What people consider trendy changes from time to time while what women consider trendy changes from one season to the next. Grooming oneself is very important because first impressions matter. When people see you, they form opinions about you based on many things. Some of these things can be controlled while others are beyond our control. Personal grooming, for example combing your hair, keeping your nails clean or cleaning your nose is just as important as your body odour. Whereas body odour can be a medical condition, broken nails is not.

When shaking hands with a person, the most noticeable aspect about them is the texture of their hand and maybe their nails especially if the other person is a woman. Women take nail grooming to the next level. They not only aim to make their nails neat but also beautiful. The transient nature of what counts as fashionable has led many women to seek nail beautification products. It is however important to take care of your nails while you make them look nice.

Nail care

Most nail polishes are made from chemicals some of which are harmful. The toxins contained in the polish can cause serious damage to the skin around the nails. The use of nail polish may also bleach you nails which is never a good sign. This does not mean that you should give up applying nail polish; it makes your nails look good and accessorizes your outfits well. It however means that you should take care of the underlying nail and the skin around it before you apply the polish.

To take care of your nails, you should:

1. Maintain hygiene
Nail polish can be applied on short nails as well as long ones. If you keep long nails, it is very important to ensure that they are always clean. When their cleanliness is ignored, they end up accumulating bacteria and germs. It is therefore advisable to regularly trim your nails to a suitable size.
You shouldn’t file your nails right after your bath because they are quite brittle at that time and might easily break. You shouldn’t also use a file in both directions while you file your nails instead; file your nails while moving in a specific direction.

2. Eat a healthy diet
Nails are directly dependent on what eat. Calcium and other mineral constitute what our nails are made of. Deficiency of in vitamins causes the darkening as well as the drying of nails. It is also the reason behind the discoloration of the nails and the formation of ridges on your nails. You should therefore eat lots of fruits. You should also drink a lot of water to ensure your nails don’t end up brittle.

3. Moisturize your nails
There are a lot of moisturizing products available. Most people moisturize their faces and wash their hands afterwards; thereby leaving the skin on your hand bare and exposed. Massage oils on your fingers and nails to keep them smooth and soft. You can do this twice a week for better results. Products with vitamin E are good for your nails and so is castor oil. Massaging your nails improves circulation and stimulates your nails to grow

4. Avoid using chemicals
Most of the readily available nail polish as well as their removers are made using chemicals that cause your nails problems. Every time you remove nail polish, you should make sure that the remover you use is non acetone. It will help prevent fragility of your nails you should use nail polish removers that have acetate to be safe.
You should apply vinegar on your nail as it causes the polish to stay on longer. Applying base coat also helps you avoid staining your nails when you apply nail polish frequently.

Now that the safety of the nails is assured, your nail technician may apply nail polish at your own pleasure. Since there are so many designs of nail polish, it is better to stick with the trend. In 2018, the designs have already changed.

Nail Design
There are so many designs that you may be spoiled for choice. When selecting the nail polish color and design, there are very few factors to consider:

• Your skin tone
• The colors you like to wear
• What’s trending and the design that most suits your personality

The French tip is a nail art design that goes far back and has never gone out of fashion. In 2018 it is back with many different designs incorporating the French tip. The difference between the French tip in the past and what is currently called the French tip is that they look more sophisticated and are more creative. They are very different from the angular acrylics which were very thick.

Some of the designs that are trending are:

1. Black Rainbows
This adapt to a curved tip. You can use Technicolor twist on the French tip. It is advisable to paint the nail black after the basecoat if you are going for a moodier look.

2. The French line
If you don’t like very bright colors on your nails, you can always opt for just a French line. This is where you trace on your nail bed using black polish.

3. Marble Tips
These are an ongoing trend and they blend really well with summer French tips and they can be used alongside full marble nails.

4. French Fishnets
When used along with French tips, they transform into a new and sophisticated design. To do this you start with a hand painted grid. Once the grid dries, you can paint the tips white and then apply a top coat.

5. Mondrian Outlines
This is the demarcation of your nail into subsections such that you can choose which segment to paint and which to leave bare thereby giving off a unique design.

Another trend in nail design is the shimmer. Shimmer gives the nails an elevated look. Despite the fact that it was there in 2017, it’s still here in 2018. Chromes and iridescent colors are also on the rise so look out for these creative ways to make your nails look elegant in 2018.

Check out some nail art that our Indulge Now team saw in the International Beauty Show in NYC last week.