melissafalco

May 1, 2020

Nails

These next couple of posts are going to enter into areas where I have far less talent and expertise, but I still feel it is worth sharing my experience with certain products.

Healing My Nails

I have struggled with my nails for many years. Since I was very young (probably in my preteens), my nails were very weak, would break easily and worst of all, they would peel. Instead of breaking straight across the white part, layers would peel parallel to my actual nail. I tried some of the typical Sally Hansen growth serums for nails but nothing worked...

Until I tried Nailtiques Formula 2 Nail Growth Formula! This stuff has made my nails more strong and beautiful than I ever thought possible. Scroll down a little for before and after pics (warning: my "before" nails were very ugly lol).

I will give 2 warnings:

1) You may have to wait months to see results. This product should be applied every day when you're first starting out and then when they get better, you might not have to apply as often. I gave up on my first try after a couple months because I wasn't applying it every day and didn't see the progress fast enough (total millennial move, I know).

2) If you stop using it, your nails may revert back to their old, weak ways. As I said earlier, you may not need to apply it every day for the rest of your life, but I keep it as part of my beauty routine. For example, I've been slacking lately with it and my nails are breaking pretty easily so I am trying to apply it every day again until they get better.

It comes in a nail polish bottle with a typical brush applicator and applies very easily. It is clear but like a polish, it will give your nails a little shine. I apply a thin, even coat to all my nails and then do the same the next day and the next and the next. Maybe once a week or so, I will peel off the layers and reapply. You can remove it easily with nail polish remover, but if I see it peeling off, I prefer to peel it because I feel like nail polish remover weakens my nails. I have no real evidence of this, it's just one of those things in my head.

If you want to wear nail polish, I would recommend applying a layer of this before applying your nail polish just to have that layer of nourishment sitting between your nail and the polish. If you are just beginning the healing process, you will benefit more from avoiding nail polish and using the Nailtiques every day. When your nails become long and beautiful (and most likely they will), they will look great with some nail polish on top!

Now for the before and afters:

Yea. Some pretty life-changing stuff.

Also, as you can probably see, my cuticles are almost always tragic so my nail pictures aren't super cute. I've had success by actually not pushing them back or cutting them. If your cuticles need a little help, push them back but try not to cut them.

Some other quick tips for nail care are to trim them if you must with clippers and file them in one direction instead of a back-and-forth motion. I honestly hardly touch my nails anymore besides applying the Nailtiques and they've been doing really well. I clip them if they break on a weird angle and then file them lightly so there's no rough edges but the less I obsess over them, the better.

Fake Nails

I loooooove me some fake nails! I've been using them since I was probably ten years old...no lie.

Fun fact: I've never had acrylics, a gel manicure, or anything of that sort. The only "fake nails" I've had have come out of a box.

So to clarify, by "fake nails" I'm talking about the kind you buy in a box at the drugstore. I used to use the French manicure ones when I was little but now, brands like Kiss offer so many different styles and designs and they are GORGEOUS! I get compliments on them all the time when I wear them. People think I got them done at a salon. So save yourself some money and give them a shot! Just beware that like acrylics, they can damage your nails. For me, it's usually not too bad and I'll just use Nailtiques to repair them for a while after.

I don't have names for any of these styles below. I know that my local drugstores switch out their styles every so often so if you see one you like, get it while you can!

The Kiss Gel Fantasy are typically $7.99 which is a pretty average price.

Nail Polish

I will make my thoughts on nail polish formulas short and sweet.

Every formula I've tried has chipped on me pretty quickly. And if you're thinking "Even Essie?" Yes, especially Essie! There are some formulas that people love but whether I paint it on myself or have it applied at a salon, it always chips on me so quickly. There has only been one exception to my list of nail formula failures:

Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel! This is such a beautiful formula. It applies SUPER easily with a flat, paddle-like brush that practically covers your whole nail in one stroke. It never looks streaky on me and it stays really well. I've had it go 3-4 days without a single chip. To top it all off, they're only $4.99

Some other formulas that I've liked are:

Color Club Professional Nail Lacquer ($8.50)

Essence The Gel Nail Polish ($1.99)

Sally Hansen Color Therapy ($7.99)

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure ($7.99)

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color ($2.99)

Sally Hansen Triple Shine (discontinued?)

Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Color ($2.49)

Some formulas that I've tried that were average:

Deborah Lippmann ($18-$20)

Essie Nail Polish ($9)

L'Oreal Nail Color ($5.99)

Maybelline Color Show (discontinued?)

Revlon Brilliant Strength (discontinued?)

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel ($7.99)

Revlon Nail Enamel ($6.99)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color ($4.99)

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel ($4.97)

Sephora by OPI (not sure if it is discontinued but regular OPI formulas average around $10)

Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Color ($0.99)

Just for color references here are some nail colors I've had. I've tried many but don't have pictures of all of them. Once again, ignore the horrible cuticles: