Product Review: OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go

My cuticles before applying OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go

I suffer from super-dry and ragged cuticles and fingertips. With all these, it ruins the entire look of my fingers and nails. For me, healthy and manicured cuticles are not just a matter of fashion. Contrary to what some people may think, cuticles are not piles of dead skin that gathers at the base of the nail. They are living parts of the skin that serve an important purpose. Cuticles are attached to the nails and help keep them healthy by protecting them from bacterial and fungal infections. When the cuticle becomes dry, it can't attach to the nail to do its job. This leaves the nail vulnerable to damage and infection.

OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go

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However, you can care for your cuticles to keep them looking nice. When your nails and cuticles become dry and ragged, this is the time when you need a cuticle oil to moisturize them. This little tube is a lifesaver - OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go. I love this product and my cuticles need it so much! Whenever my cuticles start to get dry, I will apply it. Ever since I started using this oil, I rarely have dry cuticles. My cuticles are moisturised and my nails look more healthier. Even though it's greasy but it sinks in almost immediately. I love the smell of this oil, too. This tube lasts for a long time as you only need to use it in a very small amount. For those who suffer from dry cuticles, remember to keep one in your handbag or purse as it won't go everywhere if it's in your handbag or purse. It really is convenient for "on the go" just as it claims!

My cuticles after applying OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go

Here's the ingredients: 

Click to enlarge

Make Your Nails Grow Faster and Strong

Our nails are made up of Keratin, the same protein as our hair is made of. Everyone wants their nails to grow fast and strong to add beauty to our hands. Here are some ways to make your nails grow faster, strong and shinier.

1. Protein 
Nails are made out of protein, so the first thing you can try is adding more to your diet such as eggs, meat and beans, as well as spinach and other vegetables that contain protein, to build healthy nails. 

2. Get your vitamins
In addition to protein, a range of vitamins are necessary for healthy nail growth. Get plenty of vitamin D, C and A to ensure your nails are growing as fast as they possibly can. 

3. Garlic
Garlic is very effective to make your nails grow fast. Apply garlic paste to your nails twice a week or simply cut a garlic clove in half and rub it on your nails. Its juices will be absorbed by the nail.

4. Washing dishes can make your nails weak
The detergents are very harsh for your nails and affect its growth. To protect your fingers from harmful chemicals, always wear gloves. 

5. Trim your nails 
Trim your nails regularly to get rid of any weak parts and apply petroleum jelly before going to bed. 

6. Stop biting your nails
If you bite your nails, they never have a chance to grow, so take measures to stop this habit as soon as you can. There are drug store products that you can apply to your nails to prevent biting if you cannot stop.

7. Go for good brand nail polish
Do not use nail polishes of ordinary brands, go for good brands and use nutrient filled polishes. Avoid painting your nails with polishes than contain formaldehyde, toluene and sulfonamide. These chemicals are unhealthy for your nails.

BT Nail: Nail Polish That Cracks!

Have you heard of BT Nail nail polish? If you are a person who dares to be different, then try this out! I'm not sure how long the product has been in the market. But what I know is I'm so obsessed with it! I've had these nail polish colors in no. 13, 33, and 35 a while ago which I bought from a local shopping complex here. Its kind of creative and fun! It's a Taiwan product and it's sold in and around Asia. How it works? Check out the video below:

First of all, brush on nail polish color as base. You may not need a special base coat for this to work. Then, apply the BT Nail color over the nail and allow about 5 seconds for the color to crack. As you can see, as it dries for about few seconds after application, the cracks have already formed throughout the lacquer. The cracking completes within minutes. I think it looks absolutely awesome! Lastly, apply another coat preferably clear color on the entire top. You can also use glitter polish over your design to make a shimmering finish.

My own design ^_^

Nail Art Pen and Brush

Recently, I found a nail polish that comes with nail art pen at a local store here. It is called In 2 Nails - Nail Art Pen & Brush in black colour. It's for painting and drawing nail art designs.

Here's a quick review about this product:

It's a long wearing formula and dries up in 60 seconds. It has a beautiful high shine, too... You can do your nail art designs using the tip of the art pen or you can just polish your nails with the applicator paint brush. To use pen art, just remove the cap of the bottle by pulling upward and squeeze the bottle to fill the nib with nail paint. Clean the nib as required by using the cleaning pin provided which is attached to the bottom of the bottle. To use the applicator paint brush is easy, just unscrew it! I like the art pen because it's easy to control and draw precise lines. I'm not sure how many colours available but when I was there at the store, there were only white and black in colour.

This is one of my favorite designs (inspired by julieg713 and s2pandapple). I did my nail designs last night using the art pen.

The Face Shop Nail Polish

I have always wanted to try The Face Shop Nail Polish and finally had the chance to try and even buy it. I bought two (2) Nail Polish - yellow and white. I don't always wear nail polish because I'm not a die hard nail fanatic! But it's nice to try it once in a while!! For those who loves Nail Polish, I think The Face Shop is ok. You can easily get cheap Nail Polish from The Face Shop and it is such a steal!! They have variety of nail polish colors to choose from. So far I'm ok with the nail polish because it's easy o apply but it tends to chip very easily.

Have You Heard of Tsuya Tsuya Brand?

I bought this during my last visit to KL. A salesgirl approached me when I was at one of the Shopping Mall in KL and introduced it to me. Well, she begged me to let her buff my fingers and my nails, instantly became shiny! I found it interesting that is why I bought it from her for RM20.00. It's actually a set of block buffer and nails buffer. They have a website www.tsuyatsuya.com.sg. So, I decided to check it out. The brand name is called Tsuya Tsuya.

I didn't know until I found out the founder of this brand is a Penang girl came to Singapore to explore a world beyond her cushy home. Very interesting! They're not only specialised in manicure products but also manicure tools, mascara, foot care, and skin care. The salesgirl also introduced me and asked me to try out the mascara. They are two types of mascara - one black is for volume and one white (fibres) is for lengthen lashes. According to the salesgirl, you can decide the length you want! It's supposed to extend lashes without having to wear false eyelashes. But it tends to be abit messy as the fibres would fly around. If you're using the fibres you may have to use eyelash comb to comb out the clumbs at times. Well, it was a good experience though!

How To Stop Nails Getting Cut

Another way to stop nails from getting cut is to use garlic. Do you know that garlic can make your nail strong? You may ask how? It's very simple and easy. Massage your nail with garlic twice or trice a week (or it's up to you, really...) your nail will become stronger. My late grandmother used to do that. Actually, I got this tips from her.

Artificial Nails

Artificial nails are available in different sizes and colours. All you have to do is stick them on with nail glue. They can stay on for a few days, as long as you take care of them. If your hands spend a lot of time in the water, your nails may come off a little sooner. So, try not to get in the water for too long.

After sticking them on, you could apply nail polish, so that your nails look shining. If you want to remove your artificial nails, soak them in warm water for about ten minutes, and very gently peel them off. Just bear in mind that these products will not make your nails any healthier. In order for your nails to remain healthy, you should remove the artificial nails once in a while, and let your nails breathe for a few weeks.

Before and After: Mani and Pedi

OUTCOME: These pictures were taken just after manicure and pedicure at nail salon.

Manicure And Pedicure

I went for manicure and pedicure 2 days ago. It was actually my first ever manicure and pedicure at nail salon. Normally, I do my own manicure and pedicure at home. It took me 1 hour and a half to finish both manicure and pedicure. It's fun, really… The price is RM50 for both manicure and pedicure. For those, who haven't try out yet, please do so, experience it...

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you start off with clean nails. Clean nails will help the nail polish to bond better with the nail, and help ensure a lasting finish. If you have any nails that are obviously longer than all of the others, then I suggest you use a small pair of nail scissors, not clippers, to give them a trim before anything else is done.

Once the nails have all been evened out to about the same length with a pair of nail scissors, the nail filing begins. Begin filing gently with an emory board style nail file. Gently file the rough edges of the nails where you have just cut, angling it only slightly around the outer edges, for a somewhat squared look instead of completely rounded, which tends to look fake.

The next step is to use a rubber tipped cuticle stick, and gently shape and push back the cuticles. Some people, like me, barely have any cuticle at all, and can skip this step. Others may have thicker, more noticeable cuticles and they are the ones that need to focus on grooming and conditioning them more. One you've shaped and gently pushed back your cuticles, dab a drop of conditioning cuticle oil and rub in.

Use a piece of tissue and dust off any dust leftover from filing. You might want to wash your hands so that none of the nail dust or the cuticle conditioner interferes with the application or adherence of the nail polish. The next step is crucial to the longevity of your manicure and pedicure, since it forms a base which provides optimal adherence of your polish to your nail surface.

Lightly buff the surface of your nails with the correct side of a nail buffer just enough so that you do not see as much luster on the surface. Now, take your preferred sheer base coat polish and add a light layer of it on to the nail. Wait a full minute and half at least, and then you may begin to apply your solid nail color of choice.

This final step is also very important to the longevity of your manicure or pedicure, as it seals you polish in a hardened and protective armor which is very tough to chip. Using the top nail coat of your choice, add one to two layers of the top coat on and allow it to completely dry. And then - that's it, you're done!

Tips to Strengthen Finger Nails

1. Try to use nail polish remover only twice per month.

2. Eat healthy food. Although it has been shown that eating large amounts of protein doesn't affect the health of your nails, a balanced diet ensures that you're getting the correct amount of vitamins and nutrients, which in turn promotes healthy nails.

3. Cut or trim brittle nails after a bath or soaking fingers in bath oil. This helps prevent breakage and nail damage while trimming. Remember to moisturize afterward!

 4. Avoid nail hardeners containing formaldehyde or toluene sulfonamide. Some people experience reddening and irritation due to these chemicals.

5. Don't pull off hangnails. Cut them off using nail clippers or manicure scissors.

How to Strengthen Finger Nails

Healthy and strong finger nails reflect how well we take care of our nails and hands. Weak and brittle fingernails are most often due to neglect. By protecting fingernails from environmental damage and taking time to moisturize nails, anyone can have stronger fingernails.

1. Wear gloves while washing the dishes, cleaning the floors and doing other chores where your nails are exposed to water and harsh cleaning agents. Water dries out and weakens your nails.

2. Use tools to accomplish tasks where you would normally use your finger nails out of habit. Finger nails aren't scissors, pliers or toothpicks.

3. Try touching up your nail polish more often instead of entirely removing your polish every time you want to fix a nail. Nail polish remover dries out your nails leaving them brittle and weak.

4. Provide your nails with lots of extra moisture. No matter how careful you are, your nails will get dried out during the course of daily life. Try messaging cuticle or olive oil into your nails and cuticles. For extra dry nails, put moisturizer on hands at night, concentrating on the finger nail area. Then put on cotton gloves over the moisturizer. Remove in the morning and enjoy softer hands and stronger nails.

5. Try using a nail hardener. This is a product you apply like a nail polish that is supposed to help protect and strengthen your nails.