Are you taking good care of your nails? Are your nails polished? Pampering them is just as important as keeping your hair healthy. Nail care is a form of self-care, and who doesn’t need a few minutes of self-care? You should practice good nail hygiene and incorporate regular grooming and cleaning to keep your fingernails looking their best.

Also, mastering at-home manicure is a skill that will serve you well. You can give yourself a perfect at-home manicure, instead of spending money to have your nails done. Nail art, cleaning cuticles and even French manicures can all be done outside a salon. It may not be as easy as the pros make it look, but being your own manicurist can save you a lot of money. All you need is to get polish in your favourite colour and use your nails as a canvas for painting designs.

Everyday nail polish, also known as nail varnish, is gaining more and more popularity. What might have started out of necessity has become a hobby for many girls who enjoy doing their own nails? It comes in different types, colours, shades, tones, and textures. While natural colours give your nails a classy and clean look, brilliant hues will give them more personality. But choosing the right one goes far beyond the shade because it ensures at-home manicures come out looking pretty darn professional.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Nail Polish

Choosing the perfect nail lacquer to paint your nails is not as easy as it may seem. In the shiny world of nail lacquers, there is a wide range of colours, textures, and formulas. From the palest of pinks to the richest burgundies, from matte to sugar crystal-like finishes, from gel to crackle nail polish. They all may seem similar, but they greatly differ from one another. One of the first things often considered is the shade, but there are also other key considerations such as the ingredients used, durability and odour, among others.

Colour

Choosing a nail polish colour may appear easy but it’s not given the range of colours available. The first thing you would notice in a manicure is that the appearance of colours among brands varies significantly. Pink isn’t just pink and red isn’t just read. There are plenty of shades of each colour. And not all of them will look good on a certain type of skin. For example, shades of red with orange or brownish undertone are perfect for those who have a warm skin tone. If you have a cooler skin tone, shades of red that have a blue hue will look good on you.

Shades of pink with yellowish touch as well as peaches and corals will look good on warm skin tones. Whereas blue-tinged pink is perfect for those with cooler skin hues. To create a more sophisticated look, choose a neutral or nude lacquer nail that is near to your skin’s colour. If you want a more dramatic look, opt for a colour that contrasts your skin type. You can experiment with different colours that you like to see which one suits you best.

Ingredients

The ingredients are also one of the very first things to consider when choosing nail polish. Many manufacturers tend to use the same components, and while there is a great similarity between them, there are still several key differences. Certain ingredients are found to be toxic and can be actually dangerous to use as they can harm not only your nails but also other parts of the body. These days, it’s common for brands to make products with fewer toxic ingredients. When choosing a nail polish, read the ingredient list and always avoid nail polishes that contain the “Toxic Trio” or “Big 3” main culprits: formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).

Durability

Durability is another very common consideration. Though there are plenty of nail polish brands, not all of them are durable. You will want the best long-lasting product that won’t chip and will get you at least seven days of wear. The average one will last for two days, but there are long-wearing lacquer nail formulas that go up to two weeks without chipping. Of course, this depends on the ingredients, as well as your daily activities. Certain toxic ingredients contribute to durability, but they are harmful. Lately, more and more brands are finding a balance between safety and durability and making nail polishes that are both safe and last at least a week before they start to crack and flake.

Odour

Most polishes have that typical fruity and pleasant nail polish smell. However, some have a stronger odour, so strong that can cause you and those around you to choke. This usually indicates that nail polish contains toxic components. Opt for a product that is odourless or at least has a neutral or sweet smell.