Nail bites - Spring get togethers

We can now get together with friends and family ... in a way. Not in the same way as we have been used to doing before the lockdown, but a more restrained and sedate way. We are getting closer to the day we can finally start to see clients!
I have been looking through my files of photos showing different designs and colours. I am so excited for the day when I can finally get to see my clients and give them a gorgeous manicure. Like having your hair cut and styled, a pretty manicure lifts the spirits. I like to compliment - and clash with! - my clothes. 

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Sooooon!

Yes, soon we will be back to a new normal!

People are going to work where they can, although working from home is going to be the preferred way to work where possible. 

People look different too - wearing clinical masks, clinical gloves. Hand sanitiser is readily available for customers going into shops. Hand washing of course is encouraged as often as possible. When we pay for our goods it is mostly by contactless card payment to an assistant behind a Perspex shield. All at a 2 metre distance.      

As a mobile nail technician, my role is to go into a client’s home to give them a manicure, spending up to two hours with that person. So, certain precautions need to be taken:    

• Nitrile gloves
• Face mask
• Face visor/shield
• Shoe covers 
• Exceptional hygiene both for myself and my client.   

Things will be different. But we will make it work, with a smile!

I am looking forward to seeing my clients once again, and creating a manicure they are proud to wear on their nails.

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Nail bites - when lockdown is over ...

I’m looking forward to the day when I can see all my lovely clients again!
I’m excited to hear all about your experiences of the lockdown, what you have been doing to fill your time. Lots of people have been buying spa goodies from my Love Your| collection, so I hope that you enjoy that bit of luxury at home. We will have missed out all of Spring, we will be into Summer by July ... what colours will you want on your nails?

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Nail bites - colourful Summer colours

I decided to try some different colours together, in a different design.
It is inspired by a kind of Pringle pattern, although I haven’t tried to rigidly copy it. I have used pink & yellow, blue & pink, green & yellow, blue & yellow, pink & orange ... I think each of the colourways could be worn quite easily as an accent nail against the base colour - I like them all! 

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I never tire of it!

Nature is such a wonderful gift to us! 

Most of the time most of it is overlooked, but in the recent strange times of a lockdown, something we could never have imagined just six months ago, each day presents a new and wonderful gift to us.
Today’s walk was equally impressive - the wonder of fresh blooms, the bright and vividly coloured treasures just awaiting the bee’s gentle intrusion. And we are the fortunate guests able to take a peek at these treasures!
Taking photos just doesn’t do these jewels any justice, but I still take the photos! Just to keep a tiny bit of Nature’s work.

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Nail bites - my hands are so dry!

It’s a fact of today’s life - we wash our hands so much more than we used to. We use hand sanitiser - which for all the moisturiser it might contain, it still certainly dries my hands out. I have noticed the skin around my nails is suffering too. 

I do all the right things:
I wear marigold gloves to wash up and clean, I use hand cream, I use cuticle oil. If I don’t keep up this routine of replenishing moisture I notice the effects almost straight away. It’s a very fine balance!

I decided to give my poor hands a special treat - a Collagen Glove! I have used these on clients without really knowing what they felt like. Now I do! And they are so simple to use!

Pop a glove on each hand. 
And ... relax! Around 20-30 minutes. Or longer if you are perhaps watching something on TV, or listening to a podcast. I massaged each hand a little, to ensure the lovely oils were evenly distributed. 
If you haven’t used these before, you might notice that the fingertips of the gloves can be removed. This allows you to file your nails while at the same time as your hands soak up the luxurious oils.
Then gently remove the gloves, and massage the remainder of the oils into the hands.

My hands felt so soft, and hydrated, and ready for anything. I can certainly recommend this as an easy and affordable luxury treat for your hands. I am so glad I added them to my Love Your| selection of home spa products.

Easy peasy to use, and easy to purchase - either contact me direct, or via the website. I’m ready to send your very own spa treat to you!

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“We must just KBO”

When life gives us lemons ... we make lemonade. We are not programmed to give up. We adapt to whatever life throws at us. And sometimes life throws some pretty big rocks! 
The great Sir Winston Churchill had a phrase he used at the beginning of each day and at the end of every telephone call: 

Keep buggering on.

And that is what we do!

We are living through strange times, very strange. The like of which never been experienced before. Dare I say unprecedented! 
So we adapt, adjust, and change - not by choice but always with our stoic British good humour. 
Cheers to us all; we will one day view these times as history, a chronicle of a very strange period of time.
I came across the photo below and I think it describes perfectly - there is no obstacle to our success and well-being, nothing is impossible, we will carry on together in the face of all adversities - we will achieve the seemingly impossible.

KBO!

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Nail bites - Dreaming!

Sunny days, long warm evenings ... makes me feel quite idle and dreamy! And for me, the perfect accessory is a set of dreamy pastel nails! 
And so I created the designs here. 
I love the abstract feel of them, it’s like they could take you anywhere - no defined pattern. I simply chose a few colours, and painted ... just how it felt right. And with something like this, no two nails are the same! You could have one as an accent nail against a set of plain colours, or you could really mix it up with a set where each nail is unique.

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Nail bites - trying something different

I’ve been looking at my photos from the past year, seeing how I did then compared to what I have since learned. We are all learning, every day is an opportunity to learn something new or improve on an existing skill. We are inquisitive beings! 

I came upon this photo - a lovely purpley colour with a bit of sparkle. This client is a lovely lady, who likes her classic reds. But on this occasion she tried something a bit different. She said she liked it - I think it looked great on her. A slight change to red, but still a modern classic colour. I hope my client doesn’t mind me saying, that she has amazingly strong nails, that grow to a naturally lovely shape - she could wear pretty much any colour and she will always look stylish.

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Nail bites - memories!

I have been reflecting on the designs that I have created, with the inspiration of my wonderful clients.
One of the first to spring to mind is this one: designed by my lovely daughter who sat very patiently- she was one of my first ‘guinea pigs’ who allowed me to practice on her - thank you Charlotte!
It is a fairly simple design, but the colours, and design placement are all key in producing a wearable and attractive design. I think this is a fun and funky design, that adds a little fun into every day!

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Relaxing Sunday evening

Well today has been nicely warm. 
The kind weather allowed us to have a late breakfast outside.
I had a lazy day, did a bit of housework ... 
I had a long and luxurious afternoon bath, and treated my feet to a scrub and foot masque ... followed by some glorious moisturising lotion. 
It’s well worth investing a little time in your feet - I use handcream or lotion daily to give my feet a bit of a treat. And it pays off! With smoother, supple, hydrated feet. And the minimum of hard skin.

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Friday - Fairytale Manicure day!

Today I decided to apply a gel polish to my nails.
I couldn’t quite decide what to do ... so I mixed it up a bit! Each nail is unique, but I think they look good as a set.
I call it my Fairytale Dream 🧚‍♀️

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Nail bites - nail biter!

It’s a nasty habit, I know. I used to do it! 
I’d stop, then start ... I think I was just not very good at maintaining my nails so they never looked particularly nice. And I am very fussy about painting them - it has to be perfect! Any smudge and I would have to remove all the polish. 

How did I stop? It wasn’t easy. I tried the anti nail biting stuff you put on the nails - it tasted disgusting, but I was quite determined. I always ended up biting them, especially if one broke or split. 
They’re ok now. I maintain their length and shape. I prefer them with polish on! Even if its a base coat and a shiny top coat it helps the nails - there are plenty of good base coats now which actually nourish the nail.

A gel polish manicure gives the nails some strength. They are not so easy to nibble at, and you can see the re-growth at the base of the nail - which is encouraging to be able to see them grow! I always use a primer before the base coat, to help protect and nourish the nail. And of course twice daily treatments of cuticle oil! My nails grow quite quickly - after a week I have several millimetres of growth showing.

I can’t wait to get back to my lovely clients!

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Nail bites - Face first!

Well today I was going to spruce up my nails, but after a day of housework, I baked a loaf, prepped a fruit salad (using some fruit that really needed using!) .. I broke a nail. Tut! So I’ve given the nails another day, in the meantime treating them with a good dose of cuticle oil. Grow nails, grow!
Hmm what to instead? I went for a long luxurious bath, very decadent I know. And treated my face to a luscious face masque ... aah it was blissful! And when I removed the masque my face felt fresh and revived, and I think the skin looks brighter too! 
I used the BeautyPro Rejuvenating Collagen mask with Green Tea extract - from my Love Your| selection of beauty and spa treats, available for you to buy on my website. 

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Nail bites - more decisions!

So tomorrow I’m planning to do my own nails. I have treated them to cuticle oil, I’ve filed them and made sure the shape is even .. it’s more difficult to get it right on your own nails! All I need to do now is choose the colour. Or colours. I’ve been looking through my collection, but cannot decide yet! I put together some designs that I enjoyed creating ...

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Nail bites - Nail maintenance

I removed my gel polish yesterday, and I am giving my nails a few days ‘rest’. 

This includes plenty of cuticle oil, twice a day minimum - I keep it near me, so that when I have a few moments I can apply it to my nails and surrounding skin. The cuticle oil not only nourishes the cuticle and nail, it also encourages the growth of the nail! I like CND Solar Oil - you can buy this from my Love Your| Collection of affordable salon-quality spa products.

I also gently filed my nails - file in one direction only (not using a sawing motion) to keep them neat. It’s very tempting to grow them longer than I normally wear them, but I won’t - it’s upsetting when I break one, I know it will happen, and then I have a decent set of nails but with one or two very short broken nails!

Tomorrow I might add some colour to my nails ...

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Nail bites - Nourish those hands!

I eagerly picked up the May edition of my monthly Scratch magazine, and flipped through the pages over a cup of coffee. I like to go cover to cover, just skimming the pages, and then feast on it properly over the next few weeks.
There is so much to go back to, so many great features, articles, tips, great designs from a wealth of talent in the industry. 

One of the things that stood out on my first flip-through was a short piece covering hand rescue: we are all washing our hands a lot more than we used to, and rightly so. Proper hand washing is key to protecting ourselves from the virus, and also other bacteria and viruses. 
It is vitally important of course to wash correctly following the 20 second guidelines, but drying the hands thoroughly is equally important: don’t rub them with the towel, pat the towel over the hand, make sure that little webbed bit between each finger is thoroughly dry, use a hair dryer if necessary.

A result of the hand washing can quite easily be dried out, thirsty, hands. Conversely the water can literally drain and dry out the hand’s natural moisture. Hand cream helps this, and it is important to use it twice a day; this will also moisturise the cuticles. 

But a hand masque gives those poor hands a real treat! 
In this month’s Scratch magazine was a recipe that we can all use to pamper our hands with a homemade 4-step luxurious treat:

• Mash together half a banana and half a ripe avocado - this is a great opportunity to use those foods that have ‘gone past’ their best
• Smother the paste over each hand
• Wrap each hand not too tightly in cling film
• Gently wrap each hand in a warm towel (carefully warm in the microwave).

Relax for half an hour or so with your favourite gentle sounds, or TV programme, then reveal beautifully relaxed and moisturised hands.

Scratch magazine

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Nail bites - time for my Feet Treat!

Pondering what to do today, it is after all Bank Holiday weekend. Hmmm .... I’ve walked, I’ve eaten until there are now no more yummy treats here .. so I’ll treat myself!
The weather is gorgeous, so out come the flip flops and sandals ... and the feet. Oh dear, so sadly neglected. I really need to do something with them.
So, I have been promising myself a nice pedicure for a while now - who knows how long, I’m on lockdown timezone! Today is the day!
I chose one of my favourites - Voesh’s Chocolate Love. Well, if I can’t eat it, I can wear it!
It was amazing, I sat on deck of the canal boat, looking across the still water .. ducks gently going about their business, birds singing. I think I saw a swift too! Garlands of white Hawthorn adorn the hedgerows, ready for the Bride to step through ... My feet gently soaking in a delicious salt soak, totally relaxed ... then a gentle scrub, focussing on the roughest areas of my poor feet, felt so relaxing. Then to the masque, coating each foot then relaxing, the delicious scents of chocolate mixing perfectly with the natural scents of nearby flowers. A thorough rinse off, and carefully dry each foot, and the final treat of lovely moisturiser. My feet feel revived!

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Friday May 8th, 2020, 75th Anniversary of VE Day

It’s a very special weekend in our Great British history. Today marks the 75th Anniversary of VE Day: Victory in Europe.
I imagine that celebrations, parades, parties, presentations, street parties and all sorts of things were in planning for many months.
But the virus has put a stop to all those plans. The Great British spirit will not to be thwarted by the virus! There are plenty of other things going on that we can all participate in - of course while observing social distancing rules.
An unusual type of street party will be taking place all over the country. There is a national picnic planned for 3pm. Family and friends will get together - virtually of course. And the two minute silence observed at 11am.
I am spending the weekend on the canal boat. It is so peaceful here - your wouldn’t think we were right next to the usually busy A38.
Listening to birds singing, the sun is shining on us all - it is quite soporific.
Not quite the celebration the nation had anticipated.

But we will keep buggering on! 

 

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Life in lockdown

Life has changed in a crazy way for most of us. 
There is so much going on ... and yet only one thing is responsible. 
The virus. 
It has brought out the best in people, made us stronger, more compassionate, more understanding, more appreciative of what we have in our lives. What we thought of as the important things in life have shifted. 
For those of us who are at home, either through work, or health reasons, the walls of our home are our bubble. This is where everything happens. Or doesn't happen! 
It's important to maintain a routine of sorts. A daily walk is such an important part of that routine! Time to reflect .. take stock .. and appreciate truly what is around us. The birds, flowers, beautiful skies and sunshine - they have always been there but now they have become more pertinent. 
So if you're sat inside wondering what to do next, or if you don't fancy cleaning the cupboards out - put your shoes on and have a gentle walk! While you are out there, be conscious of really taking note of what is around you. Breathe in the much cleaner air that we now enjoy, while traffic is so much reduced. Notice the verges and hedgerows that line the roads - how clean they are! The bright blue of the skies, so crisp and clear now there is so much less pollution to choke it. 
It's a time to shine, to appreciate, to illuminate our lives. Lets grab that opportunity, and make a real difference.

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Nail bites - the red spots

Spots spots spots! 
I have already tested the effects of colour placement and spots, but I want to share my ‘red collection’.

It’s a classic red gel polish, which always looks great anyway. 
But look at the addition of randomly sized and placed black spots on the classic red - wow! it brings out in the design a really fun and funky look! You could easily have a whole set in this design, or alternatively you could use this as your feature nail next to classic red or even a black.
If you reverse the colours - black gel nail with randomly sized and placed red spots - the effect is totally different. More subdued, and yet still fun and very wearable. I personally would place this as a feature nail against a set of classic red nails.
But the choice is yours!

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All about the learning

Businesses are constantly changing and evolving. Even the most staid of businesses will have made some changes over the years.
With these changes comes training so you are able to handle the developments as they happen. There is no room for complacency - if you take one positive from the training then it has been worthwhile. And it is always good to update your training on a regular basis.

It is the 5th May 2020. I don’t need to mention the massive changes in the world that we are all experiencing right now!
With all that is happening there have been and will be necessary changes in the way we do pretty much everything, including a trip to the salon, or your mobile therapist visiting you.
As a mobile nail technician, I undertake various training modules throughout the year. Some training is practical, and some is online.
As a member of the Guild of Nail Technicians (a branch of The Beauty Guild, requiring relevant qualifications to become a member of) there are plenty of courses to choose from. Today, I received an email from them telling me about a new online course.
So I embarked on the COVD-19 Infection Prevention and Control course. It was very interesting. Some information I already knew, there was a lot that I learned, and a lot more that provoked  much thought on how I will operate when the Government deems the time is right.
I will be writing my policy over the next few days, and add it to my website ready for opening day!

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Nail bites - Summer brights!

I am loving the Springtime, with the wonderful colours and fragrant flowers delighting our senses!
It’s a time for renewal, rebirth, dusting off in every sense of the words. 

So I took some time to reacquaint myself with some vibrant bright gel polishes.
And look what I found! The colour is a wonderful bright almost neon colour - it looks fabulous on summer toenails on the beach! 
It isn’t an obviously easy colour to wear on the fingernails, in fact it is probably out of most people’s comfort zone (including mine!).
So I decided to try out some very simple ways to wear this colour.

So you can see the colour on its own, it is bold and vibrant! 
But look, if you add some random black spots, they tone it down and you have a very wearable design - imagine your fingers with these statement nails around a delicious cocktail by the pool ... mmm I’m dreaming of holidays! Or maybe a floaty dress on a special night out ... or in the daytime, wow these will cheer you up on any day! This is a fun and flirty look that will happily accompany you wherever you choose to go.
But then, look at this pattern in reverse: neon spots against a black background. And you have yet another characteristic! Still a bold choice, but a little more muted. This would perfectly compliment either of the other colourways. 
Personally, my fave is the bold neon with random black spots ... I could wear that any day and pretend I’m on holiday!

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Nail bites - Nature!

Spring is bringing so many gorgeous goodies for us to enjoy! And Nature has a free rein while there is so much less traffic at the moment, so the roadsides and verges are glowing brightly with the jewels of our wild flowers. I am loving the colours and smells of these beautiful gifts!
And isn’t it wonderful to see the busy bees going about their business? Watching them move from one nectar-filled beauty to the next, filling their shopping baskets with pollen and nectar until they can barely fly back to their hive.
Watching them inspired me to try to recreate a piece of nature onto a nail. I used a mix of techniques  with my freehand artwork. The result? I was very happy with it! See if you can spot it!

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Nail bites - nail health

Our nails need to be cared for in the same way we care for the rest of our body. The nail itself is actually dead tissue, but it still benefits from a little help. Handcream is a must for our hands, especially with the hand washing and sanitizer we are using so much now, and will also help the nails to an extent. Take the time to gently massage it into your hands, and each finger. Pay particular attention to the palms, which can easily become dry, and also the tip of the fingers.

File your nails regularly, to get rid of rough edges. We would all like long talons! BUT - Don’t allow them to grow too long. A shorter healthy set of nails is much more attractive than a mix of long and short. Just enough white at the tip so that you have a clear free edge (the bit that hangs clear of the skin). And longer nails are more prone to breakage!

Cuticle oil needs to be used twice daily - apply to the cuticle, and gently massage it into the skin around the nail.

If you are applying nail polish yourself, be sure to use a base coat - this will protect the nail from staining. Some base coats contain vitamins and other goodies to nourish the nail. And a top coat will give the best protection against  chipping. You need to allow time for each coat to dry properly. 

You may notice some characteristics on the surface of the nail:

• The half moon - this is normal and varies from person o person.
• White spots - nothing to be concerned about, they will grow out. Caused by a trauma to the nail bed.
• Vertical  ridges on one or more nails - this is normal, and tend to increase as we get older. The nail can also become more brittle with age. Most nail techs Will buff the surface of the nail to give a perfectly smooth surface - I prefer not o do this, as it makes the nail thinner and weaker: I do not feel that this is a necessary step.
• Horizontal ridges - could be caused by a trauma to the nail. If it doesn’t improve seek medical advice.
• A ‘greeny’ - green or nasty coloured infection, this needs medical attention. Can be caused by poor hygiene, infection from acrylic nails not applied correctly. 
• A single dark vertical line in the nail - seek medical attention.

But remember that everyone has different nails, and what is normal for you might not be for someone else. If you are unsure, seek advice. All nail techs have received training in nail conditions, so please ask us. If we feel you need to seek further medical advice we will tell you.

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