Entries from July 2007 ↓

A manicure is a cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands. A manicure can treat just the hands, just the nails, or both. A standard manicure usually includes filing and shaping of the nails and the application of polish, but there are also also speciality manicures. Treatments for hands usually include soaking in a softening substance and application of hand lotion. A similar treatment performed on the feet is a pedicure.
The word “manicure” comes from the Latin manus, meaning “hand,” and cura meaning “care”.
Some manicures can include the painting of pictures or designs on the nails or applying small decals or imitation jewels.

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

How To Do Your Nails Fast

When you are in a rush, decisions have to be made. Prioritize.
Do you shape or polish? Do you quick-dry or go the long, slow route?

New formulas allow for snap decisions: Speed-dry enamels are worthy of their name (you can open mail, search for keys, or put on your tightest long-sleeved shirt within seconds), but there’s a downside: “As fast as they dry, that’s as fast they chip,” insists manicurist Anne of Manhattan Nails, so save them for emergencies.
Eke a few extra days out of a fast-dry manicure by doing a daily touch-up with a quick-drying coat. In the other corner, there are strong, chip-resistant formulas - the torttoise of the polish race. To pick up the pace of these tougher enamels, like L’Oreal Shock Proof, carefully submerge freshly painted nails in a bowl of ice-cold water for 30 seconds to harden still-groopy polish. Light or sheer shades are best for hasty manicures, Anne says. “You can even get away with just a wide stripe down the center” rather than painstakingly painting the entire nail. If a manicure is beyond the repair of a topcoat or two, face facts and call in the remover. You can keep single-use packets of nail polish remover (Cutex and Get Fresh make them) on hand so you can strip away color on the run. When there is no time for polish, just clean underneath the nails, rub on a buffing cream, and shine them with a chamois buffer.

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

Giving yourself a professional pedicure is an 8-step process.

The first step is to remove the old polish from your nails.

Instead of cotton balls (which will leave fuzzies), we suggest using a lint-free cotton pad, such as Miss Webril or our favorite, Lippmann Collection The Stripper To Go .

Saturate the cotton pad with acetone remover & rub off the old polish. If the color isn’t coming off easily, press the saturated cotton on the nail & let it soak in first. A tip for removing stains from nails: try rubbing whitening toothpaste on your nails. You can also rub a drop of lemon or lavender oil on each toe & rub a buffer back & forth over the nail.
This will remove the yellowed outer layer.

Tip for picking the perfect polish remover: Alcohol- and acetone-free removers are less drying, but don’t work as well, especially on dark shades. Use the ‘free’ stuff on lighter shades.

Step #2 — Cut & File Nails
It’s best to use high quality clippers made for clipping toenails such as Tweezerman Deluxe ($10). To avoid ingrown nails, cut nail straight across to just above the skin. Make sure your nail doesn’t extend over the tip of your toe.

To get a soft square shape, file nails in one direction until they are even & slightly rounded at the corners. (Hint: Don’t use metal files, they’ll rip your nails). Basic emory boards like the ones from Revlon work great, but if you want to go truly pro, try the Mehaz ingrown toenail file which allows you to easily lift nail corners for shaping. Don’t clip the sides of nails, that can cause ingrowns.

Emory board tip: The fine-grade surface is for smoothing the nail edge, while the coarser surface is for shortening & shaping nails.

Step #3 — Soak Your Feet
Fill a large flat-bottom bowl with warm water. Throw in bath salts, your favorite aromatherapy oils or Epsom salt & let your feet soak 10 minutes. The more cracked & calloused your feet, the longer they need to stay in.

Trick only the pros know: Add a quarter cup of milk to your bath along with the essential oils & salts. The lactic acid in the milk loosens dead skin.

Step #4 — Trim Cuticles
Apply cuticle remover to the base of each nail & rub it in. Sally Hansenis a basic remover & works great. Leave on for a minute, then use an orangewood stick (Tweezerman works great) to gently push with a circular motion everywhere where skin meets the nail (including the sides). Be careful to remove skin only on top of the nail, don’t touch the toe flesh.

Use cuticle nippers (Mehaz nippers work best) to trim any loose skin. Be careful not to nip your toe flesh.

Step #5 — Scrub Your Feet
Apply an exfoliating body or foot scrub to a foot file or wet pumice stone to slough away the dead skin on the balls & heels of your feet. You’ll want to scrub the balls, bottoms & sides of your heels & around the toes. To get the most leverage, sit on the side of a bathtub, facing inward. Remember the pedicure motto we read about once, “smooth, don’t remove.” You’ll want to stop if your foot turns bright red (this means you’ve scrubbed too hard). Remember, that tough skin is there for a reason.

Any basic foot file or pumice stone from your drugstore will do the trick, but if you want the Cadillac of foot files, try Perfect Beauty certamic foot file, $20, 800-694-4866).

Step #6 — Moisturize
Dry feet thoroughly including between the toes & rub in a thick foot cream like Barielle Total Foot Care Cream, $19.50 . Rub the feet & the calves. Rehydrate cuticles by rubbing in a dab of cuticle oil.

Step #7 — Polish Your Toes
Use acetone remover to get rid of any excess oils on the nails (including the cuticle oil you just applied). Apply a thin base coat using 3 strokes, one down the middle, then one on each side. Don’t paint the cuticle. Wait a minute before adding two coats of your favorite polish, then finish with a thin top coat (try quick-drying Seche Vite, $10. Clean up any errors with an orangewood stick wrapped in cotton & dipped in acetone remover.

Let nails dry for at least 40 minutes.

Tip: It’s good to paint any polish remaining on the brush over the front nail edge. This prevents chipping.

Step #8 — Finish
After nails have dried, spritz with a moisturizing oil like SolarSpeed spray. This sets your polish & moisturizes your cuticles. Then voila! You’re done!

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

The condition of our nails speaks volumes about us. While you or I may pay scant attention to our nails, others will. Think of the nasty nails you’ve seen on display in open-toed shoes and you know what I mean. Showing off out-of-style nail trends also says a lot about us — mostly that we don’t subscribe to fashion magazines. When was the last time you saw a model with a French manicure or nail art?

Nail Art
I sincerely hope no one orders a hit on me for saying this, but nail art is tacky. A painted flower on one big toe is cute because it’s dainty and unexpected, but ten fingers decorated in swiggles, lightening bolts or glued-on cubic zirconias are wrong.

That said, if you love nail art (in some parts of the country, such style is incredibly sought after). There are loads of ideas for nails.

French Manicures
People think French manicures are a classic style but I agree with the editors of a major beauty magazine (the name of which I can no longer remember) who stated quite firmly that French manis are declasse.

Even tackier than French manicures? French pedicures. Find out what happened when I said that on a blog in May, 2006. More than 50 people wrote in the comments section either agreeing or vehemently disagreeing with me.

Fingernails of Varying Lengths
This is a major fingernail faux pas of which I am constantly guilty. It is a big no-no to leave one’s house with unkept nails of varying lengths (I will never forget the day my friend Deirdre took one glance at my hands and said, “That’s just wrong.”).

At any given time, one of my nails will be legions longer than the other nails, no two of which are the same length. This is because I have nails of varying strengths. If I let them grow, only the nails on my pinkie and ring fingers would make it to Guinness Book of World Record length. My thumbs? Not a chance. They are always the first to break.

Long nails in general are not popular right now. Even if you have fingernails that are strong as horse hooves, you should aim for a short, rounded nail.

Unkept Nails
Chipped nail polish isn’t cool. If you are like me and are too lazy for proper upkeep, skip the color and try a clear polish.

Also falling under “unkept”: Chewed nails. To stop biting your nails, invest in a manicure. You’ll think twice before gnawing on your $20 investment. Plus, nail polish doesn’t taste good.

So what type of nails are in? Short, rounded nails. Squares were popular for awhile and are ok, but rounded is really the way to go. Paint nails a bright, dark, opaque (my fave) or clear. Bare nails are also OK if you are too busy for manicures or inately lazy like me.

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

Ever spend an hour doing your nails only to smudge a nail within minutes of finishing up the last coat? Here’s six tips to avoid those smudges on your next manicure…

Tip #1: Make sure nails are super clean Natural oils on your nails aid in chipping. Even if your nails are polish-free, apply polish remover to get rid of oils on the surface of nails.

Tip #2: Prep nails with a base coat Polish will adhere best to nails prepped with a base coat like Opi Nail Treatment Start to Finish. Here’s a list of great base polishes at every price:

Tip #3: Don’t lay on the polish too thick Three to four thin coats of polish rather than 2 thick coats will last longer, cut down on drying time and cause fewer changes of bubbles brewing on your nails.

Tip #4: Don’t forget the tip When polishing, polish the tip of the nail as well. This helps cut down on nail polish chipping.

Tip #5: Consider a shimmery color. The little particles of sparkle will help polish cling to your nails.

Tip #6: Apply a clear topcoat Topcoat helps extend the life of your manicure. You can use the base coat as a topcoat. Do brush topcoat on and around the edges of nails as well, it’s an extra seal against chipping.

Tip #7: Allow proper drying time Make sure you give your nails a good 45 minutes drying time before handling objects. Once dry time is over, submerge nails in cold water then apply lotion. This allows for a slippery surface until nails are completely dry. For pedicures, wrap toes in plastic wrap if you’re wearing shoes other than flip-flops or sandals.

Tip #8: Keep topcoat handy To prolong the life of your manicure, apply a topcoat every other day.

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

Cuticles Your nail’s cuticles (the skin that surrounds the hard part of your nail) keeps your nails healthy and protects them from fungal infections. Cuticles are quite sensitive to injury. Do not cut them or pick at them; this may damage them permanently. Instead, after a shower, bath, or after soaking your nails, use a soft wooden stick to gently push back the cuticle. Overgrooming cuticles may cause them to thicken so be sure to use gentle care when grooming.

Nails ? Cleaning - If nails are dirty, use a bristled nail brush to remove debris from around cuticles or from under fingernails. Remove all polish with nail polish remover; do not pick at polish as that can damage the surface of nails. ? Shaping - Nails should be gently filed with a fine emery board, never with a metal file that can cause damage. File in gentle, long strokes from corner to center; do not “saw away” at nails. Keep the emery board poised at a 45 degree angle in relation to the fingertip to prevent damaging the nail layers. Do not file deep into corners of the nail; this weakens the nail. In general, shorter nails are easier to maintain. ? Protecting - Do not use your nails to scrape or lift anything, or to pull anything open. Wear gloves when washing dishes and use nail and hand lotion daily to keep hands and nails moisturized. ? Polishing - You may wish to use only a ridge-filling colorless coat on your nails to give them extra shine and strength. If you polish your nails, use a ridge-filling base coat followed by color and then a protective top coat for the best results. Give your nails at least an hour to dry before using your hands.

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

Nail Growth Tip
The speed of nail growth is increased if you enjoy a healthy diet. It’s a proven fact. Illness however, can slow it down.

I’m including some foods that can easily be worked into your diet.

* An egg salad sandwich that has lots of spinach in place of lettuce and just a little salad dressing.
* A veggie salad complete with dressing that contains lots of chopped garlic.
* A wholesome cereal (not the sugary stuff, sorry) along with two slices of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter. Did you know that there are peanut butters on the market with no added sugar or salt!
* An omelette with cheese and tomatoes.
* Grilled chicken on a whole wheat bun.

Nail Growth and Vitamins

If you want faster growing nails, be sure that your diet is rich in Vitamins A, B-Complex, C, D, E and iron, calcium, zinc, sulfur, and the essential fatty acids.

* For Vitamin A, look for fruits that are yellow and orange or veggies that are dark green.
* For Vitamin C, chop up some green and red peppers and offer them to your family as a snack.
* For Vitamin D, look to your dairy products.
* For Vitamin E, a supplement is your best option.
* For zinc, options include kidney beans, rice, chicken or cheese

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page

Brittle nails are simply nails that have dried out to such a degree that they are splitting or simply snapping off.This is a common problem for a lot of women, but if you know what is causing it, you are that much closer to fighting back.

Known Causes

* -contact with harsh household products

* -low grade polish removers

* -metal nail files

* -chlorine from swimming pools

* -shortage of calcium or essential fatty acids

* -products containing formaldehyde

Tips that Can Help

* -Use polish removers no more than once a week. The low grade polishes I mentioned above can be extremely drying and have the strength of paint strippers in some cases.

* They can also remove the microorganisms that are necessary to healthy nails. Look for removers that are oil based.

* -Massage the nails with castor oil. After a month or two, you should notice a difference. Olive oil is another inexpensive way to moisturize dehydrated nails.

* -Give your nails a break from daily use of polishes. Let them breathe as much as possible. Rubbing the surface of the nail with your fingertips can not only stimulate circulation but leave each nail with a healthy glow.

Foods That Can Help

1. Salmon

2. Tuna

3. Shrimp

4. Trout

5. Cauliflower

6. Liver

7. Milk

For any enquiry or if you would like to get your nails groomed, give us a call or visit our salon! Our details can be found on this web page - Manhattan Nails Contact Page