This is going to be a long post but I am sure that you will read something new, and maybe even scary.
Most girls that I know have problems with their nails. Their nails are extremely soft, even so soft that they can bend them over, they break and peel very easily. I, myself, used to have this problem back when I was small and used to bite my nails.
PEELING, BRITTLE & SPLITTING NAILS
What causes the problems? To sum it up - the nail plate is made up of several layers of a protein called keratin. Those layers, ideally, are sealed together to form a unified nail. Some nails can't hold on to moisture. Repeatedly wetting and drying your hands can cause nails to dry out but too much moisture can also weaken the nails, making them soft and causing them to split.
Why it happens? Peeling can happen if your hands are in water a lot, or exposed to cold, dry air, and it can also mean that you're lacking linoleic acid which can be increased by taking in more vegetable oils. You could also be lacking iron in your diet, and that can also cause cold hands and feet, pale skin and headaches.
It is very important to care for your nails by filing, moisturizing but it's even more important to care for them within by drinking lots of water and eating healthy.
Nails, skin and hair are all connected to vitamin B and your organism might be lacking it which may be the cause of bad skin, hair and nails. But, before you buy vitamin B in pills as a supplement, try eating more foods that contain a high level of vitamin B. You can find a whole list of those here:
http://www.bdiet.com/goodfoods.html
Getting enough calcium, zinc, protein and vitamins A and C is important as well.
Always, and I cannot stress this enough, try to go for a natural remedy for any health problem that you have, because most people don't know that most artificial remedies you buy in the store are practically poisons. Right now I'm in the process of constantly analyzing product ingredients before I buy them and replacing all the bad ones that I own.
NAIL STRENGTHENERS CAN KILL YOU!
Yes, I am serious and I know that this will come as a shock to many of you.
Most nail hardeners contain an ingredient called FORMALDEHYDE. This ingredient is also the main ingredient in products that are used for a brazilian blowout, a procedure becoming more and more popular around the world. The products' labels say that they "contain no formaldehyde," as opposed to being "formaldehyde-free". But the products do contain methylene glycol -- a liquid form of the chemical that emits formaldehyde gas when heated.
The short-term health effects of formaldehyde exposure, as http://www.cancer.gov reports, are:
"When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some individuals may experience adverse effects such as watery eyes; burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; wheezing; nausea; and skin irritation. Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde, whereas others have no reaction to the same level of exposure."
But the long-term health effects are much more worse. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, which means that it can cause cancer and it is actually linked to breast cancer. So, if you're using a nail strengthener, find its ingredients. Try to stay away from formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate because they mess with your hormones, your respiratory and neuro system. You can start your own research on these three ingredients and read terrifying stories from women who have had very bad experiences from exposure to these ingredients.
Home remedies:
I have not tried these but I have found them on various internet sites where people claim that they work.
-Soak nails in lemon juice for 15 minutes everyday.
-Use a clove of garlic occasionally. Rub it in your fingernails and if you find that it smells bad, the smell of nail polish will neutralize that.
-Use a little bit of olive or jojoba oil after you do the dishes, clean, etc. - it really strengthens the nails and provides moisture for dry cuticles.
Other ways of caring for your nails:
- don't bite them.
- don't cut your nails, file them instead.
- invest money in a good glass file, you will see how much better it is than a metal or a cardboard one.
- try to file your nails in one direction.
- use hand creams or natural oil on your hands and cuticles to keep them soft and moisturized.
Please, do take this seriously, we daily ingest many dangerous chemicals in the tiniest amounts, but their long-term intake can have serious and lethal consequences.
November 23, 2011
November 21, 2011
GIVEAWAY WINNER + STATEMENT RINGS
I would like to thank EVERYONE who participated in my giveaway, and if you haven't won this time, maybe next time you will - never stop trying!
The lucky winner is Irena B - a fellow blogger from Me, myself and Irene. Congratulations!
I will definitely be doing another giveaway during the winter holidays so there is something for you to look forward to! :)
Now: rings. As you may have noticed, I often wear all kinds of big, chunky rings in my photos. I love rings and I've managed to create quite a large collection. Should I do a post about how I store them?
The best place to get them is definitely Ebay. I got this YSL knock off for $3. The original costs $250 and that is not the money that I could ever pay for a ring. Do you know another great place to get rings except for Ebay? Tell me about it. :)
The lucky winner is Irena B - a fellow blogger from Me, myself and Irene. Congratulations!
I will definitely be doing another giveaway during the winter holidays so there is something for you to look forward to! :)
Now: rings. As you may have noticed, I often wear all kinds of big, chunky rings in my photos. I love rings and I've managed to create quite a large collection. Should I do a post about how I store them?
The best place to get them is definitely Ebay. I got this YSL knock off for $3. The original costs $250 and that is not the money that I could ever pay for a ring. Do you know another great place to get rings except for Ebay? Tell me about it. :)
November 20, 2011
BABY PINK NAILS!
There is ONLY one more day left to enter my giveaway, so if you haven't, do so here.
I took these photos a few days ago, back when I still had long hair. Yes, I cut my hair. For as long as I know, I've wanted long hair, but now that I pretty much had it, I got bored with it. It is sort of tiring to have and care for long hair when your natural hair is curly, mostly because of all the time spent blow drying it straight, straightening, repairing the damage caused by those processes. And I sort of needed to end the obsessive bond that I had with my hair. So I cut my hair into a bob. You might see that in one of my next posts when I'm going to be reviewing a lipstick.
What I was wearing was Essence's Wanna Kiss?, an adorable baby pink color.
I took these photos a few days ago, back when I still had long hair. Yes, I cut my hair. For as long as I know, I've wanted long hair, but now that I pretty much had it, I got bored with it. It is sort of tiring to have and care for long hair when your natural hair is curly, mostly because of all the time spent blow drying it straight, straightening, repairing the damage caused by those processes. And I sort of needed to end the obsessive bond that I had with my hair. So I cut my hair into a bob. You might see that in one of my next posts when I'm going to be reviewing a lipstick.
What I was wearing was Essence's Wanna Kiss?, an adorable baby pink color.
November 14, 2011
GIVEAWAY! [CLOSED]
And the day has come. I started this blog roughly 2 months ago hoping to share my opinion and views on makeup with anyone who was willing to read them. I have since gathered around 100 people who follow my blog and I feel really honored. :)
So to thank my subscribers and my new readers, I'm doing this giveaway. It's a small giveaway but it's the thought that counts, right?
Why am I giving away THESE things?
Well, I believe that every girl needs a nude nail polish in her collection. Sometimes, when you just don't feel like wearing bright colors on your nails, nude nail polish is the way to go. It makes hands look very ladylike and glamorous. I have featured this nail polish in this post.
A second color you need is a true red - whether dark or bright. Red nails have been around forever and a red nail polish is a MUST HAVE. I have featured a dark red in this post.
To add a fun color to it, I am also giving away a nice deep berry color which, I believe, is great for the fall and winter. I have featured this lovely color in this post.
The nail polishes are by the brand s-he stylezone.
Cleaning up nails is important. I know a lot of people don't do it but nails really look so much cleaner and more professionally done when using a brush to clean up the color close to your cuticles. You can read about that here.
But, if you don't want to, you can use this brush for gel eyeliner, for which it originally is meant for or as a lip brush - your choice. The brush is by the brand Essence.
The last thing I am giving away is Balea's splashy watermelon lip balm that I have reviewed a while ago.
All products are from brands that have declared themselves as CRUELTY FREE so I am giving this giveaway a stamp for that, because I know that that fact is very important to some of my readers.
RULES:
I. The contest is international.
II. The contest is open from November 14, 2011 - November 21, 2011.
III. Since I am doing this giveaway for my followers, click the little button follow prior to entering the giveaway. You can find it right under the word "color" of my logo.
IV. To enter:
Leave me your e-mail address and name so that I know how to contact you in the comments below. You can add whatever soothes your soul. :)
V. You can enter only once via comment, but if you would like to be counted TWICE, mention the giveaway on your blog if you have one and just leave the post link below. :)
VI. I will choose a random winner on November 22nd and send out an e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or I will have to choose a 2nd winner.
So to thank my subscribers and my new readers, I'm doing this giveaway. It's a small giveaway but it's the thought that counts, right?
Why am I giving away THESE things?
Well, I believe that every girl needs a nude nail polish in her collection. Sometimes, when you just don't feel like wearing bright colors on your nails, nude nail polish is the way to go. It makes hands look very ladylike and glamorous. I have featured this nail polish in this post.
A second color you need is a true red - whether dark or bright. Red nails have been around forever and a red nail polish is a MUST HAVE. I have featured a dark red in this post.
To add a fun color to it, I am also giving away a nice deep berry color which, I believe, is great for the fall and winter. I have featured this lovely color in this post.
The nail polishes are by the brand s-he stylezone.
Cleaning up nails is important. I know a lot of people don't do it but nails really look so much cleaner and more professionally done when using a brush to clean up the color close to your cuticles. You can read about that here.
But, if you don't want to, you can use this brush for gel eyeliner, for which it originally is meant for or as a lip brush - your choice. The brush is by the brand Essence.
The last thing I am giving away is Balea's splashy watermelon lip balm that I have reviewed a while ago.
All products are from brands that have declared themselves as CRUELTY FREE so I am giving this giveaway a stamp for that, because I know that that fact is very important to some of my readers.
RULES:
I. The contest is international.
II. The contest is open from November 14, 2011 - November 21, 2011.
III. Since I am doing this giveaway for my followers, click the little button follow prior to entering the giveaway. You can find it right under the word "color" of my logo.
IV. To enter:
Leave me your e-mail address and name so that I know how to contact you in the comments below. You can add whatever soothes your soul. :)
V. You can enter only once via comment, but if you would like to be counted TWICE, mention the giveaway on your blog if you have one and just leave the post link below. :)
VI. I will choose a random winner on November 22nd and send out an e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or I will have to choose a 2nd winner.
Good luck! :)
November 12, 2011
BRIGHT RED NAILS!
A few posts back I said that I prefer wearing dark red colors over bright, bold red ones. But today I was in the mood for bright red nails since I haven't painted them like that in months. I am wearing Essence's Multi Dimension XXXL Shine Nail Polish in the color 29 GLAM GIRL.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. Maybe just sit back and relax, read a book, eventually study or draw. I don't think I'll be going out tonight. What are you doing this weekend? Are you going out since it's Saturday? :)
I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. Maybe just sit back and relax, read a book, eventually study or draw. I don't think I'll be going out tonight. What are you doing this weekend? Are you going out since it's Saturday? :)
November 11, 2011
THE FIVE DAY NAIL POLISH EXPERIMENT - DEBORAH
No good nail polish goes unpunished.
I decided to "punish" Deborah's SenseTECH in 04 by wearing it for 5 consecutive days. I fell in love with this nail polish as soon as it dried on my nails, which was very fast. Here's the conclusion.
I like this nail polish a lot. It hasn't chipped anywhere except for two tiny spots, one on each thumb finger, which happened around the 3rd day, and the big gap on my pointer finger is there because a small layer piece of my nail peeled off. So there is no major chipping like with Essence's nail polish, just mere tip wear. Whenever I notice that my nails are getting weak, or I notice peeling, breaking and problems like those, I do a strengtening treatment. I'm going to write about that very soon.
I'll post everything concerning the giveaway I'm planning Sunday so stay tuned for that and enter!
I decided to "punish" Deborah's SenseTECH in 04 by wearing it for 5 consecutive days. I fell in love with this nail polish as soon as it dried on my nails, which was very fast. Here's the conclusion.
I like this nail polish a lot. It hasn't chipped anywhere except for two tiny spots, one on each thumb finger, which happened around the 3rd day, and the big gap on my pointer finger is there because a small layer piece of my nail peeled off. So there is no major chipping like with Essence's nail polish, just mere tip wear. Whenever I notice that my nails are getting weak, or I notice peeling, breaking and problems like those, I do a strengtening treatment. I'm going to write about that very soon.
I'll post everything concerning the giveaway I'm planning Sunday so stay tuned for that and enter!
November 5, 2011
MINTY NAILS!
Today it struck me how close winter is. For the past few years the first snow fell around the 20th of November, and yes, I actually write these things down. :)
But, while it's still fall, I picked up a branch with small yellow leaves outside.
I'm wearing Deborah's Sense TECH 100% MATT nail polish in the color 04.
I wouldn't say this nail polish is 100% matt - rather satin, because it's not entirely matte, there is still a slight shine but nothing strong enough to classify is as glossy.
On the back of the bottle it says to "apply on bare nails to make your fashion statement. Do not use base coat, top coat, drying drops or hand lotion", so that's what I did, two coats and now I'm enjoying my minty nails, especially the satin finish. I have never previously applied anything other than creme nail polishes. I am not a huge fan of glitter, shimmer, pearl, frost finishes on my nails, I definitely don't find them ugly but I feel like they don't coincide with my minimalist nature.
One more announcement: I will be doing a giveaway in a few days to honor my loyal followers. I first have to go out and buy the products I'm going to be giving away so watch out for that post! :)
I cannot find anything about Deborah Milano testing on animals so I cannot give it a cruelty free stamp.
But, while it's still fall, I picked up a branch with small yellow leaves outside.
I'm wearing Deborah's Sense TECH 100% MATT nail polish in the color 04.
I wouldn't say this nail polish is 100% matt - rather satin, because it's not entirely matte, there is still a slight shine but nothing strong enough to classify is as glossy.
On the back of the bottle it says to "apply on bare nails to make your fashion statement. Do not use base coat, top coat, drying drops or hand lotion", so that's what I did, two coats and now I'm enjoying my minty nails, especially the satin finish. I have never previously applied anything other than creme nail polishes. I am not a huge fan of glitter, shimmer, pearl, frost finishes on my nails, I definitely don't find them ugly but I feel like they don't coincide with my minimalist nature.
One more announcement: I will be doing a giveaway in a few days to honor my loyal followers. I first have to go out and buy the products I'm going to be giving away so watch out for that post! :)
I cannot find anything about Deborah Milano testing on animals so I cannot give it a cruelty free stamp.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)