My Nail Care Routine & Manicure Staples

Hello again!
Quick side note: 
I discovered last night that 62 of my wonderful Bloglovin followers (By the way, I'm now at 64 and am beyond shocked and thrilled! Thanks so much for reading and following! I still can't believe people like my ramblings. :p) have turned anonymous! So I can't see them. Including myself! I don't know if it is a glitch, but if you have noticed this too, and know how to fix it, let me know! I contacted Bloglovin, so hopefully they can help me. New followers show up though, so I have no clue what's going on... I am not computer savvy, so I just about had a freak out...


Anyway! While I get that mess sorted, I thought I would share with you my nail care routine, as well as my favorite go-to nail care products. Since 90% of my photos here are my hands, I think it's important that they look presentable, since even the most lovely design can be ruined by chapped hands and rough cuticles. The Horror!


You know that cliche' line "Your eyes are the windows to your soul"? Well, your hands are the windows to your age, so keep them hydrated! I use Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion for dry to very dry skin, because I'm basically part crocodile... I have insanely dry skin, -Especially in the Winter-, which is even more blatantly obvious in pictures, so I try to moisturize them every day and night. I also throw some on before blog photos so no one has to witness my crocodile skin.
I love Nivea, it is a thick lotion, but not too heavy, and it absorbs into my skin very fast. It also doesn't leave a greasy feeling afterwards.


I try not to torture my nails too much with buffing and filing, so I usually only do it once a week. I use an O.P.I file to shape my nails, and an O.P.I buffer block to smooth out any ridges. I do get ridges very often, so I like to buff them so that my polish will go on smoothly. These files have seen better days! I have heard great things about glass files, so I may move on to one of those. If you have any suggestions on a good glass file, let me know in the comments.


To keep my cuticles in tip top shape, I like to use Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. It smells lovely, and while it is on the greasy side, it absorbs really quickly. It helps soften cuticles, helps brittle nails - Which I have.-, and helps hydrate dry skin. It says to apply it everyday and night, but I can never remember to use it during the day! But I do use it every night before I go to bed, and I have noticed an improvement in the look of my cuticles, as well as an improvement in the strength of my nails, which were super wimpy and would break at the drop of a hat. My nails still break often, but not as badly. Hopefully as I keep using this product, they will get in even better shape.
Another product I use for my cuticles is Orly Argan Cuticle Oil. I actually got it for free Months ago from Sally's Beauty Supply. I don't shop there often, but I'm glad I did that day! It is a super greasy cuticle oil, but it is super hydrating. It's annoying to use everyday, since it takes a bit to absorb into my skin, so I only use it on my manicure days, to help re-hydrate my nails after all the polish remover, filing, buffing, and polishing torture. As you can see, I still have a ton of it, since you only need a tiny amount, so I figure I will have this bottle for a very long time. Even though I got it for free, I would recommend it. Though, when it does finally run out, I may try to find a cuticle oil that is not as greasy. But if I can't, I have no problems returning to this one.

Thanks for reading!
-xo Brittany

What nail care products are your favorites? Do you have any cuticle oil recommendations? Let me know in the comments!