Achieving the Perfect At-Home Manicure, and a Giveaway!

In this down-sized economy, more and more woman are forsaking salon beauty treatments in favor of going the d.i.y route. While I have admitted in the past that I love to indulge in regular manicures, I have been trying to save by skipping weeks, and taking matters into my own hands. Just saying, my daily frozen yogurt habit is quite expensive!

Here are the tips and tools that have helped me, and that I think will help you, too.
For the tips feature of this portion, I quote JESSICA, manicurist to the stars, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience, thanks to the last three decades of taking care of Hollywood’s elite fingers and toes. Here are some of her “Best Of” tips to help with common nail ailments:

· Polish chipping after one day? You can get it to last longer with a few simple steps:

o Make sure that your nails are clean (oils and creams on the nail plate will hinder the polish’s ability to adhere)

o Gently file the nail in one direction and make sure that there are no rough edges

o Cover the entire nail with polish, including under and over the nail, all sides and edges

o Apply another coat of topcoat the day after your manicure to help keep nails in tip-top shape

· Running low on time or don’t want to splurge on a manicure this week? Here is how to fake it:

o Start with clean, dry nails. Massage a cuticle oil like Phenomen Oil with natural Jojoba into cuticles and nails to make them look pink and healthy. If necessary, file nails so they are smooth and evenly shaped.

o Next, wash hands to make sure excess oil is removed. Apply 2 coats of the appropriate basecoat treatment for your nail type, 2 coats of light, sheer color and finish with fast-drying top coat like Brilliance that gives nails a high gloss shine. The light color will hide any polishing imperfections and your cuticles will look and feel pampered

· Are your nails ridge-prone?

o Ridges are a common problem. “Buffing” the ridges with a strong grit buffer will damage the nail plate. Since most ridges cannot be corrected as they are a result of a Systemic illness or by an injury to the nail bed, JESSANA Flexible Fix and JESSICA Flawless products beautifully conceal the ridges, leaving a smooth finish on the nail. Now you can apply your polish without any signs of imperfections.

o Secret tip: The safest way to buff the nail is with an old fashioned Shami cloth.

· Frustrated with your polish turning yellow?

o This occurs from overexposure to the sun or a chemical reaction with crèmes and lotions or detergents and cleansers. The most important thing to do is choose a topcoat with UV inhibitors to help prevent yellow. Also, be sure to wear gloves when cleaning, this will help protect nails and hands.

Now that you have the tips, here are the tools.

RADA Pro Nail Station

Designed to be your space to both rest your hands/feet and store products, the Rada Pro Nail Station offers up everything you can ever want in a self-service manicure/pedicure station. It even has a place to store polishes, nail supplies, and nail polish remover.

it Cosmetics Nail Love Cuticle Pen

Cuticle care is crucial to a successful manicure. This convenient pen conditions the cuticle, while providing collagen to strengthen nails. The cap doubles as a tool to push back conditioned cuticles. Gotta love a two-in-one.

Zoya Color Lock System

There isn't much I can say, that I haven't said before about this amazing system. Zoya literally has you covered with nail treatments from polish removal to top coat in this amazing all-in-one kit. If you want a manicure that will last long, and look beautiful while doing so; look no further than the Zoya Color Lock System.

Now that you are armed with the tools and knowledge, I will get to the fun part. I am giving away a Zoya Minicure set.

All you have to do to enter is send an email to KraseyBeautyContests@gmail.com telling me what your favorite polish brand is.

Gain a second entry by posting a link to this post on your blog.

Contest ends next Monday, October 26th. Good luck!