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GIVE YOURSELF A HAND! (and a Manicure)
Could your nails use a little TLC? Here are 4 easy steps to make your hands applause-worthy.
1. File Time
These days, squares with slightly rounded edges are the way to go. Use a nail file to shape your fingernails but NEVER file them using a back-and-forth or sawing motion - this will weaken them. File in one direction to help keep your nails their strongest.
2. Soak 'Em
Fill your bathroom sink or a bucket or bowl with a couple of inches of warm water. Add some baby oil, bath beads or even olive oil and soak your hands for 5-10 minutes.
3. Be Pushy
Dab a little bit of moisturizer or (if your mom has some, cuticle cream) around the edges of your nails, then, using an orange stick or the blunt end of a metal file, push your cuticles back. Though it may be tempting, NEVER cut them with those clippers - they'll just grow back thicker and more unruly. Only use those "cuticle clippers" to nip hangnails in the bud.
4. To Polish or Buff? That is the question.
Many beauty experts think that dark colored nail polish should be reserved for the over 16 set. Whatever your personal (or maternal) preference, know that this season, pale metallic shades and barely there nudes are all the rage. (Pssst. No need to break your piggy bank on polish…CoverGirl's Snowflake Frost rocks and is only $3 and there are many other brands like, N.Y.C., Jane and Mark that have great shades for an even better price.
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If you decide to pass on the polish but would still like your fingertips to shine, you can always buff them the old fashioned way. Head to your local drugstore and pick up a buffer and some buff cream or powder and have at 'em. They'll look super-smart (and natural!) for summer.
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