Wednesday 11 June 2014

Nailed it


In my quest to look my best, even on minimal sleep and with hair that's held together with dry shampoo, I've been trying to make that extra effort. Little things, like a slick of lipstick or some fab accessories can make all the difference to boost the way I look and feel. Painting my nails is another way I try to make myself more presentable.

Trouble is, a few of my nails can be quite brittle, no matter what I use or how much milk I drink. I love the way painted nails look but I can get quite lazy and being a busy mum, chips happen and I can't let it bother me. I don't like it and I would love to be one of those women who is always immaculately turned out, but I'm realistic. I do the washing up (when I have to!), I don't have a lot of patience and with a one year old, I don't have a lot of time to paint my nails every few days.

In a bid to renew my passion for paint, I recently picked up a trio of Leighton Denny goodies. I had never heard of the brand before myself and now I'm wondering why, as they really do seem to have the whole thing nailed (sorry for the terrible, terrible pun - I couldn't resist!).


The Grooming Essentials set I have came complete with their signature crystal nail file, which is guaranteed for an incredible 25 years and is apparently the only file you can safely use in a back and forth motion without damaging your nails. It also includes their hoof stick and their Best Defence hand and nail moisturiser.


Using these products, it seemed I would have perfect nails at my fingertips (again, sorry!). First, I removed all traces of old nail polish then filed each nail in turn. The crystal nail file feels really smooth to use and it took far less effort to get my nails ship shape. I then cleaned under my nails with one end of the hoof stick and applied some cream before pushing my cuticles back with the other end of the stick.



It was nice to pay special attention to my nails and I'm keen to keep up this new routine. I think the file is a good investment as it does a great job and is guaranteed to do so for quarter of a century. What more could you ask for?!


Prepared and ready for painting, I used an undercoat, a slick of Maybelline in a coral/pink colour then two layers of colour later, topped my nails off with a slick of another new product - Orly. Again, another brand I wasn't familiar with before, probably as I'm guilty of just buying my polishes according to special offers rather than buying better brands.


I used the Orly Won't Chip top coat to hopefully give my new manicure longevity and I have to say, I think it made a big difference. My nails didn't chip for around five days and even then, it was limited to the two nails which always seem to split, no matter what. What is more, my nails still had a freshly painted gloss look to them which I know was thanks to this top coat. It didn't dull over time like most seem to. I shall certainly use this again and I'm keen to check out their other products now for a complete nail overhaul.



I love my painted nails and want to make sure this is part of my beauty routine I keep up going forward. It never hurts to have nice nails!


Two days later...

Five days later...

*Note: I was kindly sent the Leighton Denny set by www.hairhq.com and the Orly top coat by www.lookfantastic.com (two fab online beauty sites) for the purposes of this review, but opinions are my own and I loved them regardless.



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