Having good nails is not just about a high shine, or using the best nail polish on the market. It's more about having the right set of tools, and care routine in combination with the right nail polish. It is about understanding when to file your nail, when to buff and then how many coats you need to achieve your desired look. Think of it this way: investing in the right tools to maintain good nail hygiene as well as develop a personalized nail care routine, in the long run, will result in more savings in the end. Just think of the number of times you go to the nail salon and you’ll see what we mean. While it might be a generous monthly treat to ourselves, it does impact our finances. The tips I share with you in this post will give you the option of staying in and taking proper care of your nails the right way.
Let's stash away the cash for other investments and develop our own, at-home professional nail care system.
1. The foundation of a good nail kit starts with having a good pair of nail cutters. These should help you cut clean to the point that you won't need to file your nails (so much). To achieve this, we highly recommend the Takuminowaza high-quality nail clippers.
2. Once you have clipped your nails, you’ll want to focus on smoothing and shaping your nails. With this, we usually just go to Amazon to buy a pack of nail files. But if we had to recommend a professional nail file for the best overall usage, the Classylady professional glass solution will do just the job.
3. Not everyone makes time for the nail pusher, but it is used to push your skin back from your cuticles which will promote your nails to grow stronger. If you want to take it a step further and are looking for precision, you can always top up the nail pusher with the cuticle cutter.
4. Once that’s done, you want to buff your nails to give them a perfect shine and healthy-looking glow. The Onsen professional nail buffer not only smooths and shines but can also file your nail as well for more convenience. Plus it's compact, suitable for on-the-go use and travelling so that you never have to be without it.
5. Nail care doesn't just mean our fingernails but also our toenails! While the Homedics bubble mate foot spa might give us that spa experience at home, a full spa experience is incomplete without adding a callus remover! There’s something distinctive and beloved about perfectly exfoliated skin that looks smooth and healthy. If the callus remover isn't within your range then a pumice stone will do just the trick for smooth and healthy-looking feet.
6. Part of good nail care and ensuring that your nail colour lasts longer is investing in a good base coat. For us, the Essie here-to-stay base coat does exactly that. It helps hold your nail colour for longer and prevents nail stains after removing it. What more could you want from one product?
7. We won't talk in detail about the best nail polish on the market, as it depends on all sorts of factors such as whether you are looking for a non-toxic formula, quick-dry, less streaky, etc. But, one thing we will highlight is that a good professional nail polish remover should always be part of your nail care kit. Our favourite effective nail polish remover is Sally Hansen strengthening nail polish remover. Not only does it remove your polish effortlessly, but it also strengthens your nails, even if they are weak and thin.
8. One thing we always have in our nail kit without fail, are cotton pads. These mainly help with removing nail polish. Aside from that, having cotton swabs can make it easier to clean up nail polish. Our favourite option for durable cotton pads is the double-tipped cotton swab. The pointed shape-end can help reach the corners of your nail while the round tip creates a smooth sweep cleanup.