NAILING IT

It's no secret my nails are absolutely pants. It doesn't help that I work in childcare so nail polish and long nails are a no no. However, that doesn't quite apply to me at the minute as I'm on maternity leave (yay) and really keen to get my nails looking to the best of their ability so I can really take advantage of the nail trends in 2017. Just last week I was speaking to my lovely friend Faye who is training in nails at the moment, what exactly it is I need to do to get my nails in ship shape condition and she has given me some invaluable advice.

I love nails, I really do, I love all things beauty, and once upon a time I had nice nails that years of biting have happily ruined but as I said I'm so keen to get them looking good again. My three step routine for the next three months after every single bath or shower is;

• Trim and push back cuticles.
• Apply cuticle oil.
• File

Faye also mentioned to me that a good arm massage can help stimulate growth too, as that's what they do during manicures. I'm trying my best to convince her to create a Youtube video with these tips as I really do think they're pretty invaluable. When it comes to polishs I'm not too adventurous. I have a collection to rival a salon but I like what I like, I'm usually a red or nude kind of girl and haven't often been one for the crazy brights or neons. I love them on others but for myself I steer clear, particularly with my nails in their current state as I'm not to interested in drawing lots of attention to them. It seems I am in luck though as Essie have predicted that natural nails are going to be all the rage this year, so it means my all time favourites such as Babys breath, Lady Like & Marshmellow will be working their way back into my life again this summer. I just personally think with a tan (which I seriously hope to have after our holiday in May) these shades look incredible, particularly as they are lighter, they make your natural nails look longer. Win, win.

I recently found out that Essie have brought out a gel range - squeal. A massive incentive for me to stop gnawing on my hands when I'm nervous so I can really delve into some of their beautiful shades. You can grab a wide range of the Essie gel couture wholesale online, which I am already adding certain polishes to my favourites folder ready to snap up. I recently saw someone say they judge people by their nails, which is a fair point, I tend to take particular notice to someones shoes when we first meet. But it got me thinking - what do your nails say about you? Well, Essie have already worked that one out and apparently if you're donning a red nail you're confident, black indicates you are powerful, purple is spiritual, pink romantic, yellow happy and orange sociable. Make of that what you will but it does ring true to me as one of the most happy go lucky girls I know almost always has orange or yellow nails. Yes that might be her favourite colour!

SO I've set myself a nail goal, by September I'd really like to have long nails. I'm not talking Guinness world book of records here but nails that are able to be gelled or shellac, yes. I'm not expecting my nails to be incredibly strong or durable after years of biting, I know that will take some time to work up, but in the mean time length is something I am striving for. It means that this Autumn / Winter I'll truly be able to dive into the deeper hues that come into trend such as purples and blacks, without wanting to hide my hands under the table. I'm pretty traditional and I do tend to follow the seasonal trends as they flow, in summer I'm more Au-natural were as in winter I like to be deep and dark. Do you follow nail trends, or you more of a spur of the moment kind of girl?

*This is a collaborative post