How to ensure your nails are stunning every time

I know that for some people doing your nails is something you dislike, its like a minefield. How do people get their fingernails so darn perfect? If you take some time out of your day to focus on your nails you can really ensure they are on point. - Make sure your nails are clean and maintained. I mean all polish off, any nasty bits of skin polished clean, cuticles pushed and cut back as well as your nails being filed to create a smooth edge. Just a tip - use a crystal nail file as they are much gentler on your nails (without loosing the grit). Although this is a bit harsh as an extra clean I rub my nails with a nail brush and a bit of exfoliating wash to ensure they are sparkling and smooth! This may be too far but it works, just ensure to moisturise after to keep your skin soft... -Invest in a good base coat. I always look for something that adds something to my nails (whether it help repair or strengthen my nails). It also has to be quite rubbery to help the nail polish stay on for longer. -Make sure you paint around the tips of your nails to ensure your polish doesn't chip (or it takes a bit longer for it to start!). If you do this with your polish and your topcoat it will seal the polish around the edges to help prevent chipping. -The biggest secret to amazing looking nails is clean up. Before I learnt this I always thought people were magicians with a nail brush never getting a drop around their nails. How wrong I was and how easy it is to look like you are amazing at painting your nails. Basically, you need a fine paintbrush (I use a nail art brush I got in a set from eBay) and some nail polish remover, preferably in a little pot, with some tissue to dab the brush when removing colour. Then just use it to clean up like you would paint around your nail. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Be careful with colours like red though as they are harder to get off! -Lastly, don't forget to moisturise! If you don't moisturise on a regular basis you could have dry hands which will ruin even the best nail paint job. Either use cuticle cream or good ol' hand cream just make sure to give your hands some TLC. Please note that I am self-taught at doing my nails and have not had any training. If my tips work for you then great and if not at least we tried! Best of luck on your mission to have brilliant nails!

Healthy Nails - Crystal Nail File Review

I'm obsessed with keeping my nails in tip top condition. There is barely a day goes by when my nails aren't painted. When I take my polish off I have to prep my nails again for the next coat of polish and this is when I cut my nails, file them and get rid of any excess cuticle. I've been using a rather coarse nail file from Salon Services for a while but when Healthy Nails offered to let me try their Crystal nail file I was interested to see how it matched up.

Healthy Nails - Crystal Nail File - £12.99*

The Crystal nail file is the first product from Healthy Nails, a company planning to introduce a small number of carefully selected products to help keep nails healthy. The nail file is made in the Czech Republic from flat glass using acid etching to make the glass coarse.

On receiving this nail file from Amazon I was surprised how well this product was presented. Inside the packet was a cute little sleeve which held the nail file in it's case. The silver case, which is really handy for carrying this product in your bag, pulls apart to reveal the crystal nail file inside.

The nail file is sleek, small and very attractive to use with a shiny end to hold whilst you file. To the touch, the glass feels like really fine, flat sandpaper. When I used this I was really impressed with how well it matched up to my other nail files, although not much to the touch when I started filing my nails I could see how fast it was making an impression. When using other nail files I find that I am left with rough edges to my nails with parts that could snag clothes but what I was amazed at with this is that it doesn't drag along your nails but rather 'turns the edges of my nails to dust' as stated on the website.

What I also find impressive about this product is that it claims to last forever! The special glass they use along with the acid etching means the product will never wear down and give a great finish as long as you own it.

I was really apprehensive to try a crystal nail file but I am so glad that Healthy Nails gave me the opportunity to try one as I now really appreciate how great they are! For £12.99 they may seem steep now but years on when you still have the same one you will realise what great value they are. They also come in two more colours - pink or purple - so you can choose a girlie version, or stick with plain black!

On Healthy Nails' website, I found some great tips for keeping your nails in great shape such as filing tips, ways to stop biting your nails and also how base coat helps. Even if you are a nail pro these are really interesting reads!