Novelty Nail Art

by Dee Dee at www.hotttnailz.com

Dee Dee has a full-time job and creates nail art, profesionally, in the evening from her home!

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Wedding Nails?

by Amber

Are you getting your nails ready for your wedding? I know I am. I got a fabulous catalogue from catalink. It is packed full of ideas and products like a magazine. Unlike magazines though, I got it free, along with several others! Not even the cost of a telephone call.

Unfortunately, this service is only available in the United Kingdom. So come on Brit Girls! Choose some catalogues from catalink. Get some reading material for next time you have to dry your nail polish!

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You Can Stop Biting Your Nails, Here's How!

by: Kevin Hamill

Are you tired of being self-conscious about your hands and nails? I know exactly what you're going through because I've been there. Did you notice I said, "I've been there". That's right, I have finally quit biting my nails. I never thought it was possible, but after years of trying to figure it out, I did it.

As I mentioned, it took me years to "nail" down how to quit this habit. I had several failed attempts, too many to count. I found myself always hiding my nails and truly embarrassed about them. I was even envious of people with nice nails because I was so uncomfortable with my own.

Being uncomfortable about my nails forced me to really think about the problem. I tried all the cover-ups and distractions such as bad tasting nail crème and chewing gum. However, nothing seemed to work on a permanent basis. I would kick the habit for a couple weeks to a month, but I would relapse and be back to square one in no time.

In order to stop this habit on a permanent basis, you have to get to the root of the problem. All the cover-ups and distractions help alleviate the desire to bite and make quitting the habit somewhat easier, but they are not a permanent solution. For a permanent solution, you must ask yourself the following question:

In what situations do I sub-consciously start to bite my nails?

All you nail-biters out there know what I mean! You bring your fingers to your mouth without even thinking about it. For me, as it is for most people, it was stress situations causing me to do this. I was also guilty when I was thinking, panicked, nervous and worried. As you can tell, this covers a lot of situations and feelings, so I was biting my nails a lot.

Even with all these feelings causing me to bite my nails, I have quit this habit. I did it by being conscious of these causes and therefore my emotions. In other words, when I was getting nervous, or panicked, I would be mindful of the situation and somewhat control my emotions. I would realize that I was in this emotional state. With the thought in the back of my mind not to bite my nails, I wouldn't do it. This is the key to quitting this habit. This is the only permanent solution. Try this and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. A spin-off of this method is being generally more relaxed and in control. I found myself being able to handle pressure situations better because I was more in control, not only of my nail biting, but of my entire emotional state.

About The Author

Kevin is a working professional, 35 years old from Canada. He has fought this the nail biting habit for over 20 years and won. sales@stopbitingyournails.ca

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Nail Beautification - How To Do Up Your Nails

by Michael Douglas

Some great suggestions to make your nails glow and look beautiful.

Flashy talons covered with nail art can complete festive look. Green, red, white and lots of glitter is what will make you glitter through party days. Play with colours and let the girl in you bring out the 'creativity, showing off your femininity by wearing nail art on your nails. You don't need long talons to carry the nail art. Nail art can be applied to both natural nails and nail enhancements, short or long. Show off your artistically painted nails, covered with glitter and shimmer; making everyone dazzle with your diamond encrusted nails.

To get into the festive mood you need not go with loud colours, glitter or rhinestones. You can develop your own ideas and themes. You have the choice to stick to floral, line art, geometrics, art scenes, using dried flowers and setting rhinestone on to your nail paint. It is entirely up to you if you want to add a bit of colour or go wild? If you are a flower lover then let the fabulous floral designs create your own personalised garden! The great thing about nail art is that you can choose any design and let your imagination be the limit. All that matters in nail art is lots of practice and patience. So, pick up your brush and start painting now for the big day.

You even have the choice to match the colour, the print of your outfit, or have the same nail theme in different colours - choice is entirely yours! You have the choice of using water colours as nail paint; just remember sealing them with a top coat for that glossy finished look. A perfect way of matching the nail shades with your outfit when the nail polish colour is not available. Mix the correct colour to match your outfit and let your artistic abilities shine by painting the same pattern.

The best of nail colours can be put to shame if the shape and nail plate is not in good condition. The nail polish will fail to give the desired smooth shiny result if the nails are not well kept. In short, the 'canvas' that you are going to paint on must be smooth and well shaped. Smoothness can be easily achieved with a leather buffer used on the nail, point to remember here is that the buffing strokes must be done towards the free edge - i.e. in the direction of the nail growth. Never use steel files or nail cutters to cut nails as they can damage the nail plates resulting in shattering and causing grooves.

Always use a generous helping of cuticle cream to remove the dead skin and hang nails around your cuticles. Use an orange stick covered with wool to push the skin back to give that extra protection.

KEEP IN MIND
A well-prepared clean and clear nail is what you need to start with. Two things that you need to really keep in mind before you start is a good manicure and your choice and quality of nail colour really matters. You have the host of nail paints to choose from, from neutrals and bright to shimmers and glitters. The selection of your paint should be seductive, loud colours that should suit the shortest of nails as well. The top coat, being the final coat, must leave a highly glossy finished look.

There are no special paints, just ordinary poster colours that are used in decorating the nails. Use a stripper brush to make straight or curved lines. A dotting tool or a tooth pick to lay those intricate designs on the nails. Make sure you start painting only when the coats of nail polish are fully dried and there is a base coat underneath to protect your nail plate. Once you have created the design of your choice, allow it to dry and always seal the design with the sealant coat. You could incorporate the designs with dried flowers, rhinestones, bindis, etc.

How to use dried flowers
Manicure the nails, make sure you get rid off the creams and oils stuck on your nails for best sticking results.

Apply a blob of sealing coat to the area you want to place the flower, pick up the flower with the tweezers and gently press on to where you have put the blob of sealing coat and hold in place.

Wait for it to dry. Apply any additional dots with the dotting tool or a tooth pick. Use a stripper brush for those long strokes of paint. Apply a thin top coat to seal the design and dry it well.

Use bindis as nail stickers
Clean the surface of the nail to remove all traces of dirt and oil. Choose the design and size that you wish to use, also whether you want to use it on painted or plain nails. With the help of tweezers lift the bindi and place it on the nail, press it firmly anchoring it with a sealing coat. Apply two coats to seal the bindi in firmly and repeat the process on all the rest of the fingers.

You can mix and match dots or lines to create a pattern around the bindis or even sprinkle some fine glitter on wet sealing coat.

For those dazzling nails
Paint your nails with subdued or flashy colours or you have the choice to leave them natural. If you wish to go with the classic look then pale colour is your best bet. Cover the entire nail with a top coat, use tweezers or the moistened orange stick to pick and place the rhinestone on the wet coat of nail enamel or top coat. Let it dry and finish with another sealing coat. Here, I must add that rhinestones combined with French manicured nails look absolutely smashing, especially for ladies who go for the classic looks. If you don't wish to have sparkish talons then this is the best option for you.

Now, that I have made clear the fundamentals of nail art and know-how for you to master the skill, it's time for you to showcase your designs to the world.
I am sure with 'step by step' you now have the ability to make exceptional designs. You are ready to create some charming , splendid piece of nail art for yourself and your friends. Make a masterpiece on your finger nails by creating unique designs and make nail art big news!




Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For expert tips and advice on health and beauty, makeup and skin care tips, fitness and workout plans, please visit Time4Tips.com

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Brittle Nails - Easy To Break

by: Sharon Hopkins

Nails define your hand in many ways. The shape and the look of nails make your hand look good. By using a good nail polish it can make your hands look better. But if nails are bad then no matter how much you cover it up it will not work. Brittle nails are one of the problems with your nails. These nails happen to be so weak that they break, spilt or tear very easily. It is the dryness in the nails which reaches to such an extent that they tend to break without much hassle. Brittle nails are a common problem faced by many women.

Some of the causes for brittle nails is due to excessive contact with water, detergent, drying out of nails due to overheating in your own house, constantly falling ill and increasing use of nail polish remover. When it comes in contact with chemicals present in detergent or cleansers it makes the nails very weak. Your nails are also affected due iron deficiency. When you go for swimming the chlorine water does not work in your favor. You also lack essential calcium and fatty acids which makes your nail strong and less brittle. Low levels of zinc, iron and also thyroid problems may lead to brittle nails.

Some of the things which you can do to avoid brittleness of your nails

* Massaging your nails with castor oil frequently as this would keep your nails fit and fine

* Whenever in contact with chemicals wear cotton gloves and on top of the rubber gloves as it would protect your nails from getting wet either by sweat or water

* Involving food like salmon, tuna, shrimp, trout, milk in your diet improves your nails life

* Intake of herbs and vitamins as consulted by doctor should be taken

* Keep your nails short if you know they are brittle.

About The Author
Sharon Hopkins manages sites which give information on hair and skin care, such as http://www.hair-n-skin-care.com. From pigmentation of your skin to suntan you can find everything here. Brittle nails could be due to some vitamin deficiency as well as the dryness of nails.

Amber says: "Nails Inc have wonderful products for the treatment of Brittle Nails. I highly recommend them"

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Nail Art: Products, Tools and Equipment

by Amber
Nail art is a very popular way of decorating the nails and can be created in two ways, either by air brushing or freehand. You will need to have some basic tools and equipment in order to be able to perform nail art. Here is a list of what you will need to create nail art:

Nail brushes
Fine detail brush - a fine tipped brush which is excellent for precise detailing.

Fan brush - the bristles of this brush are spread out like a fan, It can be used to create sweeping effects across the nails.

Liner brush, medium (striping brush) - these are ideal for producing thick lines and colour on the nails.

Liner bush, long (striping brush) - the bristles on this brush are very long and narrow, it is perfect for creating long straight lines and flicks.

Nail paints
These are usually non-toxic, water based acrylic paints which come in a wide variety of colours. The paints can be mixed together to created new colours, or diluted to create specialist paint effects.

Glitter dust
An excellent way to create extra special sparkle on the nails, this is a dense sparkle powder which has to be used with a mixer to create fabulous sparkly designs.

Glitter dust mixer This is used to mix with the glitter dust to create beads of product that can be applied in designs.

Marbling or dotting tool This tool has a round metallic head at each end which are different in size, these can be used to create dots of different sizes depending on which head you use and the amount of paint. You can use this tool to mix one colour into another creating a marbling effect.

Water release transfers Transfers are a quick and easy way to instantly transform the nails, with many fabulous designs available. Dampen a cotton bud with water and rub the back of the transfer to loosen the backing, then gently slide it off with your finger and position onto the nail. Lightly use an orangewood stick or cotton bud to smooth it out.

Self-adhesive transfers Simply peel the backing sheet off and position onto the nail – simple!

Foils These are available in various colours and patterns and must be used with a foil adhesive. Place the foil onto the nail facing upwards then rub onto the nail with a cotton bud.

Rhinestones Available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, they need to be adhered to wet polish and secured in place with a sealer or top-coat. It is easiest to use the end of a dampened orangewood stick to pick the stones up and place into position.

Flat stones They are also available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours and are used in exactly the same way as rhinestones.

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Physical Beauty - Care of the Hands

by Michael Fortomos

Hands, as one authority on female beauty has declared, "reveal every hidden secret of the soul .... in their shape, texture and color"? We doubt it. But they reveal themselves quickly enough as beautiful or the reverse. What is beauty of hand? It is not so much the shape, just as in hair it is not the color, which counts here. Texture, skin quality and skin tint, the manner in which the hands are used, the nails, these determine their beauty. Nothing will give away your age quicker than the condition of your hands. Let’s take a look at some tips to try and hold off the ravages of time.

Care is what produces beautiful hands. If you are not your own manicurist then visit a professional one every week. Protect your hands against water by using gloves, rubber or canvas. Always have a cut of lemon handy to the sink. Whether you have a "psychic" or a merely plebeian hand, lemon juice removes stains, whitens the skin and cleans the nails. Vaseline, which keeps the nails from growing brittle, also makes up for the drying effect of hot dishwater. Dish washing should always be followed by a vaseline or cold cream application. Always wear gloves when gardening, and use vanishing cream on them before you expose them to the bright sunshine or cold. A cold cream application before retiring and cotton gloves should accompany chapped hands into bed.

Red Hands - When red hands are not caused by some trouble which calls for a doctor's care, use a good rich, cream massage, for it will help circulation if bad circulation is the reason. A mere surface redness may be treated by rubbing in some standard skin food, after washing with hot water and soap, and leaving it overnight.

The Ideal Hand - The ideal hand has smooth, tapering fingers. If you have square or knotty fingers give them treatment for pressing out the ends. A soft, white skin, a firm palm, firm and supple wrists and well-kept nails and fingers are all possible of attainment by manicuring, massage and constant cleanliness. Hands should be neither too fat nor too thin. Regular diet in the first place, then massage and special exercises are correctives. This applies as well to fat wrists. Remember that, like the ideal face and figure, the ideal hand is only relatively so. There is a different style of hand for nearly every style of being, and there are as many different hands as there are face beauties.

Gloves - Tight gloves will make your palms perspire, give your hands a pudgy look, and, if you wear them right along, will turn the hands red and mottled. Red hands often result from continual wearing of tight-fitting gloves. And—if you do not chemically clean your gloves after each wearing—your hands will grow dirty as soon as you put them on. Gloves which are not perfectly clean chap and coarsen the skin texture of the hand, and at times cause infections.

A narrow palm is supposed to be a sign of a feeble temperament, one lacking imagination. A fairly generous palm shows imagination and a nature capable of greatly enjoying physical pleasures. Too large, broad and pronounced a palm denotes egoism and sensuality. Hard, thick palms, out of proportion to the rest of the hand, show an animal nature, void of intelligence. Knotty fingers mean originality, imagination and a scientific trend. Smooth, tapering fingers hint at aptitude in art and sentiment predominating over reason. Square fingers mean a sense of method and order. Spatulate fingers are a sign of ability, activity, tact and knowledge.

THE NAILS
A woman's nails should have home attention, but this should be supplemented by occasional visits to the manicurist. Else it is impossible to keep them in perfect condition. You may use an orange stick or an ivory pusher to push back the cuticle from the nails (after it has been softened by cold cream or vaseline), but do not cut the cuticle yourself. This had far better be left to the professional. If you use the professional cutting tools you may easily cut and scar the surface of the nail, and weeks may elapse before the scar disappears. If the cuticle be cut constantly the edges grow hard and thick.

Manicuring - Always see to it that your orange stick is well covered with absorbent cotton or a bit of silk. When you have shaped the external edge of the nails with a fine pair of scissors, finish with emery or a steel nail file. And always, before beginning to manicure your nails, soak them in hot soap water and cleanse with the nail brush. When you polish the nails, use paste first, and do not apply the powder till afterward. As a buffer you can use the palm of the other hand. A thorough "home" manicuring should be undertaken at least once a week.

There are many very satisfactory nail pastes and polishes on the market. A liquid polish is usually best for the nails, all the more if there is no paste foundation. Carmine, which gives a pleasing pink tint, should be the paste used. Never use the liquid varnishes which produce a sheen without the aid of the buffer. They have a deteriorating action on the nails themselves. You brush your teeth every night. It is just as easy to devote a few minutes to your nail cuticles as well.

The Nail Bleach - A good and simple nail bleach for use beneath the free edges of the nails is made by mixing an ounce of hydrogen peroxide with a quarter ounce, respectively, of ammonia and lemon juice. Before polishing the nails wash out the bleach with hot water. Keep your manicuring tools in good condition, and throw away your orange stick as soon as it roughens. For a buffer, if you do not care to use your palm, buy a buffer frame and renew the chamois skin.

Bruised Nails - A hot water dip, with an overnight application of antiphlogiston, is good for bruised nails. The white nail spots which often result from a bruise will fade out slowly of themselves as a rule. Their departure can be hastened, however, by application of refined pitch and myrrh in equal parts.

Nail-Bite - The only real cure for nail biting is not to bite the nails. The application of tincture of myrrh is merely a reminder not to do so.

About the author: Michael Fortomas is a teacher of Biology and his Free Guide "151 Beauty Tips" is a look at specific tips, old and new, to help women meet the current perception of our societal definition of beauty. Visit 1source-body-health.

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