Nail File

Call me butterfingers. Earlier today, while getting dressed, I actually split a pair of my favorite jeans in the crotch. A squirt of tinted moisturizer on the front of my ruffled plaid blouse, and I was off to a great start.

Recently, I found the perfect shade of coral polish in Revlon's Nail Enamel in Red Hot Tamale ($5), but unfortunately, the color also spilled from toenails to skin, all due to my klutzy ways.

Of course, you can always dunk a Q-tip in polish remover to remove the unwanted polish, but my neighbor came to the rescue with this ingenious tip. After the polish has set on your skin, simply take an emery board ($1.60) and gently sand off the spillage until those smudges magically disappear. Why didn't I think of that?

I will be the first to admit that keeping my nails in tip-top (sorry, bad pun) shape is a difficult goal for me. A few years ago as I was doing a little shaping action of my own, my friend, who supplements her income by working as a part-time manicurist, laughed out loud. "It's called an emery board, not a saw," she said.

So, apparently, I was doing it wrong. She told me all about the "short, short, long" technique, and I've never looked back to my overly aggressive tree-logging ways.

In order to achieve smoothly filed nails, it's best to start off by using a fine grit emery board, which is very gentle for natural nails. Starting on one corner of your nail, moving towards the center. File in a "short, short, long" motion, using the "long" motion to blend, smooth, and help mold your nails into the shape you desire. Then, repeat this step on the other corner.

Just remember to always file in one direction, otherwise you'll get jagged results. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it — and your polish will last longer, too.

Source

After discovering my first glass nail file, I've been hooked. Unlike emery boards, glass nail files never go dull; they need only a quick rinse under the tap to be good as new. My Sephora file is a grid of teeny, tiny upraised rough glass nodules. Think frosted glass, but maybe a tad rougher. The file is thin, but sturdy enough for me to feel confident that it won't break when my klutzy self inevitably drops it on the floor.

You use it just like any other nail file, but it feels significantly less abrasive. There is no pulling or snagging on the nail tip, which prevents cracking, peeling, and splitting of the nails. In fact, it is so gentle that you can use it safely on acrylics or on damaged or fragile nails. The only drawback? Using it reminds some people of nails on the chalkboard. But if you're interested in checking out a glass file, it's a relatively inexpensive investment. A company called 95° and Sunny makes hand-painted ones — or you can always start out with my $8 special from Sephora.

Talk about sparkles and glitter for the 2007 holiday season! New from London's famous chain of neighborhood nail spas, nails inc., comes the most dazzling and decadent nail file you've ever laid your eyes on. Each Diamond File contains 20 diamonds and is set on a glass emery board with a textured surface that is renewable by soaking it in warm water (which won't damage the bling).

The best part is that each file is custom made, so you get to design it yourself. The file was inspired by Bella Donna Marilyn Monroe's song "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." For the woman who's got it all, this would make the most magnificent gift — that is, if you are in the market to throw down £1000 (which, at the current exchange rate, is approximately $2.000)!

While it comes packaged in a luxurious velvet box lined with black satin, still, that's a hefty price tag. If you had the money, would you spend two grand on a nail-shaping tool?