Cosette's Beauty Pantry

Hello everyone! As we all know, a  nail file  is a tool used to gently grind down and shape the edges of nails. Nail files may be emery boards, ceramic, glass, crystal, plain metal files or metal files coated with corundum. The surface of a nail file is referred to as its  grit . The smaller the grit number is, the coarser a nail file is and vice versa. I’ve put together  a list of nail file types available  to help you select the best nail file for your nails. Emery board Emery boards are the most accessible nail files. Their biggest downfall is that they cannot be cleaned as their base is cardboard. Emery boards are available with different grit sizes. The   coarser side is used to file down the nails, whereas the finer side is used to shape them. Double-sided nail file These nail files have two grits, a lower and a higher grit. A double-sided emery board with a  180/240 grit , is strong enough to remove length but will not damage your nails. Anything less than 180 grit could da

Hello everyone! Long nails are perceived by many as being classy and stylish.  However, long nails may not be worth the looks. Below are six (6) reasons to opt for short nails instead of long ones. 1.  Practical Short nails give you the freedom to do all the things that you love without restrictions - you can easily do your chores, pull your zipper, buckle shoes, play with your pet or young children and wear contact lenses.  People with long nails know the pain of trying to do the simplest, everyday tasks.  Typing on a keyboard, opening containers, and even fiddling with buttons can prove to be difficult with long fingernails in the way.  2.  Fuss-free The last thing you need on your worry list is the possibility of breaking a nail.  Keeping long nails also pose a health hazard to you and the people around you.  Constantly poking yourself in the eye -  not fun! 3.  Hygienic Health and hygiene go hand in hand.  Fingernails can harbour dirt and germs, leading to the spread of infections.

Hello everyone! So it's already January 20th and this is my first post in 2016.  My year started with a lot of internet connection problems, but hopefully that issue is resol ved ( fingers crossed) .   So let's get started!  From mid-length haircuts  to no-light gel nail polishes  ( which  I  ❤) , 2015 brought us a lot of beauty trends, but there are a few trends that I think should be left behind.  Check out the six beauty trends to ditch in 2016:  Instagram eyebrows -  The Instagram brow or the  faded eyebrow, is very popular among MUAs because it photographs well, but in person, it is very odd-looking. Heavy contour:  Contouring has been around for years but it reached new heights in 2015 with techniques like clown contouring .   Waist trainers:   While many believe that wearing a waist trainer will help them get an hour glass shape, the results are only temporary and can cause some health problems.  Overdrawn lips:   Thanks to Kylie Jenner, the obsession

Hello everyone! Do you have short nail beds or long nail beds ?  What’s the difference anyway?   The size and shape of the nail should be in proportion to the size and shape of the nail bed.  When your nails are within proportion, they are at their strongest and most attractive. I recently noticed that my nail beds are a lot shorter than they used to be.   How did this happen? I  thought  about it and I  realised  that I am constantly scooping under my nails  every time  I wash my hands (and that's like a  gazillion  times a day!) .  Now that I am aware of this “bad habit” I am trying my best to stop doing it.  I hope that if I stop “scooping”, my nail beds can grow back to the length they used to be.   I read somewhere that once you damage your nail bed it cannot grow back.  On the other hand, my mum used to bite her nails and she used to have short nail beds.  Now four years after she stopped biting her nails, her nail beds are much, much longer.

Hello everyone! Nail polish is not the only way to get your nails to look smooth and shiny .  Nail buffers are also used to smooth and polish the nail. Most buffers have three sides and the three together create that salon finish in only a few minutes.  If you want to give yourself a manicure or a pedicure, a three-way buffer is essential.  Using a nail buffer is also great for men who don’t want to wear nail polish! before and after buffing! Here are some tips… Step 1: Remove your nail polish.  Use an acetone-free nail polish remover on a clean cotton ball.  Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any traces of polish remover. Step 2: Trim your nails with nail scissors/clippers/file.  Do not use the buffer to sand away large amounts of length. Step 3: Use the roughest side of your buffer on the top surface of your nail.  Only buff until you've removed surface ridges .  Avoid overusing the gritty side of the buffer because it can weaken and thin

It's almost Spring aka sandal season !   It’s time to show our toes to the world.   Here are some tips for a perfect pedicure . Step 1: Remove old nail polish with an acetone-free nail polish remover. Step 2: Add Epson salt and your  favourite  scented oil to warm water and soak your feet for 10 minutes.   This step does more than clean your feet, it also softens dead skin cells in preparation for exfoliation.   Step 3: Dry your feet with a clean towel.  Exfoliate with a scrub.  Check out this post if you want to make your own sugar facial/body scrub.   Massage each foot for a minute or two with a quarter-size blob of scrub.  Start at your heel and work your way out to your toes, ankles, and calves using circular motions.  If you have dry skin, you can also use a wet pumice stone on your feet.  Rinse your feet with warm water. Step 4: Using a toenail clipper , trim your nails straight across, then smooth the edges with a nail file.  Make sur

Hello everyone!  Did you know that there are   quite a few  ways in which you can shape your nails?   Choosing a nail shape: When deciding on the shape you want your nails you should consider as few things: the shape of your hands, the length of your fingers, shape of your cuticle area, your hobbies and your work.   Here are some examples of different nail shapes. Straight sided with a slightly oval tip   For this shape allow the sides to grow straight and slightly round the tip.   Oval-shaped The  oval nail shape is an attractive and conservative shape for women's hands.   Oval-shaped nails make your nail beds appear longer; this makes them an ideal shape for short nails . Square oval - shaped Similar to the oval-shaped, but followed by   squaring off the tip . Almond-shaped This is considered the classic nail shape.   This style is very feminine and makes the fingers appear thinner. Rounded-shaped These are nails that are perfectly