Nails

Skyy Hadley is an extremely sought after manicurist, and the owner of the As “U” Wish Nail Spa in Hoboken, NJ.  Her skilled hands have serviced celebrities like Liv Tyler, Claire Danes, Uma Thurman… and even Puffy (Sean Combs).  Today, Skyy has these fabulous pedicure tips and tricks to share with Raging Rouge readers!

“For a truly perfect pedicure, you should go to a nail professional. However, when life gets crazy, you often have to take your feet into your own hands,” says Skyy. “When performing a pedicure at home is your only option, there are techniques to follow that will ensure your feet stay healthy and look beautiful.”
 
TIP ONE: Milk It
After removing nail polish and spraying feet with an antiseptic, soak feet in water and milk. Adding milk is a crucial step as water can strip skin of moisture and leave feet drier. Milk naturally exfoliates and nourishes the skin and it’s right in your refrigerator.

TIP TWO: Care for Cuticles with Caution
Lightly shape the toenails by cutting nails back slightly and massaging toes and feet with cream or oil. After feet have soaked for a few minutes, push back the cuticles – do NOT cut them. Cutting them creates more hangnails and can even lead to infection.
 
TIP THREE: Scrub Wisely
Lightly buff the nail plate while it is still moist with a cuticle cream or conditioner. Then buff the skin on your feet by applying a foot scrub and massaging the formula deep into the skin, concentrating on trouble spots. To really smooth things over, use a diamond file (avoid pumices as they trap bacteria) on particularly rough patches like the heel and ball of the foot. 
 
TIP FOUR: Stay Polished
To maintain and prolong color, use a primer on the nails first. This step actually dehydrates the nail by bringing the natural oils out, making color grip longer. After applying color, add a top coat. Three days later, apply a top coat again to prevent color from chipping.
 
TIP FIVE: Smooth Things Over
Keep heels from cracking by massaging shea butter, light oil and/or Vaseline at night. Then, put socks on so the skin can absorb the formula even deeper overnight.

As a child, one of my very favorite thing to do was color.  While creating for hours on end with my jumbo box of crayons, I would periodically attempt to determine once and for all–what color is most beautiful?  After careful and lengthy deliberation, I always narrowed down the pack to two shades:  blue-green and green-blue.  Ultimately, blue-gree, would always win the beauty contest by a nose.

So when I first set eyes on MAC Cosmetics Summer 2010 collaberation with Alice + Olivia, “Morning After” Nail Lacquer (the gorgeous turquoise shade pictured at center) was the very first product that caught my eye.  It is the exact shade of that perfect, most-beautiful blue-green shade I always admired as a child!

The Alice + Olivia makeup collection contains three different shades of long-wearing nail lacquer, each in a different finish.  As always, the MAC formula is free of DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde.  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again… MAC Nail Lacquer wears so well!  I’ve had a pedicure last for a month, chip-free!

Swatch above:  Morning After, a blue-green shade with a cream finish.

Swatch above:  So Rich, So Pretty, a bright purple shade with a frost finish.

Swatch above:  Military, a gritty asphalt shade with a matte finish.

I suppose So Rich, So Pretty is the most appropriate shade selection for a 30-something Mom, but I love the whole collection–age appropriate or not!

Retail price is $12 per bottle.

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The author of the Raging Rouge Beauty Blog received press samples for purposes of this makeup review / product review. For more information on sample policies, please click HERE to read my full disclosure statement.