Silver White Winters That Melt Into Springs…

These are a few of my favorite things.

I was going through my stash yesterday and rediscovered a lot products that I love. I wanted to get them down on “paper” so I don’t forget again.

Base coats: Creative Stickey, NailTekII and Orly Bonder. Stickey & Bonder both dry tacky to grip your lacquer and keep it adhered to the nail. Bonder is easier to find locally since all Sally Beauty Supplys carry Orly products. NailTekII (or Nailtiques) are both great for soft, peeling nails. A trait I inherited. Lucky Me!

Top coat: Poshe. Nothing beats it for me. Dries hard and fast and so shiney. It’s tricky to use at first. You have to get a good blob going and spread it fast. It will even out on it’s own. Once you get it down, you’ll never use another top coat again. Seche Vite (pronounced ‘Se-shay Veet’) is very similar but something about it doesn’t work as well for me. Poshe & Seche products are both sold at Sally’s. Get a Sally’s card! You’ll definitely save the price in nail product discounts. I also like a combination of Creative Super Shiney and Qtica 1/2 Time Drying Accelerator when I have the time. Super Shiney will not dry hard on it’s own. You can wait and wait and it will dent, no matter what. You need to use drying drops with this one but the shine you get is worth it. It still takes longer than Poshe to dry but, it works really well with Zoya polishes for some reason.

Cuticle Remover: Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. 15 seconds is all you need. I use a metal cuticle pusher but orange sticks are fine. Just please don’t clip your cuticles!!! You need them to protect your nails from bacteria. Tell your manicurist to push them back, no nipping! Be gentle when pushing the cuticle back. Being too rough can cause ridges.

Cuticle Oil/Balm: Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme is a winner for me. It’s moisturizing without being greasy, easily portable and has a great lemon scent that’s not too overpowering. It does make your nails look a little dull when you first apply it, so I suggest using it at night. Creative Solar Oil is always on hand as a backup but it is greasy. Sally’s carries a line of scented cuticle oils from Haken if you don’t like the cherry almond scent of Solar Oil. Of course, you can always grab some olive oil from your kitchen and use that too.

Foot cream: Sweet Melissa Natural Body Care’s Shea Butter Foot Creme. Sweet Melissa is a bath & body products e-tailer. She is one of the few that makes all her own bases and her foot creme is outstanding. It’s slight peppermint scent is refreshing and after a night in a pair of comfy cotton socks, your skin feels so smooth. Try one of her Moisturizing Must Have sets for $6.50 and you’ll be hooked. If you like Pink Sugar try Sugar Dust, a blend of Pink Sugar and Sugar Cookies. To die for!

Polish Removal: Hands Down Ultra Nail & Cosmetic Pads. These are essential for removing toe polish without ruining your mani. They have a tab and protective backing to keep the remover from getting near your nails.

I’ll cover colors in another post. Now get to shopping!