Posted on September 28, 2008 - by Amanda

Manicures and Pedicures

Every woman who has had the opportunity to experience one generally enjoys the luxury of a manicure or a pedicure. It is relaxing to have a technician both give one a hand or foot massage and make one more presentable. As this is a luxury not all of us can afford one on a regular basis and even if we can, we may deem it unnecessary, it is helpful to learn to do so for oneself.

We, at The Complete Woman recommend pampering oneself with a simple, easy to maintain routine. Bright or bold polishes are only for the toes. On the fingernails they are too attention grabbing, hard to coordinate and laborious to maintain. For fingers, we recommend a simple buffing as it is the most ladylike finish but if you insist on polish please go with a smooth pearly pink or a subtle french manicure (no bright whites!)

The most attractive and low maintenance finish to ones fingernails is a simple buffing. After a shower or bath when your skin is soft gently push your cuticles down and clean and trim your nails to a moderate and uniform length. Use a simple 1 2 3 buffing file to smooth and shine your nails. This will only take about ten to fifteen minutes and can be done while perusing a blog or two or while watching a movie with your spouse.

The toenail is generally a bit harder to keep attractive. Buffing is an option there too or you can apply a medium to dark polish. It is best to go with something at least approaching neutral if you intend to wear sandals and not re-polish for each outfit but the toenails are the perfect place for truly playful colors. Again, after your ablutions gently trim the nails and push down the cuticles. If you apply polish, do so in two coats and a good polish will last several weeks before needed to be maintained. Little smudges or streaks are scarcely noticeable on a toenail so obsessing is unnecessary.