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Are Your Nails Ready For Summer?

27 May 2014

Summer fun can strip your nails of moisture, causing dryness and flaking, weakening the nail bed and chipping away at your mani/pedi. Here are a few tips to help you nail it this summer.

Brittle Nails

Are your nails brittle? Consider changing your shampoo. According to Summer Nail Care Tips in visitwpb.com, many shampoos contain detergents that strip oils to give hair more fullness. However, they also strip nails of vital oils necessary to stay strong. Or, condition your nails with cuticle oil after shampooing. Also, ditch the acetone-based polish removers and avoid using orange emery boards, opting instead for a diamond file.

Yellowing

Summer heat can bake polish into your nails, leaving behind a sallow tint. Goodhousekeeping.com suggests prepping nails with two layers of base coat and choosing light polish colors like beiges or light pinks.

Ragged Cuticles

Plagued by painful dry and torn cuticles? L’Oreal Paris global nail artist Tom Bachik and Illamasqua manicurist Fleury Rose cautions in womenshealthmag.com: cutting cuticles can make them appear worse and cause infections. Instead, exfoliate your hands with a body scrub, then nip only the hangnails that wiggle. Use a cuticle softener weekly followed by pushing them back with an orange stick.

Summer Polish Shades

Here’s your cheat sheet for The Best Summer Nail Polish Shades For Your Skin Tone from glamour.com.

Best Colors for
Fair Skin

Best Colors for
Olive Skin

Best Colors for
Bronze Skin

Best Colors for
Deep Skin

· Coral:
Sweet Blush

· Metallic:
Rose Gold

· Hot Neon:
Fuchsia

· Blue:
Bright Sky

· Coral:
Juicy Melon

· Metallic:
Glittery Silver

· Hot Neon:
Electric Lime

· Blue:
Aquamarine

· Coral:
Sparkly Pink

· Metallic:
Copper Shimmer

· Hot Neon:
Hot Orange

· Blue:
Midnight

· Coral:
Rich Salmon

· Metallic:
Gold Flecks

· Hot Neon:
Banana Yellow

· Blue:
Cobalt

Check out allforfashiondesign.com and living.msn.com for more than 60 nail art designs you can create on your natural nails, or watch Easy Nail Art For Beginners for some additional creative tips. And when it comes to the tootsies, allure.com shows off The Top 8 Summer Pedicure Shades like lemon, aqua, barbie pink and more!

Longer Lasting Polish

If you’re a DIY nail girl and want your polish to last longer, use these helpful tips from stylecraze.com. Place a little vinegar on a cotton ball and swipe it on your nails before applying polish. To avoid chipped polish, paint the top edge of your tip and a little on the tip’s underside.

Nail Shapes

You probably don’t give much thought when asked by your manicurist what nail shape you prefer, but this article from totalbeauty.com will make you think twice. The Best Nail Shape For Every Hand is a guide to the most flattering shape for your fingers. Example: if you have wide, square nail beds, your best option is an oval shape. Check out the easy to understand chart for your best shape.

For Men

Who doesn’t appreciate a man who cares for his nails? If you’re a guy, be sure to read the simple toenail care techniques from handmademen.com before tossing on the summer sandals. You’ll need the following tools: a sharp pair of large clippers and a large-sized emery board.

Be sure to stop and smell the flowers this summer… But if you decide to garden, make sure you wear gloves!