My special thanx to Chimera for reviving fond memories & rekindling my interest in my nails & Nail Art.
(This review is less about Nail Art of the artistic kind & more about the process before Nail Art at home. In simple words, maintaining Ur nails)
Just as hair is the crowning glory which can change the look of the person who adorns them, nails also play a significant role in beautifying the hands & tell a lot about the person. Both have many similarities. They are made up of dead cells & feed on calcium. Bad health or mal-nutritioned physique can be made out from the tell-tale signs in hair & nails. Both can change the entire look of a person. Just as hair can be worn long or short, simple or trendy, natural or dyed & even covered by wigs, nails too can be clipped short or kept long, shaped as per choice, painted or kept unpolished & for the nail biters who want long nails for special occasions, artificial nails are available at a small price.
As a kid, I remember, I had this fascination for beautiful nails & I would try my best to hide my growing nails on Mondays in the assembly line where nails were checked. Often, I would be caught & punished but that never stopped me from trying anyway. I had a huge collection of nail polishes which I would play around with, to come up with a variety of nail art before it came into fashion in India. My nails would sport a new colour almost everyday & once I shocked my friends when I wore an’electrifying blue’ colour to match my outfit.(I never tried it again.) Though I don’t take much time out anymore for scandalizing people with my nails, I thought I could share a few tips of my own, as I remember them.
The first rule to good Nail Art, according to me, is maintaining clean nails, whether long or short. Unkempt nails can be a real turn-off for anyone who notices them. It is not necessary to go to a beauty parlour for manicure & pedicure if U do not have the time. It can easily be done at home too. All U need is a basin of warm water, a good brand of shampoo, body lotion & a nail filer of good quality.(Don’t depend on the small filers attached to nail cutters) Add some shampoo to the water & whip up a good lather. Soak both Ur hands in it for 5 minutes.(Braying a song while doing it helps speeden up the process.:0P) Slowly massage the cuticles so that the dead skin can be removed easily.
Wash Ur hands in clean water & gently pat it dry with a soft towel. Next, Ur feet go into the water & U give them the same treatment. U can add hot water since the feet are not as sensitive as the hands. If U have a scrubber handy, U can gently scrub Ur heels to give U more beautiful feet.
Now, apply a drop of lotion on each nail & massage the cuticles in a circular motion & watch them smile. Ur hands & feet look & feel softer & more desirable to be held. Filing nails needs a little more attention to give them the shape U want- blunt, curved or sharp. I feel most comfortable with the curves as my nails are slim & long. Once the desired shape is given, take a long look & admire them. If U wish to keep them that way, it’s Ur choice.
If U wish to paint them, then choose the colour(s) U want & keep them ready with a swab of cotton. U can select from a wide range of shades with preference to Ur favoured company. I like Revlon, Aviance(their Hi-gloss, shiny & Matte ranges are super), Lakme(dries a bit too slow), & Elle 18(Be trendy range). Try the Elle 18 Blue shine with the Green shine shade & U get a perfect dark turquoise shade.
Painting nails is not as easy as it looks, if it is to be perfected. It requires a steady hand & a little practise as well. It is best to apply a thin coat of natural polish first & in the end too, which protects the nails with a hard covering & keeps the colour on for longer; at the same time, giving it a shine. Apply a single coat of Ur chosen colour in 3 strokes & dip Ur nails in water for 2 minutes. This spreads & evens up the polish. If it has smudged outside the nails, then use the cotton to gently wipe it off. If U want a second coating, U can go for it once the first coat dries up fully.
Second coats always take longer to dry so don’t keep touching it to check if it’s dry unless U want fingerprints art. Paint Ur toenails in matching colours or in contrast to Ur fingernails. But don’t ever neglect them cos they need Ur attention too. Now Ur nails are ready for all the Art U want to practise on them. Since a lot of advice has already been given on this by those who are more knowledgeable than me, I have nothing more to write on this artistic talent. Just let Ur mind roam & doll up Ur nails as Ur wish & the occasion. However, I found 2 wonderful sites where U can get some creative ideas, if U wish to check it:
https://nailartgallery.com/
https://allthingsnails.co.uk/main%20nail_art_gallery.htm
Apart from all this, U can rub lemon to the tips of Ur nails to keep them strong. Long nails are prone to breaking at the most painful spots, so be careful while doing any work involving Ur hands. Too long nails tend to curve in like claws & don’t look too inviting. On the other hand, short nails, if clean, look simple & good. But chewed up nails look like unkempt hair or unironed clothes, so avoid chewing Ur nails(U can borrow Ur friend’s long nails if U need to chew while thinking).
For the guys: I guess this has caught a lot of attention of the male readers. It is alright if U cannot paint Ur nails or decorate them. U don’t need to cry over it. But U can use the above tips to keep Ur hands looking good cos even women prefer men who don’t have hands like the scales of a fish. Beauty is beauty & when U keep admiring Ur face in the mirror & checking Ur hairstyle, why not give a little time to Ur nails as well. Personally, when I meet a guy for the first time, his hands are among the first things I notice.
So. Thank U all for reading my review on the art of maintaining Ur nails rather than Nail Art. Please do leave Ur comments, if time & Ur thinking permits.