Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing holiday season and are still smashing your new years resolutions just like me....signing up to a gym is the same as going right...

I thought I would start of the year by introducing you all to some of the behind the scenes nail care that goes into my looks. A great canvas is important for any mani but you don't have to resort to expensive, time consuming and damaging fakes / acrylics to have long strong nails. 

People are always assuming my nails are fake and can't seem to get their heads around it when I tell them they are 100% real.  The truth is anyone can have naturally long and strong nails. I have listed a few simple steps below, even if you do just one of them you will see the improvement in a matter of weeks if not days. 

So if your news years resolution is to stop biting your nails and start looking after them you have come to the right place. 

Ready for better nails? 

Tip 1.  Keep a nail file on you AT ALL TIMES. 

This may seem excessive but the reason for this is so that you never leave a nick hanging. 

One too many times I have had a small crack in the edge of a nail rip the whole thing clean off by doing something simple like running my hands through my hair. The hair catches the nick and tears of the nail like cheese wire.  

As soon as you notice a nick or jagged edge, file it down until its smooth. 

Keeping your nails in a consistent shape will also help them stay strong. I find points are the strongest for longer nails, but you will see what works for you. 

My go to file is the Soft Touch Sand Turtle file which is so gentle it also works as an amazing buffer. 

Tip 2.  Keep them polished. 

Simply put polished nails are stronger and more break resistant.

Tip 3.  Moisturise. 

Every time you wash your hands or have them in water you should use a hand cream to moisturise. 

I love Premier Dead Sea Hand Cream, it's a little on the pricey side but it's totally worth it. Any hand cream or moisturiser will do the trick but I was given a Dead Sea set a few years ago and no other cream has ever compared in leaving my hands silky soft but not greasy. 

If you prefer cuticle oil to full hand cream, and it's good to apply this especially during colder months to prevent cracking round the nails. 

My all time favourite is Solar Oil by CND, but again any pressed almond or avocado oil will do which you can pick up in bulk. 

Tip 4.  Rounded nail beds. 

First of all let me clarify what I mean by rounded nail beds. I mean that your nail itself is very cylindrical and curved. 

Hopefully you can see what I mean in the picture below. 

Did you ever wonder why you are less likely to break your little finger nail than any other. It's because in most people this will be the most curved nail on the hand. People with very flat nails will  often be the people who struggle to keep long nails. 

But you can't control your nail bed shape right? 

Wrong. 

While a lot of it will be down to genetics there are some products out there which are designed to curve your nail bed as they dry. Most famously OPI Nail Envy. 

If you suffer from flatter nail beds I would highly recommend using this (and filing your nails into strong shapes such as points and almonds).  Trust me it will be the best investment you make in your nails. 

So those are my top 4 tips for growing naturally strong nails that I know work for both myself and my friends. 

Let me know if you have any other tried and tested tips or if any of these helped you below!