There’s nothing like the feeling of a fresh manicure.
I’m not exactly sure what it is, though the feeling of freshly done nails is one that I will never tire of. Maybe it’s the fact that at least one thing in my life is pulled together, or perhaps it’s the feeling of checking something off my never ending to-do list. It could be that it’s simply nice to enjoy beautiful looking hands and nails. Whatever the reason is, a well done manicure is an absolute must!
I thought it would be fun to get a Valentine’s Day nail art to spice up my Valentine’s Day look. Before I get into the details of my manicure, I wanted to share a little about how my nail care routine. It might surprise you, and it might inspire you to make some changes with your nail care services.
I use a mobile nails service, where my nail technician comes to my house. My nail tech’s name is Nicole, and I’ve been a loyal client of hers for some time. I adore her! We had to take a break during the height of COVID, though we have stuck together all this time. I had been looking for at home nail services because once I started working on my blog, I hated taking the time with a sitter to go and get my nails done. That was valuable time for me to work. Nicole would come when my daughter was napping, and now she comes in the evening when the kids are getting ready to go to bed. Not only does Nicole save me time, she saves me money too as I don’t have to pay a sitter and leave the house. If you can find a mobile nail service in your area, I highly recommend it. Make sure they are licensed. If you are a local friend in my area, send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll be happy to give you a referral to Nicole’s company.
Ok, so on to the Valentine’s Day nail art!
I’ve been loving the different colored accent nails for some time now, so starting with a sparkly red pinkie on each hand was a good way to work that major nail trend into my Valentine’s Day nail art.
I then went for a bright pink base on the remaining four nails. I wouldn’t consider the pink a hot pink, though certainly a very bright one. Now it’s time for some nail art! On the ring finger of each hand, I requested some tiny red hearts. Nicole painted ten tiny hearts on each of my ring fingers, then put one small heart at the base of the remaining three fingers. Seal with a top coat and you’re good to go!
Tips for Preserving Your Valentine’s Day Nail Art
Now that you’ve got your beautiful manicure, there are some tips that can assist in keeping it looking fresh for longer.
Shorter nails tend to chip less. With that being said, if your nails do chip, take care of those chips right away, as they will only get bigger if not fixed.
Topcoats and basecoats are really important in terms of adhering polish to the nail and protecting the nail, and then “sealing” off the polish and protecting your paint job. I’m a huge fan of OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener, which not only helps to strengthen weak nails, though also acts as a basecoat. I’ve been using it pretty much exclusively for years. Ok, decades.
When painting your nails, roll the polish just slightly along the tip, not really under it, though very close along the side of the nail so it “wraps” around. This makes the polish less likely to chip off, kind of creating a seal.
I really like the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, as it smooths out any ripples in the polish, making it great for touch ups, though also does as it says. It noticeably dries my manicure faster then other top coats I’ve tried and provides a clean look to fresh nails.
Reapplying your top coat every 2-3 days will offer a layer of protection to your manicure as well as keep it looking fresh.
Your manicure must dry thoroughly. If you insist on rushing out before it might be fully dry, try immersing your hands into a bowl of ice water as long as you can stand. This can help to harden the polish. Don’t be tempted to do the opposite and apply heat, as in using a blowdryer to speed up the drying process. The heat can actually make the polish remain “tacky” and cause ripples in it.
Let’s get into nail oil, or cuticle oil now. I’m actually using Kopari Coconut Melt for my cuticles, though it can also be used as a hand cream, body cream, and everything else cream. With a clean coconut scent, it’s a nice fragrance pick me up that is not too overpowering and absorbs nicely too.
I use a hand cream several times a day. The easiest way to keep up on applying hand cream on a frequent basis, which is mandatory for me in the winter. I really like this hand cream I just discovered, which is an Allure 2017 Best of Beauty winner. It’s meant for really dry hands and even formulated for those that suffer from eczema.
I like to use a hand mask once a week to really keep my hands looking soft and even toned. If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while, you’ll know I love these hand masks, and they are actually one of my best selling beauty products. At $5 a mask, they are a great investment in the care and maintenance of youthful and even tone looking hands.
Nail Polishes
Our absolute favorite polishes are Olive and June. If you haven’t tried them yet, I highly recommend. Not only is the company woman owned, though the polishes are “7-free” which means they are clear of the seven most harmful chemicals that are found in typical nail polishes. This includes dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide or xylene. Olive and June’s formulas are also vegan and cruelty free.
You can use the code Jaimie20 to get 20% off your order. The Olive and June site is so much fun to navigate. I love the oh so trendy polish collections, though polishes can also be purchased a la carte, and the way they arrange the ability to shop the site. It’s also an uplifting shopping experience, with notes on who and what inspired the different colors.
Olive and June is also known for their Manicure and Pedicure Systems. These are kits that contain all the needed essentials for the perfect home mani and pedi. They really thought of everything, my favorite item is the little brush that is dipped in the also included nail polish remover to clean up the sides of the nail after painting. Check out the complete collection of items in each kit.
Explore the Pedicure System
Explore the Manicure System
These manicure and pedicure sets make such beautiful gifts, and I also think of them as a way to save on services. With these kits, you’ll have everything you need to give yourself a salon quality manicure and pedicure.
Do you enjoy Valentine’s Day nail art? Let me know in a comment below!
