Naked Nails, Nail Care… and Polish

90 Comments

1. Cuticle cream at your desk (I use Burt’s Bees lemon butter). I don’t do manicures because I garden – if my nails are clean & trimmed, I’m happy. I work in academia, though, and manicures are definitely not part of the culture here.

   (I LOVE pedicures though – bright red, please)

   1. I second the Burt’s Bees lemon butter. Put on before bed and wake up with beautifully soft cuticles!!

2. I try to look as polished as possible so nails help enhance that. On Sunday nights, I will typically paint my nails. Favorite colors are Ladylike and Mademoiselle for year around. And Chincilly for winter. All are Essie nail polishes. I haven’t had much luck with Cover Girl or L’Oréal staying on–bought when on vacation and didn’t have time to do nails/toes prior to going on vacation. I use an Essie basecoat and an OPI top coat. Also, my nail polish seems to last the longest when I don’t wash the dishes. :-)

   1. I do the same Sunday night routine. I don’t think nail polish is required at all, but I prefer the look of my hands with it on. For years, I swore by the quick dry top coats, but lately I’m loving the Deborah Lipmann gel lab. Basically, it’s just a base coat and then what amounts to a quick dry topcoat that you use with whatever polish. It takes me less than 20 minutes, and they are pretty much dry in another 10. I do it while watching TV. The Deborah Lipmann set also seems to make the polish last longer–a solid week–so I like that. It’s not at all like a gel manicure. Just a little more shine, a little longer lasting, with my same beloved quick drying time. For polish, I like Essie or Butter London best, and I prefer a dark red, berry, or burgundy color (like an OPI Lincoln Park After Dark). Again, just my preference on my nails.

3. Nope. Not a requirement. Clean, filed, and relatively neat cuticles (says the woman who has a terrible hangnail at the moment)? Good to go, whether for a meeting, interview, or regular workday.

   I personally like manicures and rotate between light/neutral shades (if I know I have meetings late in the week and wouldn’t want visibly chipped polish), and either bright reds and raspberries in summer, or gray/burgundy/dark colors in winter.

   1. I agree with Cat, here. Your nails must be simple and clean. Use clear nail polish when ever possible, and get a mani about once a month at least; more if you do anything with your HANDS that make them chap and make the cuticel’s rough. When I was dateing Sheketovits, he ALWAYS told me if my cuticel’s were rough b/c of how sensitive he was. Now I have no boyfreind to tell me so I get mani’s on a monthly basis, and more frequently if I know I have an important event to go to. Good luck to you. You will be a sucess even if you do NOT work in a big firm. YAY!!!!!

      1. In fact I find unmanicured nails – as long as they are groomed – to be MORE professional than polish.

4. My cuticles are *atrocious* (I pick at them and have struggled for years to stop) but things have gotten better recently with the following steps:

   -regularly moisturizing my hands–every single time I wash my hands (with lotion I keep at my desk), plus before bed (when my hands are wet from washing my face). Currently trying AmLactin at night, in the hope that it’ll lessen the stuff that inspires picking, but I really don’t think it matters what you use.
   -using some kind of cuticle-specific moisturizer. This started when I got a free bottle of the Josie Maran argan oil from Sephora and the packaging said it was good for cuticles. I try to rub it into my cuticles morning and night, though have recently been pretty lazy. I also keep a little thing of Nicole by OPI Oil to Go cuticle oil (purchased at Target, because it was the only desk-friendly cuticle oil product) on my desk. I *hate* the way it smells (weirdly sweet), but rubbing it into my cuticles every time I wash my hands at work really helps. I’ve also used Bert’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, which worked well and smelled better, but I like oil better for no particular good reason.
   -clipping hangnails and pokey cuticle bits as soon as they happen, and filing down rough edges of my nails. This means keeping nail clippers and a file at my desk, but does not cause the telltale “nail clipping” sound that drives people up the wall. This really lessens my tendency to pick, which keeps things better-looking overall.

   1. I also struggle with picking my cuticles and I’m going to try keeping lotion/cuticle cream at my desk. Thanks for the tips!

      1. Hope it helps! One thing that also was useful for me was reading that the horizontal ridges/bumps in my nails that make them hard to paint when I occasionally want to were likely due to cuticle trauma. Sure enough, the nails with the most prominent bumps were the ones where I’ve basically annihilated the cuticles. Once I started paying attention, I noticed that less cuticle picking = fewer bumps. Having that concrete benefit in mind really helped me (“more beautiful nails!” just didn’t do it, for some reason).

5. 7 years in BigLaw. Not once have I ever worn, or felt obligated to wear, nail polish at work. I do not have cuticle cream at my desk either. If you like wearing nail polish, go for it, but at least in my geographic region, it is completely optional.

   I also never wear open toed shoes at work, but if I did, I would definitely have a pedicure for my own personal taste – not because I felt obligated to do so.

   1. Ditto

      I buff my fingernails but keep them short (violin player). And if you show your toes / heels, they should look groomed and not ragged (painting optional though).

      1. im a violinist, too! I don’t play in the summer so I let my nails grow, but the rest of the time they’re also short and buffed to avoid chipping.

      2. Another musician (harpist) who needs to keep nails short for that. Before I started playing the harp, I’d polish my nails occasionally, just because I liked the look, but now I find it’s a relief to have an excellent reason to skip the polish (colored nail polish is distracting to those watching a harpist’s hands, IMHO; and besides, why spend half an hour doing a manicure when you can practice instead!) But even before the harp was an issue, I’d agree that well-kept but unpolished nails are the most “professional.” Perfectly polished nails in conservative or clear color come a close second.

   2. Another ditto. Six years in Big law and never had a manicure. I also don’t paint them myself or do anything other than keeping my nails short.

      I do, however, always have a pedicure if I’m going to be wearing open toed shoes.

   3. Yes! Most women I’ve practiced with or against over the years haven’t had their nails polished. More important things to do with my time than spend an hour a week getting my finger nails done.

6. IMO, not even slightly required, ever. Just keep them clean.

   1. This. Just Say No to the tyranny of expensive and time-consuming grooming “requirements.”

      Also, I could have sworn we’ve had a post on here about “is colored nail polish professional?” Sheesh. Can’t win for losing…

7. “Are unpolished, unmanicured nails unprofessional?”

   How is this even a serious question? I must be from a different planet!

   1. Ah! I am among my people! Booyah!

   2. Agreed. Maybe the best advice for OP is for her to channel all the energy she is spending worrying about that kind of junk NOW, early in her career, into her actual work and work relationships. Think about how much further we’d be as women if we spent less time worrying about this junk!

      What (senior exec) man would ever even ASK this type of question?

8. not even close.
   I rarely paint my fingernails. I generally paint my toes in the summer, cause I’m wearing sandals much more casually.

   totally not required. honestly, I respect women more who don’t have manicures. nothing says idyllic housewife who doesn’t have a career more than the never ending perfect manicure.

   plus, they are actually horrible for your nails, cuticles and hands.

   1. I respect people who don’t make snap judgments about people based on their appearance more than people who do.

      1. +1 CountC
         & get off my lawn anon! I assure you I have a pretty darn good career & well manicured hands. I love my bi-weekly time at the nail salon. I catch up with girlfriends and all the magazines I don’t have time to read. It’s precious me-time and I am in no way an idyllic housewife.

         1. Join

9. I am a regular DIY manicurist and I am very particular about it. That said, no, of course you do not need to polish your nails to be professional. Unpolished nails are completely fine so long as they are clean and neat, just like any other part of your body would need to be in a professional setting.

   I am a cuticle picker, which is one of the reasons I have to give myself a manicure every week. It also makes me hyper aware of other people’s cuticles. I do think really unkempt hands are unprofessional, man or woman. Just as I would think completely messed up hair is unprofessional.

   Lotion, lotion, and more lotion is the key IMO. Also, grab a cuticle stick and push back your cuticles while you are watching TV once a week. Don’t clip them, just push them back. It helps!

10. I generally keep my nails short and just a clear top coat on them. I’m like Kat, I don’t enjoy getting my nails done but *love* pedicures! I will occasionally put a pale pink on my nails if I feel like doing them at home, but not often.

    I did notice the other day that Zoya (my fave polish brand) came out with a “naked manicure” system. Has anyone tried it?

    http://www.nakedmanicure.com/

11. I don’t think nail polish is required but neat nails add to the overall polished appearance. I love getting pedicures but don’t often get manicures because my nails are almost always short. Seems like a waste of money unless I have an event coming up. I also use cuticle oil and moisturize often — keep both at my desk at work. Every weekend, I put on a clear top coat. I feel that it adds some shine & “polish” without the issues with color polish (chipping, growing out). Right now I’m using the Essie “all in one” top coat.

12. Did anyone bite their nails/cuticles as a kid? How did you stop, if you did?

    One of my kids does it and it drives me nuts. I am thinking of making kid wear gloves when watching TV, because that is when it happens.

    1. Yes. I used to bite my nails (unfortunately I still pick at my cuticles from time to time). That anti-nail biting nail polish stuff worked for me (I used Bite It). It tastes absolutely VILE so you are really forced to keep your hands away from your mouth.

       1. Thanks!

    2. I pick rather than bite, and I still struggle with it. I think NPR did a story recently about how it’s an inheritable compulsion, which I am starting to believe as my daughter is also picking. It drove my mom nuts as well but I really just could not stop myself no matter how hard I tried, what bribes she’d use, etc. I finally got the willpower to stop for a time prior to my wedding, and if I can let them go for even a few days I’ll get a manicure — they can do amazing things even with very short nails — and then I can leave them alone until the manicure starts to chip off, so I just have to keep at it. The best I ever did was a couple of months before falling back into the habit. I think it is just going to be a lifelong struggle despite very best efforts.

    3. I STILL do it and I’m over 30. In NYC. Biglaw.

    4. Was and am, unless I keep my nails polished. For me it is a combination of boredom and anxiety. The worst times for me for picking and biting are when I am sitting in traffic in the car (both bored and anxious) or when I am not busy at work (both again). At work I sit on my hands because it is unprofessional to bite and pick at work for sure. I am not sure what would have stopped me as a kid to be honest. I am sure my mother tried everything. I probably needed a xanax!

    5. I pick rather than bite and I talked a bit upthread about what I’m doing now to stop. I stopped for a while as a kid because my mom turned it into a game/reward system (I got some amount of money, maybe $0.10 per day for not picking). That helped in two ways: one, I got something (I wasn’t bothered by my picking and so didn’t care about stopping on my own); two, it was kind of a team project–my mom was never punitive or shaming, it was more like something we were working on together.

       That said, what I probably really needed was a therapist. I was an anxious kid, though I think I mostly kept it from my (excellent and attentive) parents, and I pick much more now when I’m anxious. I think it’s really a self-soothing thing. YMMV on that and I obviously don’t know your kid, but I thought it was worth throwing out there.

       Finally, I’ll offer that telling the kid it drives you nuts could be counter-productive. People in my life have done it with me, and I just felt self-conscious and defensive and crummy, ultimately leading to more picking. It’s really something I do without thinking, and I just felt like I could never really relax–it’s not great to feel like you have to be constantly on guard against something you do unconsciously.

       1. +1. Please don’t nag or shame your child about nail biting. The bitter nail polishes are at best a very temporary and punitive solution. It won’t make the child stop; it will just teach him or her to feel shame about a compulsive behavior. I’m a lifelong biter. I wear acrylic nails most of the time now – they stop me from biting (while they’re on) and look decent so I don’t hide my hands.

    6. I bit my nails for 30 years. My dad bit his, and his mother bit hers- they both stopped eventually, but I get the impression (from their endless pressuring of me) that it was Very Hard to do.

       When I was younger, I tried All The Things- nailpolish, fake nails, bad tasting stuff on nails, snapping a rubber band on my wrist when I would bite- with absolutely no effect.

       I only stopped because I got pregnant and was severely nauseated 24/7 for four months- during that time I could barely stand to have anything in my mouth, fingers included. I am now eight months pregnant and have continued to abstain from biting… we will see if I can keep it up. I do like how my nails look when they are not ragged and bleeding.

    7. Braces. I couldn’t really chomp on my nails with all the hardware in the way, and I was so uncomfortable early on that I didn’t want to put anything in my mouth.

    8. I bite my hangnails (ugh, I know), and pick at my nails. the only thing that stops me is keeping my nails painted. I mostly do it when I’m distracted, so the weird taste of nail polish (just regular polish, not the bitter stuff) is enough to make me snap out of it, and if I really lose it and have to pick at something, at least I’m picking at the polish and not my nails. I also slap my own hands if I notice I’m doing it, I have no idea whether that actually helps though.

       If it’s your kid though, I would recommend having something else for them to do actively while watching tv. Sitting on one of those yoga balls, or having a mini tramp, or giving them fidget toys. My brother is unsuccessful in kicking his picking habit–we both have pretty strong ADHD–and the only thing that makes him stop is if he’s able to do something else with his hands. For me, if I’m watching something and picking/biting, it’s usually a sign I have a little too much energy, so I either sit on a yoga ball, or do some in place lowkey exercise, or whatever.

    9. For OP and any other pickers/biters on this thread: I struggled with compulsive skin picking for years and years before I googled it, realized it’s an OCD-spectrum disorder, and got into therapy. Seeing it legitimized/formalized by a diagnosis helped me go from feeling like this was just a bad habit that I should have the willpower to break, to feeling like it was something I could get professional help to improve. Two years of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (often just called CBT) with a therapist that focuses on OCD and BFRB (Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, the term used now for skin-picking, hair pulling, nail biting, etc.) and I am much, much improved. Not “cured” per se, probably never will be totally pick-free, but I feel like I am able to handle it now, instead of feeling like I had no control over it. Cannot recommend CBT enough for this!

13. I keep my nails very lightly polished. I do a base coat, one coat of Essie’s Mademoiselle, and a matt top coat. They don’t look polished but beautifully pink and natural. I usually end up polishing them a couple of times of week, but because the coats are all so thin they’re super quick.

14. As an attorney, I honestly think that polished nails can many times look unprofessional (note: I’m not talking about the natural shell or light pink colors – but the blue, teal, patterned nail art, etc.). Or maybe unprofessional isn’t exactly right, but if you’re a new attorney, it will definitely look childish. I cannot imagine spending either the time or money on regular manicures and never have. I file my nails regularly (at home – only touchups at work if urgent) and apply hand cream several times a day at work, and thick stuff at night before bed (the fisherman kind).

15. Personally, I think it’s easy enough to just slap some clear polish or maybe a pale pink very sheer one on. Takes about two minutes or less once a week when you use something that’s so light in color no one can tell if it’s not painted perfectly or chipping! And that little bit of gloss I think just makes your hands more polished, without necessarily pushing you into that “I got a manicure because I’m a housewife with so much time on my hands” look.

16. Regular manicures are too expensive and time-consuming for me. I indulge in a mani/pedi once per season, the rest of the time I do them myself (usually while watching tv or a movie). I stick to nudes on my nails and red or burgundy on my toes (I recommend Deborah Lippmann gel lab). Like everything in life, practice makes perfect. Drying drops make all the difference. And regular application of cuticle oil truly helps (for the first 25 years of my life, I swore I couldn’t grow nails; last year I figured out I could).

17. I love giving myself pedicures, but probably paint my nails once per year. I can’t keep the polish looking pristine, which drives me nuts!

    I keep a nail file in my bag to keep my nails clean and (relatively) well-shaped. I also use Sally Hansen cuticle massage cream every night, which has been a total game changer!

18. Anyone tried Jamberry? I have heard good things!
    http://Www.jamberry.com

    1. Ok, I feel like this is some kind of product placement, but anyhoo, that is exactly what I was talking about above that seems way too childish for a professional office. Maybe a creative field, but not a lawyer (like the original letter-writer).

    2. Yes, sounds way too product placement-y and looks very childish/unprofessional. I associate Jamberry with all the very annoying MLM emails/”parties” the SAHM-crowd on Facebook is always pushing. I include Stella & Dot, Thirty One, and that ridiculous eyelash thing in that category as well.

    3. I’m in academia, and use Espionage nail wraps, because they don’t have the stupid heat requirement that Jamberry does. And they’re gloriously nerdy. Obviously, most wraps do not apply to ‘properly’ professional locations.

    4. I’m in professional services and I use Jamberry. Yes, some of the designs are too out there for work, but I stick to natural tone solid colors or very muted designs for business. I meet with C level execs so my attire and nails have to be conservative. I started using them because I was in the situation of the a Reader: didn’t have time for manicures after having kids, tired of boring unpainted nails, and polish would chip in a day. The wraps stay on much longer with a clean look and I do them at night while I watch TV.

       They have a good product, just because a company chose to sell through a Direct Sales channel (to reach women diectly) doesn’t mean they are only for SAHMs. I’m glad we as women have more options.

19. This is a Polish brand of nail polish that I heard about on NPR. Something about how they invented a polish that lets in hair and water (and was popular among Muslim women for some reason I forget). At any rate, it is the only polish I’ve tried that doesn’t yellow my nails (when I paint my toenails I leave it on too long probably, which means I can’t go bare-nailed for a long time b/c my toenails look nasty-colored). At any rate, this is expensive (to me) but totally solved the yellow-nail problem. I can only get it in my town in on the internet.

    1. I would assume you aren’t using a base coat. Any polish will yellow your nails if you leave it on too long without one.

    2. I heard this story!It’s important for a cleansing ritual where water has to cleanse all parts of their bodies. Traditional nail polish meant that Muslim women had to take of their nail polish in order to cleanse their nails properly, but because this nail polish let in water it didn’t have to be removed.

    3. It’s Inglot – it also comes in fab colours

20. I can’t imagine thinking someone looked “unprofessional” for not having polished or manicured nails. Noticeably chipped nails for an interview or important meeting might strike me as odd- but I still wouldn’t ever hold it against anyone. It’s complete personal preference. I appear to be in the minority here, but I pretty much always have a manicure. I generally do my own gels at home but occasionally spring for a pedi at a salon. I also loooove getting acrylics and would have them all the time if I could.

21. Neat and clean here and I have never noticed anyone’s nails unless they did some kind of fancy (and in my judgy opinion usually tacky) nail “art” or jewelry that is begging for attention. Usually that is admin staff not faculty or high level folks (in academia).

    I’m surprised no one has mentioned buffing. I go through phases of trying to shine my nails by buffing them. This post has just started another one of those phases and I’m going home tonight to buff!

    For the polish wearers – how long are your nails and how do they not bother you for typing? I like the look of longer nails than I usually have, but I live on the computer and I just can’t type the same way.

    1. I’m a fan of buffing. I don’t like the feel of polish on my fingernails, but like the shiny smoothness. Buffing is perfect for that.

       My toenails, however, stay polished almost year round.

    2. My nails are very short (do not go past my fingertip). I keep them short because they are brittle and split and because of typing, being at the barn, etc.

22. Pretty decent consensus in the comments that short/neat and bare is totally appropriate. I can’t deal with having wet nails. There’s a toddler, a baby, laundry, cooking, eating…no time to let nails dry at home. I’m decent at doing them myself so I do that every so often. Bare nails are better than chipped. And when I interview people I wouldn’t judge based on nails the way I might based on outfit (jacket, no jacket – not judgment like fashion police).

23. As long as your nails are short and clean, nobody is going to be looking that closely at your hands. Seriously. But get a pedi before wearing open toed shoes in the office.

24. I just bought a new system by Zoya called Naked Manicure. It makes your nails look slightly nicer than buffed and they have color correcting “polishes” as well.

    apparently they help your nails bind together and grow if you have weak nails, too.

25. I’m an attorney and law clerk at a federal court, with a 6-year-old and 18-month twins. I wear Jamberry wraps every week — but not the ones with cutesy art or patterns on them. I like their solid colors a lot, especially the more subtle ones and the matte ones, which I think look very professional and understated. What I like best about them is that (1) there’s no drying time and (2) I can stop in the middle of applying them if there’s a kid-related crisis. If they wear at the tips, it’s usually pretty even (i.e. no chips) and I can always trim them a little. They always last through the week.
    .
    (disclaimer — I like the product a lot but do not like the fact that it appears to be essentially a pyramid scheme, so I usually buy half sheets of wraps via ebay).

    1. Jamberry was mentioned earlier, the reasons you listed are exactly the reasons I got hooked on wraps instead of polish. If I’m leaving on a business trip I know I can put wraps on and not worry about my nails chipping for the week. I could never do that with nail polish. I do the fun stuff for vacation but never for work. Of course differentiating between fun and work appropriate takes a skill that maybe not everyone has. I think the product is brilliant for working moms.

       As for the sales channel – the Direct Sales/Multi-Level Marketing model is very different than a pyramid scheme. Its just one way to sell and distribute a product, like retail or online direct. There’s no scam aspect to it and a real product behind it (unlike a pyramid scheme). Unfortunately some people who sell in direct sales don’t follow particularly good practices on social networking and that can be annoying, but that’s kind of a different issue.

26. Male or female, have clean, groomed nails and call it a day. I’ve never even considered that it would be unprofessional not to have my nails painted and honestly think it’s a silly question.

27. My two cents: no, it’s not unprofessional to have unpolished, unmanicured nails but the most put together women in my law office always have a fresh manicure. I think it adds something – it’s like having neat hair and light makeup.

28. With a busy job and kids (i.e. kids activities taking up the entire weekend), weekly 30 min on a manicure (DIY or even longer for salon) is difficult. What I do , is push the cuticles back while taking a shower towards the end – takes less than 1 min. Moisturize as part of regular routine (mine is at my desk when I realize my hands are dry) paying attention to cover the cuticles. Once every week or every couple of weeks – quick file and buff. That takes 10 min at most. The result is shiny, clean, professional look. The buffing makes it look like there is a clear polish on the nails (without having to deal with the peeling in a few days) and almost makes it look like an understated french manicure. Result – professional, cheap, and fast.

29. I’m in academia, so I don’t have the ‘complete professional’ requirements that most other people might have. But, I also own over 500 bottles of nail polish, and do my own nails pretty much every day. So…I am completely, utterly biased. :D

    But I also don’t tend to notice other people’s nails, unless it’s a color that I have to ask about where they got it, or if they’re particularly gross. So, nail polish is entirely unnecessary for professionalism.

    Using a good cuticle cream will help, and I’d actually recommend a good nail oil over the cuticle cream, if you want to choose. Or a cuticle balm, like Rainbow Honey. It’s something like a lip balm stick, but you just swipe it across your cuticles. Very convenient. I’d vote for the Rainbow Honey balm, or Digital Nails (Ctrl-Z) cuticle oil. Julep has a nice little roller ball oil that’s rather easy, too.

30. As long has your nails aren’t dirty/obviously a mess (peeling, cuticle skin hanging off), I don’t think nails are an issue. However, it is very easy to a manicure at home for bare nails. You just need a decent file and a buffing block. If someone judges you for not painting your nails, let them! :)

    That being said, I haven’t left the house without nail polish on my nails since I was teenager. I love the process of doing manicures, and changing my polish (at home) frequently, often to coordinate with my outfit or the lipstick I plan to wear the next day. But I do this because I like to. If anyone judges me for painting my nails (there is some ridiculous housewife comment above), they can feel free to do so as well.

31. I don’t know how nail polish could ever be perceived as a “housewife” look. When I am at home, there is no point in bothering with a manicure. Washing dishes, cooking, dusting, scrubbing bathrooms, pulling labels off things, hauling suitcases out of the closet–all of this will destroy a manicure instantly. None of the SAHMs I know even bothers to wear makeup on a regular basis, much less nail polish.

32. I work in a lab where I can’t wear nail polish (the chemicals cause it to peel or wash right back off) but I’ve never been one for painting my nails anyway. I can’t sit still long enough for it to dry, even at a pro manicure I usually chip or smudge it before I even walk out the door.

    However, one thing I’ve found that does work. If you are or were a bf mom, that leftover tube of lanolin is great to smear on your cuticles before bed – works as well or better than most cuticle creams. Also works well as chapstick. Probably more expensive than a product meant for cuticles, so I wouldn’t recommend running out to buy a tube, but a good way to use up the giant tube of lanolin that is only half used up when you are done nursing.

33. Clean nails for the win. I so use an almost-clear-but-with-a-little-color nail polish right on the nails. No base coat, no top coat, thin layer. I typically put in on on my way out the door as it only takes a minute to dry. I like Essie’s Sugar Daddy. Ballet Slippers and Mademoiselle are also nice. The polish also helps me not bite my nails (which is super unprofessional).

34. I hate to waste my time polishing my nails and only do it when I deem it truly necessary. My nails are short and I use L’Occitane’s Hand Lotion to keep my hands moisturized. Sorry for the pun in advance, but hands down it has been the best hand cream for me. When I garden I wear gloves and that’s about it. BTW, on my feet I use Burt’s Bee’s Coconut Foot Cream. It rocks!

35. I tend to pick at my manicures, and ruin them within a few days. Even gel manicures only last a week. If I want to treat myself, I’ll get my nails professionally shaped and buffed. A really nice salon or spa (the kind who won’t look at you funny when you ask for your nails to be shaped and buffed) won’t cut your cuticles. They’ll soak, moisturize, and use an orange stick or something similar.

36. I am a dedicated fan of Lush’s Lemony Flutter cuticle butter. I carry it with me in my work tote and like to slather some on in the mornings while I’m starting my routine at my desk (and don’t plan to shake anyone’s hand!). It smells SO GOOD that I even have a male co-worker asking to borrow it at times :D

37. I balk at the idea that regular manicures are essential for a professional woman to look “polished”. You don’t expect men to get them, do you? Besides, there’s nothing worse than coming face to face with chipped tips or hideously grown-out gels (which is a total inevitability if you don’t spend half your free time on maintaining them).

    I have one word for you: DIOR. Their creme abricot cream for nails (which debuted in the 60s!) is a total miracle… flaky, white cuticles are banished, and one pot lasts forever. I get mine at Sephora.

38. A question for all of you who posted about how having basically clean, neat looking nails is the only requirement:
    I do not work outside, I don’t have a garden. The only sports I do these days are yoga and weight-lifting. Yet somehow there seems to always be a line of dirt under my nails. I clean it out once or twice a day, but it reappears within hours. Where does it come from and, more importantly, how do I get rid of it?

    1. Shorter nails, basically.. I do all kinds of things with my hands, and it’s only when my nails grow a bit that they look dirty. Which is not saying don’t clean them, of course :-), just that real cleaning can’t happen if you nails aren’t short enough.

39. Has anyone tried 1-minute manicure from Bath & Bodyworks? I love this stuff to get your cuticles looking great in short order time. Use this and they will look great and professional without polish. I also think polish can be distracting.

40. Body Shop’s Nail Buffer is a great alternative to polish – or as a great pre-treatment to doing your nails. works great buffing and polishing your nails.
    liquid vitamin e (available in liquid form in drug stores, don’t bother buying the gel caps for this) on your cuticles helps keep them groomed as well.

Comments are closed.