Once again I just want to start off my saying this is just the routine that I do to take care of my nails. I am not necessarily saying it is the right or wrong way.
Nail Polish Removers:
I like this nail polish remover because it is a faster way to remove your polish, but this remover doesn't always remove all your polish. Sometimes if their is still polish left behind, I'll just take a cotton ball and remove the rest. The down side to polish particular remover is that in a short amount of time the remover inside get's dirty kind of fast. I tend to go through a lot of these, and every few months I have to buy a new one.
- Sally Hansen Kwik Off polish remover cost $2.19.
The last polish remover I use is the Up & Up acetone polish remover. I use this for removing stubborn glitter polish, and for clean up around my nails (this remover seems to remove the polish around my fingers better and quicker.) I don't like to use this that often due to the fact that it can leave my fingers feeling very dry.
- Up & Up acetone polish remover cost just $0.97 (very cheap!)
This is a glass jar I use to put the Up &Up acetone remover in to clean my nail art brushes while doing my nail art. At first I made the mistake of using a plastic jar, which melted due to the acetone. I got this small glass jar at Hobby lobby for I think around a $1.
For nail polish thinner I use Beauty Secrets nail polish thinner. At first, I heard you can just put polish remover in your polish that has gotten thick, but I later found out that is a bad idea. That would mess up your polish in time. So I found this a Sally Beauty and thought I would give it a try. It seemed to work out okay, though at times it still seems like my polish is a little thick even after putting a few drops in.
- Beauty Secrets nail polish thinner cost $4.29 at Sally Beauty stores.
For removing extra polish on my nails that the Kwik Off remover
doesn't remove, I just use basic UP & Up cotton balls (I love Target!)
For cleaning up the sides of my nails and cuticles I use Q-tips precision tips cotton swabs. (trust me these are needed, I tend to be a little messy when painting my nails and I get polish on the side of my fingers.)
Here's a photo of the precision tip Q-tip, this is great for getting polish that gets on the side of your finger and on the cuticles.
- Q-tips precision tips cotton swabs cost $2.99 at Rite Aid.
Nail filing and clipping:
The next items I use is for when I cut and file my nails. This kit is the Ms. Manicure set I bought years ago at Walmart (so I don't remember how much this was, and if they still even sell this anymore). I have also added a lot of different ideas to this, not all of the stuff shown was included in this. I also don't always use all of the items in this kit.
When it comes to cutting and filing my nails, I do this once a month. I am not too sure if I really cut and file them right because every month when my nails start to grow out they start to feel very sharp. So I wont be going over how I cut and file my nails, just the tools I use.
The first items I use when cutting my nails is that very large Trim nail clipper, I bought this in the hopes that when I cut my nails it would cut a little smoother. I also, at times, just use a normal size nail clippers (the 2nd one in the photo). The 3rd and 4th nail clippers I use to cut hang nails or loose skin on the side of my fingers (gross!) For some reason those two are better for cutting hang nails (yes I use baby nail clippers, to get on the sides of my nails.)
Next I file my nails. I first start off with the Sally Hansen La Cross Crystal nail file as this is supposed to be better for filing your nails by preventing cracking and breaking. Next I use the Kiss 4 way nail shaper (it has different grains, Medium 600- dark blue, Medium fine 400- light blue, Fine 240- light pink and Extra Fine 180- dark pink.) I usually just use the light blue and one or both of the pink sides. Then sometimes I use the purple Ms. Manicure metal file on the edges of my nails near the side of my fingers.
- The Kiss 4 way nail shaper cost I think around $2.00.
- The Sally Hansen La Cross Crystal nail file cost $8.99 at Ulta.
Here is the other side of the Kiss 4 way nail shaper.
The next and final file I use is the Trim buffing block this has 4 sides to it to even out, smoothing, buffing, and shining. I usually just use the even out and smooth sides. Yes I do use a lot of nails flies when I file my nails, I really have no reason other than some of them seem to smooth in my nails better. But I know I really could lessen the amount of files I use.
- The Trim buffing block cost $1.87 at Target and Meijer.
After I put on the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle remover, I use ether a orange stick or this weird looking cuticle push shown in the photo above. This cuticle pusher is Trim's cuticle pusher and it also came with a small pink nail file as well.
- The Trim cuticle pusher with buffer cost $4.48.
Last item in this kit that I use is this purple brush and sometimes this green baby looking brush to clean out dirt or anything that gets under my nails.
Extra nail care items:
For one of my extra nail care items I wanted to include the Revlon extra life no chip top coat. I have tried out many different topcoats and have only really like 2 that I have tried out. When I first started to grow my nails out I used Sally Hansen No Chip Acyclic top coat. it seem to work very well for many years then I am not sure what happen, if that changed what was it the top coat or what happened. So I then decided to give this top coat a try and loved it ever since.
Also included in my many steps in my nail and hand care routine is touch ups. Due to where I work at I get a lot of tip wear (probably more then others), which means I touch them up every other day to everyday (depending on how much my nail polish has chipped). I sometimes just touch up the tips with top coat and other times with both polish and top coat. Uselessly on a good wear week my nail polish last about a week.
- Revlon extra life no chip top coat cost around $5.00
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