What will your fingers wear?

So it’s the month of love – February. Are you expecting a proposal?! Or are you planning to propose yourself – as it’s a leap year?! Quick bit of girl thinking and you’ll reach the conclusion of you need to look your best, just in case…as you never know what’s around the corner!

So what can you do for Valentines prep? Well, if you are going to have a ring on your finger, whether you put it there or your other half does, your nails and hands need to look their best. You need neat cuticles, shaped nails, the perfect paint job. Sparkly nails fit for a sparkly ring!

So for all those with fingers that are needing some nail TLC here’s an explanation of the 4 nail services out there….

1) Acrylic is the ‘nickname’ given to a treatment called liquid and powder in the nail world. The liquid and powder (the smelly stuff!) are mixed together to form a sugary type paste, which is applied to the nail and sets. This can be applied over nail tips which extend the natural nail. This is perfect if you are a heavy handed & tend to break your nails easily. Acrylic nails can be infilled after 2-3 weeks. Acrylic has to be soaked off the natural nail with pure acetone, which breaks down the liquid and the powder. It can take quite a while – from 30 minutes upwards and the amount of soaking time can leave natural nail a little dry and weak.

2) Then there’s the alternative to acrylics – hard gel. This is the same idea but with a clear gel instead of the liquid and the powder. Again it can be used with nail tips and gives you strength, although not as much strength as acrylic. They can be infilled after 2-3 weeks. Generally ‘hard gels’ have to be buffed off with an abrasive nail file, which can be damaging to the natural nail plate.

3) Thirdly there’s the ‘shellac nails’. Most people aren’t aware that shellac is actually a brand. CND Shellac is a type of gel polish, to keep it simple. So then there are other brands such as OPI Gel Colour, Jessica Geleration and my fave; IBD Just Gel Polish. They all perform in a similar way and use a UV or LED

lamp to cure each layer of colour and last 2-3 weeks with care. They can all be used to paint over acrylic/gel extensions too. These gel polishes have a very shiny top coat that will leave your fingers dazzling, especially perfect for if there’s a possibility of a diamond ring! It takes around 20 minutes to soak off and doesn’t leave any damage on the natural nail.

4) Nail varnish – the somewhat ‘retro’ option nowadays. This is still used by many salons as some clients do want normal polish, however it’s advisable to have your nails painted on the day of your special occasion (ie Saturday 14th Feb) as it so very easily chips. Also you have the drying time….how many times have you left a salon, thought your nails were dry, only to find you smudge or chip them on the way home? Countless. This is the easiest of them all to remove though – a quick swipe on each nail with nail varnish remover and you are colour free.

So what will those fingers of yours be wearing for Valentine’s day this year?