use the cuticle trimmer to carefully trim away the dead skin around the nail.

6.  Buff your nails to file the ridges and to add shine. Again, only buff in one direction. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to get rid of any cuticle residue. Dry hands and apply your favorite hand lotion and massage your hands.

Polishing Nails:

1.  Apply a base coat to protect your nails from chemicals and help make your nail polish last longer. Do one stroke down the center of the nail then one on the right and one on the left.

2. Before applying polish rub the bottle between your palms for a few seconds to warm it up for easier application. Never shake the bottle, this will cause tiny bubbles. Paint the nail in three strokes – one down the center and two on the sides. Be careful not to paint the cuticle. Repeat with a second coat but make sure to let nails completely between coats.

3. Touch up the edges of your nails by wrapping a small piece of cotton around the orange stick and dipping it in nail polish remover.

4. Apply the top coat. Use one coat of polish for each nail. The top coat makes the color last longer and gives the nails a brilliant shine.

5. Dry your polished nails for at least 30 minutes. To speed up the drying time use a nail dryer spray. Spray 6 inches away from your nails.

Easy, right? Just make sure you have enough time dedicated for this and especially to let your nail polish dry completely. Nothing would suck more than going through all that just to chip your polish because you were in a hurry. Hope you guys liked!!! xoxo

**See updated post by clicking here!**