BellaSugar

Polish on Skin? No Problem.

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:00:22 -0700

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?

Is Filing Your Nails in Public a Do or a Don't?

BellaSugar — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:00:41 -0800

The other day on the bus, I noticed a lady focusing all (and I mean all) of her attention to her nails. She filed them for what seemed like the entire twenty-minute ride, and I have to admit - it kind of grossed me out as the nail dust floated all around. Last year I asked you what you thought about putting on makeup in public, and most of you thought that a little touchup is OK, but doing a full-blown routine is tacky. What about filing nails? Do you think it's uncouth to groom them in public, or is it acceptable?

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An Easy Way to File Nails

BellaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:00:40 -0700

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.

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File This Under Nail Care

BellaSugar — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

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.

13 Really Ridiculous Beauty Products

BellaSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:08:12 -0800

A lot of us dabble with out-of-the-ordinary beauty products, and some of them even work. But there are some items that are so over-the-top, so unnecessary, that you have to wonder who buys them. So here are the 13 of the silliest beauty products, gadgets, and treatments you could possibly encounter. Take a peek! Source

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The World's Glitziest Nail File

BellaSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:00:59 -0800

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?

How to Fix a Broken Nail

BellaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:00:26 -0700

I don't love the gym, so Fit and I joke that it's progress when I merely think about exercising. Well, the other weekend I played soccer and was excited to tell Fit about my burst of fitness - until I noticed that I'd broken the nail of my big toe. ("It's a sign," I told Fit. "Exercise and me are not meant to be.")

There are much worse things in life than breaking a nail, but a bad split can be painful. And in some cases, like mine, there's no way to remove the broken part without exposing your nail bed. Fortunately, there's a pretty simple way to repair your nail. To learn how to do it, read more.

Since our nails can't heal themselves, your best bet is to keep the split nail from snagging while it grows out. If you don't want to walk around with a Band-Aid, try doing this to keep the broken nail as intact as possible.

What you'll need:

Clear nail polish
Nail clippers
Nail file
Scissors
One tea bag emptied of the tea, or a coffee filter
Colored nail polish (optional)

Step one: Clip the broken nail if possible, getting it as close to the tip of the finger or toe as you can. Gently file any snags, staying away from the split itself.

Step two: Trim the tea bag or coffee filter to the size of a small patch that can cover the break in the nail.

Step three: Paint the broken nail with a coat of clear polish. While it's still tacky, gently place the trimmed tea bag/coffee filter over the broken part of the nail.

Step four: Cover the nail with one or two more coats of polish. To cover the tea bag, use a colored polish.

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How To Strengthen Your Nails

BellaSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:00:14 -0700

With my nail polish collection rapidly growing, I've been switching polish colors as often as possible - which, of course, causes problems with my nails. So I thought it would be a good idea to give you some tips on how to protect your nails from damage, as well as help fix already-damaged ones. Vertical ridges, white marks, spots, peeling and brittleness are normal signs of neglected nails. Anything else strange going on with your nails could be an indication of a health problem. There's no need to freak out, but keep an eye on it and see a doctor if you suspect there's something funky going on there.

To see how to protect and strengthen your nails, read more.

Use a base coat: Using a base coat before applying color will protect your nails from any harmful chemicals in your polish, and also help prevent the polish from staining your nails. I like Butter London Nail Foundation, especially because it's formaldehyde-free.
Keep it short: Long nails are more likely to snag and tear. The best shape for your nail's health is square and slightly rounded on the top (some call this "squoval"). Clean under the nails regularly, and file any snags as soon as they happen.
Just say no ...to toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP, that is. These common nail polish ingredients can dry out and damage your nails, and formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. To see which nail polish brands are "three-free," check out this post.
Reduce remover: Ideally, you should limit your nail polish remover usage to twice a month. I know that sounds difficult, but try extending your manicures with a rock-solid top coat, like my personal favorite, Seche Vite. When it's time to remove your polish, use a non-acetone remover, and let nails breathe for a few days in between applications.
Soak: If, despite your best efforts, your nails end up a brittle, peeling mess, treat them to a warm oil soak. Just heat some bath or olive oil in the microwave, then dip your fingertips in for about 10-15 minutes. When you're finished, rub generous amounts of lotion or a good cuticle cream into your nails and cuticles. I'm a fan of Kiehl's Imperiale Cuticle Treatment ($19.50).

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Try It: Dashing Diva Virtual Nails

BellaSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:11 -0700

Fashion Week is one of those times, like someone else's wedding, where you feel pressured to look amazing even though no one is paying attention to you. So when I realized my nails were a cracked, bitten mess, I decided to go for a complete overhaul. Enter Dashing Diva. DD is a nail salon that offers a service called Virtual Nails (click through for a list of locations all over the world), during which your nubs are lightly filed and falsies are glued on.

Diva differs from a typical nail salon because of its superior hygiene and sanitation regulations. My favorite being that they give you a set of tools to bring back on your next visit. That and they don't use acrylics that smell like chemicals, you know the ones which often require technicians to wear surgical masks.

At the NY salon, the service costs $35 but that's a small price to pay for nails that are neither toxic nor cause the same kind of damage I'm trying to hide. To find out more about my visit, read more.

My technician, Maria, started by rubbing sanitizer on both of our hands. She then trimmed my cuticles and filed my nail beds. Next, she had me wash my hands and then spent a lot of time meticulously choosing the perfect size nail for each of my fingers, writing down what she settled on for next time. Once the nails were glued on, we settled on a length and shape and she trimmed and filed them. As for the color, I chose a modest rosy shade, thinking that I may as well not call attention to my fake nails, but changed my mind and went for a bright yellow called Anna Banana. After all, when someone asks me if they're real, I can always respond, "real cool!"

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Six Steps to Perfect Manicures

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:00:28 -0800

If you're thinking of polishing your nails, I've gathered up tips to help this process go smoothly from start to shiny finish. Grab a file and some polish, and get your nails in shape.

Get healthy nails	Choose a shape	Fix broken ones
Easy ways to file	Mix up your own polish	Paint smudge-free