As promised, I am posting about my opinion of how to keep it chic all the time. Step one...your hands. I read an article in which the author found hands most intriguing because they move during talking. It surprised me, but it is true.
So on to perfect hands...step one, keep them clean. This is self explanatory. Go the the dollar store and stock up on nail brushes, which by my measure are every bit as good as they ones you find in beauty departments and alot less money! I can't believe the number of people I encounter in public with dirty grubby fingers...gross!
OK, step two...keep them soft. This is always a challenge for me...I live in Michigan, which means from late October until April we all walk around in dry, grey weather. The winter air is most often dry here, even before you get into the issue of furnaces and heaters blower even dryer air. It is a constant battle. Any lotion is better than no lotion...but for hands especially, you need something above and beyond. Each night, I slather my hands with Bag Balm. www.bagbalm.com - check them out!
I first tried this for two reasons. One, it was being sold in a hardware store, and it is my experience while women will fall prey to tutti-frutti lotions, men are much more no-nonsense about these sorts of things. Dry hands need moisture, and men don't want something that won't do the job. Secondly, as a woman, it did appeal to me because of the wonderfully cute tin it comes in, which looks so cute sitting on my sink. Again, wasted on most men shopping at the local hardware, but to me, cute is to be appreciated. Needless, to say, this stuff does not disappoint!
Step three...keep the nails, however long or short they may be, shaped, hang-nail free, and (hopefully) painted. I know plenty of women who claim they don't have time to keep their nails. I don't accept this for one moment. You can file your nails in a matter of 5 minutes while stopped at a light on the way to work. You can do your nails while you watch TV, which everyone does everyday. The key is to keeping your nails tidy. If your lifestyle isn't conducive to long nails, don't try to grow them...they will just end up looking ratty, which is exactly what you don't want. If you have the time to paint them ( which I believe you have the time if you want the time ) don't skimp. Don't waste money on every nail color that comes down the line. My rule of thumb is find a color that looks good with your skin tone that you know you will get the most use out of, and by a good version of it. Sorry, but the $.99 cheapie nail polish...lets just say you get what you pay for. I have tried almost every nail polish brand out there, and I still come back to the same two brands : OPI and Orly. They are the best...the end. A little more money, but well worth it. I prefer OPI for color since they have an incredible range, and you can actually use their website ( www.OPI.com ) to do a virtual test run. I swear by, swear by Orly Nail Defense and Bonder. Nail Defense is great for anyone with natural nails, which I have. Their Bonder is an amazing base coat that helps bond the polish so it doesn't chip, but I also feel it almost eliminates the staining problem that comes with dark polish colors.
So, you have clean, soft hands that hopefully have nice polish color...one final detail. Make sure your jewelry is clean. If you wear a wedding, engagement, or similar ring, a little cleaning will do wonders, and some stores will even do it for free!
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