Winter is my favorite time to do fun nail art. Christmas and New Year’s scream glitter to me. I wanted to chat a bit about cuticle care for dry seasons as well as how I apply and remove glitter on my nails. These are two things that I find myself doing a lot during the winter.
Cuticle Care
Cuticle care is an important part of nail care not just in the winter, but as temperatures drop most people’s skin start to become a bit drier. I noticed my skin becoming drier when I moved to Guam not because of the weather but because of the constant AC running as well as the hard water. With this new issue I started adding additional things to my nail care routine to help the problem.
Oils
Cuticle oil has been such a huge help. I’ve tried jojoba oil and olive oil with great success. I like to add a little essential oil for a pleasant spa like experience. Geranium oil is my favorite essential oil to add.
I mix either the jojoba oil or olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) with 1-2 drops of essential oil into a small container with a lid. I massage the oil on my cuticles nightly or whenever they feel a bit dry.
I make sure to push back my cuticles prior to painting my nails for a cleaner look. This also helps to extend the life of your polish.
Glitter
As I mentioned above glitter is my go to for nail designs in the winter as there are so many holidays that just go great with glitter. Glitter can be a pain to apply as well as to take off.
I apply glitter using two different methods.
- Glitter polish-With glitter polish I apply my base coat then depending on the design I apply one coat of a solid color. Then I paint the glitter polish onto a lint free sponge. Next, lightly dab the sponge onto the nails until the amount of glitter coverage I want is reached. Making sure to apply more glitter polish to the sponge and repeat when necessary for a solid glitter effect.
- Loose glitter-When working with loose glitter I first apply my base coat then a layer of solid polish. While the polish is wet I pour the glitter directly on top. Depending on the effect I’ll add a coat of clear polish and add more loose glitter or leave as is.
A top coat is not needed with either of these methods but adding a top coat gives a different effect and locks in the glitter more.
Glitter Removal
I remove glitter by soaking a cotton ball into acetone and placing the cotton ball on the nail for a few seconds then rub it off. The other method I use is add a fresh layer of polish to the nail prior to using a soaked acetone cotton ball. This method helps to remove more difficult stuck on glitter.
Using a peel off base coat also helps remove glitter much easier.
What is your favorite nail design or nail care tip for cool or dry weather?
Interested in how I grow my nails and keep them long and strong? Check out my post here.
Thanks for hanging out today!
XO Terreana