BEAUTY
THE ONLY 6 NAIL PRODUCTS YOU NEED
By Maybelle Morgan, 7 December 2017
Look at your nails right now. Let’s be real – they could probably do with some TLC. Party season is coming up and your digits are probably one of the hardest grafters on your body, resulting in chips, snags and dry skin galore. Luckily, help is at hand…
Nail it
So, I’m going to be honest, my nails can veer wildly from naked and unkempt to preened and polished – although the latter is more likely, mostly out of sheer laziness. But with the festive season looming, I’m all about getting the talons in tip-top shape, so they can look good wrapped around cutlery and champagne glassware (obviously).
Caviar care
Hey, if it’s good enough for the super-rich's snack times, it’s certainly good enough to be slicked onto your nails. If you’ve got pretty weak and break-prone nails like me, this caviar-enriched formula is seriously gold. Apply a coat after your favourite colour and expect super-glossy, chip-free talons for at least a week. Best bit? The shape of the brush means you get the entire nail in one swipe.
Going out-out
For your night vibes, your nails deserve a little more wow than usual. I’m all about that high-shine chrome thing to fit in perfectly with the 80s feels doing the rounds at the moment. And here, we’re not talking about lacklustre silver. No, this Models Own beauty comes as a duo – so, firstly, you paint your nails white to create an opaque base, then the metallic goes on like a lacquered mirror.
Clean it up
It may resemble medieval torture apparatus, but this little device could be the cherry on top of your hand look. The cuticle clipper cleans up your nail bed so that there’s more surface area to paint – thus avoiding the dreaded grow-out look for as long as possible. Massage some cuticle oil onto your nail beds, gently push them back with the edge of the cuticle clipper and carefully cut them off. Et voila!
DIY it
Any nail pro worth her salt will be familiar with that grubby LED lamp at their local nail bar, promising weeks of shiny gel greatness. Brace yourself… this little contraption means that you can now get the same deal at home. Yep, you heard right. The little kit comes with a gel colour and each coat dries within a swift 30 seconds. You may only be able to do one nail at a time – which is a little time-consuming – but I was drawn in by the cutesy gadget coolness.
Hydration station
Hand masks will give you a much-needed moisture boost, but sometimes you need an extra-jolt of hydration to get to those tough nail beds and flaky skin. And trust me, these 10 individual nail mask packs deliver. Okay, for about half an hour you will resemble some sort of weird Edward Cottonfingers character, but after? Super-softened skin and strangely younger-looking nails.
Pictures: Miles Drury
Calling all lazy girls
When it comes to beauty, it can be hard to find the time – especially before a last-minute big night. The one-step press-on solution for getting your fingers ship-shape? These wow-worthy fake nails in the deepest ruby red, with a cool squared-off coffin shape. They really do stay on all night, but make sure you measure up each fake nail with your actual nail before making your attempt (and potentially wasting your adhesive).
