Top 10 Nail Care Items

Hello Everyone! Today on the M.M.M blog, I kind of have an update for my nail care routine that I want to share with all of you. Last year I did two post called nail care and hand and cuticle care, I wanted to update all of you on that by doing a top 10 post. Some of the items that I have used in my last post have changed and their are some that have not, I just thought this would be a fun way to update all of you. 

Here are my top ten (with 2 extras) favorite nail care items, Let's start off with Moisturizers:

Yes to Carrots Super Rich Body Butter $9.99 at Target  

Yes to Coconut Hand & Cuticle cream $5.99 at Target    

1. Yes to Carrots Body Butter. This is a body butter I have been using for years and have gone through many jars of this. This is a super thick body lotion that I like to us on my hands. It keeps your hands moisturized for a long time, it is a little bit greasy but absorbs in no time. It is a natural lotion with a natural smell.

Another lotion that I have been using lately is another product from the Yes to line (in case you didn't notice, I love the Yes to line), The Yes to Coconut hand & cuticle cream. I actually ran out of my favorite lotion the Yes to Carrots Body Butter, so I thought I would give this a try. So far I do like this lotion, it is also a little bit greasy by absorbs well. It does smell like coconut, but not the fake smelling coconut, this smell like a real or natural coconut.

     Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream $5.99 

2. Is another item to keep your cuticles moisturized, that is the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. I rub this cuticle cream around my fingers and on the cuticles ever night, a long with my favorite lotion.  This is a nice cuticle cream that keeps your cuticles soft and moisturized and smells just like lemon.

     Julep Mighty nail & cuticle serum $28.00 on Julep.com or $22.00 at Sephora.

3. This cuticle and nail serum is not a must, but I do still really like this. My fingers have the problem of on the sides being dry and then peeling. Since I got this in a Julep mystery box, this serum has helped the dry parts on the sides of my fingers, not 100 percent, but they are much better I just every so often will still get dry parts. The only thing about this product is the price, it costs a lot for the amount of product that you get.

Now on to other nail care items.

      Beauty Secrets Nail Polish Remover in a jar 

from Sally Beauty $4.99 or $1.99 with Sally card.

Up & Up Acetone nail polish remover $0.97 at Target.

4. The Beauty secrets nail polish remover I actually got because I forgot to get my old favorite remover from Meijer. I then stopped by Sally's to get something else and then remembered that I need some remover. Let's just say I am glad I forgot that remover at Meijer, This remover works so much better, it actually will remove all of your polish when you dip your finger in the sponge.    

The Up & Up Acetone polish remover I use to clean my nail art brushes between designs and at the end. I also use this to clean up around my nails when I get polish on the sides of my fingers. This remover is also good for removing stubborn glitter. Do to this remover being acetone based it is very drying and I only use this for those purposes.   

 Way to many nail clippers!

5. Is nail clippers, I cut and file my nails once a month, I first use the big nail cutters and then the regular sized one to cut the sides of the nails. The third and fourth nail cutters in the photo I use if I get the dry peeling skin on the side of my fingers. You really do not need all of these nail clippers, just one or two would be fine. I really don't know why I use so many. 

 Sally Hansen crystal nail file $8.99 at Ulta 

 Kiss four way nail shaper $2.00  

Trim buffing block, $1.87

four sides; 1.even out, 2.smooth nail, 3. buff nail, 4. shine nail

6. Once again I do use a lot of different files when filing my nails, which you don't really need, I just found that using all of these works for me. I first start off with a crystal file which is suppose to be less harsh on your nails. Then I use the Kiss nail shaper the light blue side, then the light or the darker pink (not both), I never use the dark blue side it is a little to harsh. Then filing I use the buffing block on my finger tips, this I think is actually suppose to be used your nail surface. I just use the even out, and smooth part, and some times the buff side. 

Now time for cuticle clean up.

   Sally Hansen Instant cuticle remover $4.99

7. The Sally Hansen cuticle remover, I use once a month usually after I cut and file my nails.

This product is nice for helping to remove your cuticles and making your nails look nice.

    360 beauty metal cuticle pusher from CVS $3.99

8. The metal cuticle pusher I use along with the cuticle remover. Their are many cuticle pushers from wooden ones or the orange sticks, plastic or rubber pushers, and metal ones. I do own all of them, but I found that the small metal one works the best for me.

The Base and top coats.

          Nicole by OPI 3 in 1 base, top and strengthener $7.00

9. For the longest time I never used a base coat, then I decided it would be a good idea to start. I had a lot of trouble finding one I liked, then I found this one. This is a three in one, I only use it as a base coat, I have not noticed any strengthening from this product. One thing I noticed with this base coat is with cream polishes they start to crack after a few days. So maybe after this base coat is done I will try the OPI natural nails base coat.

Revlon Extra life no chip top coat $5.00

10. The Revlon Extra life no chip top coat has been by go to top coat for the longest time, after the Sally Hansen no chip acrylic top coat stop working as well, I tried this one and have liked it and have been using it since. 

Can't believe I almost forgot this one for moisturizers!

 Yes to Coconut Polishing Body scrub $7.99 at target 

11. The Yes to Coconut body scrub is a great way to keep your hands nice and soft. I use this after removing my nail polish or whenever I feel that I need something a little extra.

 Elf concealer brush $1.00

12. The Elf concealer brush I just recently bought and started to use to clean up the polish that gets on the sides of my fingers and on the cuticles. This brush is amazing for clean up, it makes it easy to really get into the sides of your fingers and to make it look like your are almost perfect a painting your nails. I use this brush with the Up &Up acetone remover. 

Hope all of your enjoyed this list and also found it helpful in your nail care routine!

See you next time for more nail fun!                

Hand & Cuticle Care

Hello everyone! For this weeks post I wanted to do something a little different/ special to somewhat celebrate my birthday with all of you. This week I will be doing 2 post 1 about nail & cuticle care and the 2nd post about about nail care. As all of you know, their are more to nails than just painting them, you also need to take care of them as well. 
I have always found these kinds of posts interesting just to see what other people do and use for their nail care routine, so I thought I would share with all of you my nail, hand, and cuticle routines as well.

I just want to start off by saying this is just the routine that I do to take care of my hands and cuticles. It may not necessarily work for everyone,but feel free to give these products a try.

I will 1st start off with the product that I use before I paint my nails. After I take off my old nail polish I use this Premier Dead sea salt hand scrub. I just use a spoon full of the hand scrub and put it in my hands, rub my hands together, then take the small orange brush and rub the hand scrub on and under my nails, then rinse the hand scrub off with warm water and then dry my hands off. 

This hand scrub works well but is way too over priced. I bought this at the mall for $30, and it also came with body butter for $30 as well (that I didn't really like.). This is just way too much to spend on hand scrub and body butter. Unless you really like the product I do not recommend buying this due the price. Next time I will just be making my own hand scrub that will hopefully work just as well.

The next product that I sometimes use (I usually use this before I cut my nails) is the Sally Hansen Instant cuticle remover. The directions on the back tell you to squeeze on to the cuticles, wait 15 seconds, then gently push the cuticles back with a cuticle pusher. Then wash your hands with soap and water right away because it says on the box not to leave this product on for no longer than 1 minute. 

I do like this stuff, although at first I was unsure because it just seemed to make your cuticles feel really weird, so I was unsure if I was using it right (maybe I was not leaving it on long enough?) 
- Sally Hansen Instant cuticle remover cost $4.99. 

 Another cuticle product I absolutely love! Is the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. On the back of this product it says that this all natural, nourishes weak nails and softens dry cuticles. For this cuticle cream you just massage a little of this product into and around all of your nails.

As stated above I love this cuticle cream, it smells really good like lemonade and has the consistency of chap stick. I use this product every night and it really does work well. Before I  started to use this I had a problem with dry skin on the side of my nails (especially on the sides of my nails on my right hand.) Then, once I stared to use this around my nails every night, they became much better (I still sometimes have this problem, but not as much.) 

- Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream cost $5.99.

Last but not least is another product that I love, The Yes to Carrots Body Butter. This is another product that is supposed to be natural. This is a very thick lotion, that all you need is a small amount of. If you do end up using a little too much it can be a little greasy, but all you need to do is wipe some of it off and rub it in. The body butter does adsorb into your skin very well and if you use a small amount is not greasy.

This body butter works really well especially if you have dry skin. I use this body butter in the morning and at night after I apply the Burt's Bees cuticle cream. Sometimes due to where I live, in the winter months I use this lotion a little more just to help my hands from drying out and cracking. 

- The Yes to Carrots Body Butter cost $9.99.   


Also, the body butter and cuticle cream last me about a year, and the hand scrub and cuticle remover about 2 years. This is due to me only using a little at a time. A little goes a long way!  

Hope everyone enjoyed this hand and cuticle post and maybe even give these products a try for yourself. Also, don't forget to check out my post after this one on Nail care.