Nail Care

Nail Polish is a passion of mine. I change my nail color every week. It's certainly takes practice and a lot of patience but I love doing it. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, I kept up with painting my nails for about 5 months. I then used that time to start taking better care of my nails. Fun fact: I hate my nails when they aren't painted. I really think nail polish is a must need accessory. But since we weren't going anywhere, I used the time at home to get used to my 'naked' nails. It took some getting used to but it was well worth it to give my nails a break from the constant polish.

I'm going to share with you my the products I used to keep my nails and hands healthy along with my go-to products that can help you perfect your at home manicure.

I have 3 cruelty free and vegan nail polish brands that I stick to: Ella Mila, SpaRitual, & Zoya. I'll share what I use from each brand to help "prep" my nails. Each of these brands are cruelty free and vegan and are toxic free leaving you with only the good stuff to keep your nails healthy and beautiful.

Ella Mila

Ella + Mila is such a fun brand. They have unique collections and colors and even mommy and me sets. On top of great nail colors, they also have makeup and body care. They're nail care collection is one I used a lot during quarantine, especially their nail strengthener.

• Ready Set Prep - This preps your nail bed by removing any dust from the surface of your nail that may prevent the polish from sticking to your nail.

• All About That Base - This helps level out your nail bed for a smooth and even application of nail polish.

• In A Rush - This is a high gloss top coat that dries fast so you can be on your way! It also hides any imperfections you may have gotten when applying your polish.

• Matte-ly in Love - This is a Satin/Matte top coat finish. Sometimes you want that beautiful look of a Matte finish rather than gloss!

• First Aid Kiss - This is a really great nail strengthener to help nails that are weak, thin, and prone to breaking. This was probably the one and only new hobby I picked up during quarantine. As I mentioned above, I hate my nails without nail polish. Using this was a big deal because I went WEEKS without nail polish. Thankfully this strengthener gives a gloss look on the nails. I have to say though, I found a new appreciation for bare nails and loved the strength my nails gained.

• Polish Remover - This is a soy based remover that has vitamins A, C, & E to support healthy and hydrated nails. You can get polish wipes which are super easy to use or a bottle of the soy remover.

Sparitual

Sparitual is as it sounds- a spa ritual. Aside from their incredible vegan polishes, they have a body care line that is equally as incredible. This brand truly embodies that at home spa feeling.

• Cuticle Care - Before I apply a base coat, I start with the cuticle care. This hydrates and conditions your cuticles keeping them healthy. Add add a small dab to each nail and gently massage.

• Hand Salve - It's equally as important to take care of our hands as we do our face. This hand salve is nourishing, hydrating, and lightweight to keep your hands soft, healthy, and smooth without the greasy feeling. It's made with marula oil, shea butter, and honeybush extract. They have different scents but this citrus cardamom scent is heavenly.

• Vegan Gloss - Sparitual also has it's own base and top coats that I'll use when using Sparitual nail polish. They also have this Vegan Gloss. It gives your nails an extra boost of gloss to finish off your look.

Zoya

Zoya is another cruelty free nail polish brand that offers vegan colors as well. When I first made the switch to using cruelty free products, Zoya was the first quality brand I found. They have a large selection of great colors. They are also my favorite nail polish remover brand.

• Nail Polish Remover - This remover is extremely gentle, yet highly effective. I've used this forgetting a had a cut near my nail and I would have neve known. This is a 3-in-1 nail polish remover as it acts as a nail prep and nail conditioner as well. The pump bottle is my favorite because it's really easy to use and you don't have to worry about spilling.

• High Gloss Top Coat - This top coat is new and it's the best. It's protects your nails up to 7days from chips and normal wear and tear while keeping your polish glossy.

• Satin Seal - Sometimes you want to shake things up and give your nails a beautiful matte finish. This satin seal does just that, leaving your color looking natural.

After years of doing my nails on my own, I truly believe you need a good primer and base coat before applying nail polish. I also believe that whatever brand of nail polish you use, you should use their own primer and base as well rather than switching between brands. So yes, I have MULTIPLES: base coats, top coats, removers, etc.🤷‍

If you're used to using brands like OPI, China Glaze, or Essie, these are great cruelty free and vegan alternatives.