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| Rimmel Nail Rescue |
Today I filed my nails.
This really might seem like a "big deal so what" kind of statement. Until I point out that I have, in fact, had no cause or reason to file them for several years. Because they were flaking, breaking, chipping, cracking, shearing off... I would file them to try make them stronger, to no avail. They were soft, bendy and breaky. Nightmare nails.
I am not sure to what I can attribute my nails' nervous breakdown. I used to have enviably great condition nails. I was told that I did. But not for the last few years. I use the computer a lot, which is not friendly to them, for sure, but I always have done that. I am not great at moisturising them, but I never have been, so that can't be the reason. My cuticles are at best in rag order, but that's nothing terribly unusual. I can have a tendency to nibble at one of them*, but not for a long time, and I've always had that tendency. So I don't know why they've been acting out for a few years.
* My left index finger, and only that one, and only one side of that one, for some reason.
The best I could do with them all along was to just keep them really really short, and paint them to camouflage their awfulness. But then my underlying nail would flake, and take the paint along with it. Forget French manicures or anything ladylike. I became an expert at funky nail designs, that involved degradé (more bedraggledé) glitter tips, as this kind of looked like it was supposed to be a little "lived in". Crackle glaze was my personal saviour. I invested in nail art pens and pailettes (large & small), and diamonté crystal do-dads, and taught myself how to sponge and rag my nails, and transfer news print to them, and do all manner of creative things. But I yearned for good, clean, decent nails. Nails that I didn't have to cover, or that I could just cover with some nice "straight" polish.
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| Absolute Crap. Avoid at all costs. |
So I tried using Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener. No go. This was beyond useless, which was disappointing, as there are so many other great products in that range (I will use it as an undercoat, so it's not a complete loss).
I have long been a subscriber to tarteofraises YouTube's channel and I tried to get my mitts on what she recommends for her (stunningly long and beautifully conditioned) nails, but no luck (incidentally, check her out, she's a beautiful French girl with gorgeous nails, a to-die-for nail varnish collection, and some wonderful highly intricate and decorative nail art tutorials).
Onwards, to a recommended product from a friend of mine, ARBeauty who is a bit of a nail guru (she does Shellac and has been promising me a freebie for longer than I can remember, but there seemed to be precious little point in having a two week long manicure done on my nails when they were only going to flake away in two days).
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| Da Bomb |
This product is Rimmel Nail Rescue. It's a treatment product that you use it for a fortnight; paint it on your nails each morning for a week (it dries in a few minutes so that's fine), then remove it and do the same for the next week, then remove again. At this point I gave myself a home manicure and slathered my nails and cuticles in olive oil.
Result!
For three years my nails have bent, broken, chipped, peeled, cracked. After only two weeks of using this stuff, they're strong, but not in a brittle way. I can file them and they don't break. I can bend them and they don't crack. I actually have long (for me) nails now, one week on from the trial. Today, I shaped them. Tomorrow I may crack out the ladylike shades or maybe do a French manicure. So exciting!
Incidentally, I got a tiny nick in one of my nail tips while cooking the other day (I suffer from a condition known as Not Paying Enough Attention While Chopping), and only that particular tiny area flaked away, not the whole surface of the nail, which would be what would usually happen.
Before and After Shots
Badly flaking and cracking nails...
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| Scary nails; flaking, chipping, weak, brittle, nasty looking... |
... versus strong and healthy nails:
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| Ignore the fact that I need a manicure. This is 2 weeks on, just after removing the Rimmel treatment and prior to moisturising, filing, etc. Strong healthy nails, no chipping or flaking evident. |
This stuff is cheap as chips, it works like a dream, it's no hassle to use, it doesn't smell any stronger than usual nail polish, and it puts a lovely gloss on your nails for the duration of the fortnight.
Minor point: it contains formaldehyde. If you don't like this, well... I don't, but I really wanted good nails. It's one of my New Years Resolutions, y'see.
Strong recommend. Am very happy with my new nails.
Strong recommend. Am very happy with my new nails.