Nails can get overlooked in favour of hair and skin when it comes to pamper time
But pretty nails don’t take much work if you know the right secrets. In 7 years of at-home manicures, I’ve learned more than my fair share so I’m going to bestow them upon you!
Here are 4 minimally time consuming and easy nail care hacks to improve the appearance and health of your nails without even trying very hard.
Upgrade Your Nail File (-50%)
Get yourself a crystal
nail file and you’ll find that shaping your nails takes half the time it would
with the flimsy cardboard one that came inside a manicure kit someone
got you for Christmas 2 years ago (I’ve been there, girl).
The glass nail files that you pick up in the drugstore should have a fine
‘grit’ which means they’re gentle on natural nails. You can tell if a file has
a fine or coarse grit by just running your finger along it. If it feels
‘sandy’, it’s probably too coarse to use on the tips of your nails and can do
more harm than good; so steer clear.
Lazy Girl’s Protip: You can run a crystal nail file through the dishwasher to clean it
Moisturise Your Cuticles at Bedtime (3 minutes)
Most of us have some sort of nighttime routine that we can’t sleep without. Here’s how mine goes…
- Moisturise face
- Apply lip balm
- Tie up hair
- Plug in phone
- Moisturise cuticles
I keep a few choice products on my nightstand so I can do it when I’m already snuggled in bed. I don’t like anything too greasy that’s going to make a mess of my bedsheets, so I go for Nail Butter or Sally Hansen Moisture Rehab. Nail Butter takes a while to soak in but the Sally Hansen absorbs really quickly.
Generously apply your product to the cuticle area and massage it in. Repeat nightly until it becomes ritual!
Crush Those Cuticles! (6-10 minutes)
Most cuticle removers clock in at 1-2 minutes of waiting time. Sally Hansen’s Instant Cuticle Remover only needs 15 seconds to melt away any unwanted cuticle growth. You’ll also need a good tool to push them back and a brush to wash them away. Once you’ve found your flow and practised a few times, you could even get this whole routine down to less than 10 minutes.