Spring sprouts! We're due for frost or near-frost later this week, and it might be the last one so I'm getting these babies ready for planting:

Spiderwort sprouts with sand coreopsis in the background. These are by far the most mature of my seedlings

Prairie clover & a variety of bee balms, which I planted only a few weeks ago--they did indeed germinate as easily as promised and are growing crazy fast

Exotic Superfood Swap Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola It's probably impossible to count all the times you've run across an article or study featuring this or that "superfood" found only on some exotic island or in the wilds of China. Information about many superfoods is everywhere, and while they're interesting and their nutritional profiles may be impressive, aren't there any superfoods near where you live? How odd is it that everything that seems to be the best at aiding weight loss, preventing cancer and boosting brain power comes from halfway around the world? Every state in America has a list of native foods offering impressive vitamins, minerals and other elements essential for health, so wherever you live, there are local foods you may not have thought of to augment your health. Below are five local-for-exotic superfood swaps that not only may surprise you, but will get your culinary juices flowing. Super Swap: Lemon Balm for Cacao Not many would think these two could be interchanged, and maybe the flavors aren't so similar, but the effects they provide seem to be. If you're a chocolate lover, you know one of the reasons people crave it: It's soothing and even somewhat stress relieving. Comparatively, lemon balm — emphasis on "balm" — does what it's said to do, lifting your spirits but without the stimulation from caffeine. Native to the eastern Mediterranean and West Asia, Melissa officinalis, like so many other herbs, has been used for centuries as a therapeutic remedy due to its antiviral, antibacterial, antispasmodic and antidepressant compounds. Its modus operandi, according to Natural Living Ideas,1 includes stress relief, relief of pain from indigestion and improving your appetite. Another use for lemon balm is to promote sleep. You can chop the leaves and steep them in boiling water to make a tea or rub a few leaves on your skin to allow the natural oils to seep into your bloodstream, which helps you relax. In fact, a University of Maryland study found that 81 percent of the participants who used lemon balm with valerian root got a better night's sleep than those on a placebo.2 And a Northumbria University study reported that experiments with lemon balm returned memory-strengthening and improved problem-solving abilities when they took capsules filled with the dried herb. The subjects also performed "significantly" better when taking standardized computer tests on memory in comparison with those given a placebo.3 One of the great things about lemon balm, a perennial herb and member of the mint family, is how easy it is to grow, particularly in the spring. It can be sown from seed, or you can buy a small plant from a farmers market or nursery, and you'll be amazed how quickly it grows and spreads. Acai Berries Can Be Swapped for Blueberries Acai berries (pronounced ah-sah-EE), a sort of cross between a grape and a blueberry, look very much like the latter and, oddly, taste a little like a berry dipped in chocolate. They've been used in traditional medicine to treat infections from parasites, ulcers, hemorrhaging, ulcers and diarrhea. Acai berries come from the Amazon region. Besides the berries themselves, the juice and pulp are commonly added to teas, fruit drinks, fruit bars and other products geared toward health and vitality. Nutritionally, these little berries contain high levels of antioxidants, flavonoids and anthocyanins. But as beneficial as acai berries are, their nutritional profile is very comparable to that of blueberries, grown on both U.S. coasts and all over the heartland. The two types of blueberries are differentiated as highbush and lowbush, the latter being the wild variety and higher in anthocyanins. According to the Blueberry Council: "The first commercial crop of little blue dynamos traveled from farm to table 100 years ago … Native to North America, blueberries have been around for more than 13,000 years — so they have deep roots in our country's history. Today, we're still reaping the health benefits of blueberries, and are discovering they have more to offer than our ancestors could have ever imagined."4 Blueberries have truly remarkable benefits for cardiovascular health, as well as for your brain, insulin response and even cancer prevention. Packed with vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and helps collagen to form, they're also loaded with fiber for greater regularity, impacting your heart health, and manganese, a mineral noted for energy conversion and proper bone development. Chickweed: The New Wheatgrass As green as any grass you've ever seen, wheatgrass has been a main event in health food circles for decades. People will line up to pay big bucks for a small shot of the stuff, which tastes pretty much like you'd imagine, similar to the aroma of new-mown hay; as one company describes it, "unfamiliar, but not unpleasant."5 Several of this commodity's features include fighting aging by revitalizing skin cells, cleansing the blood and fighting tumors. Clinical studies show that it contains 90 minerals, 20 essential amino acids, 13 vitamins and 80 enzymes. But it's the 70 percent ratio of chlorophyll, structurally similar to red blood cells (hemoglobin), that makes it a superfood. World Lifestyle notes that once it's absorbed, it converts to hemoglobin, mimicking red blood cells and carrying oxygen to vital areas of your body, and may even kill off cancer cells because "cancer cells can't survive and thrive in oxygen-rich environments."6 But get this: Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a wild, edible plant (beautiful, too, by the way) growing prolifically in every area of the world other than those that are coldest, like Antarctica. Besides decreasing insect damage to other plants, it's chockfull of many vitamins, minerals and, like wheatgrass, chlorophyll. Chickweed stems and flowers can be usedraw in salads and sandwiches, tossed into soups and stews or added to cooked dishes (but at the end as the stems and leaves are delicate). Frontier foragers learned that when they gathered chickweed, almost exclusively in the spring, it was useful as both food and medicine. As a food, Foraged Foodie7 observes, the raw form is covered with a fine layer of fibers, which are minimized when they're gently chopped and sautéed or wilted. Natural medicine expert Dr. Josh Axe notes: "Chickweed is taken by mouth to treat stomach problems, intestinal complaints such as constipation, disorders of the blood, arthritis, lung diseases including asthma, kidney disorders, inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract, rabies, and scurvy or vitamin C deficiency. It is also used to relieve extreme exhaustion. Chickweed is applied on the skin relieve various skin conditions such as skin wounds, ulcers, burns, arthritis pain and symptoms of eczema."8 Rose Hips Can Take the Place of Goji Berries Goji berries are renowned for having a lot of vitamin C. Originally from Asia, they were used by the ancients to replenish body fluids, improve skin and soothe jangled nerves. The bush-like plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants with tomatoes and peppers and is reputed to be beneficial for insomnia, tuberculosis and to increase testosterone. On the other hand, rose hips, the fruits or seed pods of the wild roses you see growing everywhere throughout the U.S in late summer or fall, contain so much vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, they're actually known to be the most abundant source in the world, which explains why they're so sought after by many markets. It was only in the last several decades that anyone thought to consider if there might be actual nutrition in rose hips. Once used in animal food, today they're an ingredient in jams, jellies and pie, as well as soups, bread and wine. Bon Appetit adds: "The hips, like the petals, are high in flavonoids, those small but mighty antioxidant friends. Like nettle, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips also make it a heart healthy medicine … "9 Mother Nature Network10 adds vitamins A and E to rose hips' benefits, so they can be made into tea or even eaten to help treat colds and sore throat. Because they also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, the anti-inflammatory properties can even treat rheumatoid arthritis.11 The odd pods also contain pectin, which is good for your heart. Organic Facts12 reveals more advantages of consuming rose hips in some form, including an ability to optimize cholesterol, boost your immune system, prevent chronic disease such as cancer, regulate your blood sugar and eliminate toxins. Nettles Compared to 'Superfood' Spirulina Although spirulina technically does grow in 'the States,' it's only one: Hawaii, as well as other exotic areas of the world, so it's understandable that many think of it as not exactly around the corner. But first of all, what is it? If you've heard of blue-green algae, you're halfway there. Spirulina's deep blue-green color reveals its active ingredient — chlorophyll — clearly. Health.com13 explains it as one of the oldest life forms on Earth and possibly consumed in Aztec and African diets centuries ago. Today it's touted for its ability to strengthen the immune system, reduce fatigue and combat allergies. Nettles are another plant with chlorophyll that even rivals the amount found in spirulina, but they're often found in ditch banks, forests and riverbanks. It's sometimes called "stinging nettle" because it does just that; if you touch it without wearing gloves, the tiny hairs on every surface sting like a bee due to the presence of formic acid, leaving small red welts. But internally, Bon Appetit asserts, it acts like a tonic: "Taken over time, nettle will strengthen your circulatory, immune, and endocrine systems to promote peak function. The stronger these systems, the better position our bodies are in to deal with whatever might come our way."14 Cooked or dried, though, this pesky stinging problem goes away completely; good thing, too, because this free foraging food is highly nutritious, containing fiber, lecithin, chlorophyll, sodium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and vitamins A and C, according to Mother Earth News. It's been used in birth rooms and battlefields to stop bleeding, both internally and externally, and is considered to purify blood, as well. As a tea: "It has been found to help cure mucus congestion, skin irritations, water retention and diarrhea … stimulate the digestive glands of the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Applied externally, nettle tea … relieves rheumatism in both people and animals, makes a first-class gargle for mouth and throat infections, helps to clear up acne and eczema and promotes the healing of burns."15 The top two or three pairs of leaves are the most tender. Again, use gloves then tongs to transfer the saw-toothed leaves from your gathering bag to the sink for rinsing, and to the pan for sautéing, say, with onions and garlic in oil, sea salt and Parmesan cheese. What About Common, Local, Easy-to-Grow Superfoods? Among all the vegetables grown in the U.S. (although elsewhere, as well) broccoli is arguably one of the most nutritious. You don't have to look far for the reason: sulforaphane, an organic sulfur found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. Not only does it support normal cell function and division, it helps your body detoxify and reduces inflammation and damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Broccoli sprouts — the nutrient-dense superfood starter from broccoli seeds — are linked to the prevention of many serious diseases, from heart disease to diabetes. They, too, can help detoxify even such environmental pollutants as benzene and protect against cancer. Besides sulforaphane, this is also due to powerful compounds such as the glucosinolate glucoraphanin, which helps improve blood pressure and kidney function, and isothiocyanate, known to normalize DNA methylation. Arugula is another powerhouse veggie, often known as "rocket" due to its spicy flavor. As a green, it's very versatile. As another brassicaceae along with cabbage and broccoli, it has many of the same nutrients and healing compounds, including fiber, vitamins A, C (to boost the immune system) and K (for bone strength), folate, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. One study shows arugula to be a powerful aid against gastrointestinal ulcers, psoriasis and skin, lung and mouth cancers. Many more vitamins and minerals help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. The amazing thing is this fancy-looking green is very easy to grow and, like many others, can be mixed with other greens with supportive nutritive value. Then there's avocado, or Persea Americana, used by the Mayans as an aphrodisiac. Loaded with fiber, one avocado contains 36 percent of the dietary reference intake (DRI) in vitamin K, 30 percent of the folate, and 20 each of pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium. Plus, avocados have more than twice the potassium of a banana. The avocado's nutritional benefits rival any exotic food on the planet, as it has multiple beauty uses as a mask and facial scrub, natural sunscreen and moisturizer. It's also one of the only fruits (this one's a drupe) offering plentiful and beneficial monounsaturated fats and helps optimize cholesterol levels. You can only skim the surface to imagine what all those other compounds do to boost health and fight disease. So, you don't have to eat foods grown 3,000 miles away. You can often find them growing, or at least being sold, within an hour of you. Look around and see what's available.

More Mantis and Marmot Magic

After last week’s unusual animal sightings and interactions, the bizarre fun continues. The praying mantis who “reported for duty” last week is the friendliest insect I’ve come across. He (and it does seem to be a he, judging by size) landed on David’s arm on Sunday, and yesterday, I felt someone looking at me, only to discover it was my little mantis friend, hanging out on the cosmos! He said hi and then continued on his way. Today, he landed on my arm while I was planting strawberries and thyme. We both startled each other when I jumped, but after I apologized for flailing my arm, he turned his head and nodded at me.

David took down the dog run wire that had created a no-fly zone for hawks and eagles, and I didn’t see any groundhogs for a few days. This was compared to 3 or 4 sightings per day. The shed showed evidence of some kind of major tussle, but I don’t know who did what to whom. On the day I received 1.5 tons of soil, right before it arrived, I saw the old woodchuck out back. This is the more polite, grizzled one who just eats clover. He looked right at me through the window, kind of like a fat, old man saying, “Listen lady, I heard about you. Don’t mess with me.” When he got a little too close to the house for comfort, I opened and closed the window, which sent him lumbering away to the spruces.

Because David had recently trimmed the very bottoms of low hanging trees in order to make it easier for him to mow the lawn, I could see the groundhog, aka, “whistle pig,” aka Marmota monax, pop up in the far back, right corner of brush and trees. He just hung out there for awhile, and I went out front to await my soil drop off. Right before it arrived — and I mean immediately — who goes zipping from our neighbor’s backyard in a beeline across our driveway to the area across the street where I kept feeling a woodchuck? The very same one.

One scream later, I realized several things:

I don’t have to worry about the one I’d seen across the street suddenly finding our yard. This was a well traveled path.

The only reason he hadn’t seen my front yard garden was that it’s super stealth, hugging the treeline and he was moving fast.

The most likely predator of this particular groundhog might be a car. One barely missed him.

I don’t think it’s the same groundhog that ate my pepper plants, but it might be. For sure, I have seen this one on a regular basis, because he has very distinctive markings — almost distinguished with the white “beard.”

Once again, that uncanny groundhog timing was causing me to rethink an ambitious garden plan.

After the soil arrived on Monday morning, I started moving it to various beds, bags and in ground areas. Synchronously, my second 100 gallon original Big Bag Bed has still not yet arrived, and it was supposed to rain last night. It didn’t, but I used last night as my deadline to move all the soil off the driveway. I did fill another 50 gallon Big Bag Bed Jr. and a bunch of Smart Pots and Vivosun fabric pots. I’m experimenting to see which ones I like best, but they all mix and match sizes in a consistent black color that blends well with the edges of weeping trees:

Prior to seeing the groundhog jet across our driveway, I had planned to put the 100 gallon Big Bag Bed to the right of that second 10-gallon pot above and just to the left of the pots you see below, which are closer to the driveway:

The silver artemesia (wormwood) and lavender are both deer and groundhog resistant, possibly even repellent. I’m still ever so slightly considering the garden as planned with the 100-gallon circle just to the left of the leftmost artemesia; however, I have concerns that putting a larger bed out in the open, jutting forward into full sun from the treeline, will scream, “Hey, all you devouring critters, I’m gardening here! Free buffet.”

By getting greedy with the sunlight for more plants, I might jeopardize the entire front yard garden. If, on the other hand, I just continue hugging the treeline with the grow bags interspersed with mints, salvia, lavender and other highly fragrant and flowering herbs and deer/groundhog resistant butterfly plants, then maybe my front yard garden will remain stealth from not only groundhogs, but deer and humans, as well.

As I filled 20-gallon beds near the mailbox and readied the planter area for a bunch of butterfly friendly, deer repellent and drought tolerant plants, the woodchuck started going wild in the copse across the street. He was whistling so loud it sounded like a song. (I took this photo last evening, which is why it’s in the shade. Normally this area gets about 12 hours of direct sun per day, so these pots will house monarda (scarlet bee balm), catmint, and likely some daffodils. The pots unify the mailbox area with the birch tree guild closer to our house.)

Anyway, during the two days of soil moving, every time I thought about putting the 100-gallon bed up front, the groundhog would go crazy with excitement, whistling, singing and making bizarre woodchuck noises I’ve heard on youtube. Whenever I’d think of not doing that, he quieted down. Coincidence? Maybe, but since living here, I’ve noticed that groundhogs really do have impeccable timing. I’ve been eating from and enjoying this kitchen garden every day. I’d really prefer it remain off the radar. I’d also not like total devastation to be the first impression of our house if he or some of his friends finds the front yard garden. With plants hugging the treeline, damage is far less obvious.

Here’s where things get even more synchronous and magical. Part of this soil moving adventure involved filling eight 20-gallon Vivosun pots along our existing backyard hedge. Doing so meant moving the soil twice — once into a garden cart, hauling it around the side, through the gate, across the yard and then shoveling it a second time into each pot. They are too big to fit in the cart when full, so I would fill them up front just enough to hold shape, cart them back and then shovel the soil into them from the cart. It has been in the upper 80’s, sunny, and very, very humid. Let’s just say I got the full steam room treatment and a mini cleanse both days!

This hedge in front of the existing hedge will grow aronia berries, blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb and gooseberry, at least that’s the plan. After all that work hauling dirt, I now have some concerns that it may get sloshy and overflow during a hard rain. Once roots lock into the soil and give it structure, that will be less the case; however, we’re supposed to have four days of rain starting tonigh. Today, I realized I needed mulch, but I don’t want another delivery before all that rain. What to do, what to do … and I was still also wondering about that 100-gallon bed. Maybe I should put it out back, but if so, where? And plant it with what?

…And where could I get some wild ginger for the shady area up front? I checked around local nurseries and no one seems to have wild ginger, or at least not right now. It’s deer resistant, edible, and solves a ground cover situation up front. But where was it?! I looked all over online and finally found a bare root vendor on Amazon, but it’s very pricey for what ought to be free or close to it, since wild ginger grows like a weed in many places.

Anyway, dilemmas, dilemmas. Because of this groundhog situation in both front and back yards, I started wondering what would happen if I just put the Big Bag Bed to the west of the shed (on the side with the 20-gallon pots) and plant it with perennial onions, sea kale and whatever backups for the front yard crops I want. I could put my pot of nettles behind that bed and fill in the area behind the bed with more catmint and butterfly plants.

If that bed were to get devastated, I wouldn’t even be able to see it from most of the backyard. If it thrives, great! Sea kale might even wake up in spring before groundhogs do. Plus, I’ve been wanting an out of the way spot for garlic, Egyptian Walking Onions and a “magical” garden — some of whose plants can look a little weedy in an otherwise cultivated yard.

Today, I checked on that space multiple times to compare and contrast with the up front option. I think it gets ever so slightly less light than that full sun spot up front will, but it for sure will not scream, “Hey, I’m a garden!” because it will be tucked away and surrounded by and planted with repellent plants. I’d put it in an otherwise totally unused area, which is nowhere near our house foundation and close enough to the shed that no new tunnels would need to be dug.

While exploring that area again this afternoon and still pondering my mulch dilemma — too heavy to carry from the store while David’s in Goshen, don’t want a bulk delivery before the rain, really need something to moderate the soil moisture/overflow situation of my new fruit shrubs — the previous dumping ground for years of grass clippings suddenly caught my eye. This neglected, unseen area offered beautifully matted, dried grass clippings, perfect for mulching the 20-gallon bags! As I lifted literal pads of mulched grass clippings, I glanced in the shadiest back corner and saw several thriving wild ginger plants I can use for cuttings or transplant to the shady spot up front!

I also realized I could use the grass clippings to protect my new delphinium from having a landslide since I just threw in a 1 foot by 3 foot area of soil along the back trellis:

I planted some thyme as a groundcover/erosion control back there, but it will take awhile to establish. I don’t know that the grass clippings will totally solve the issue, but if they at least slow down the landslide until the roots get more established, then mission accomplished. That delphinium is groundhog repellent and should grow to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, filling in the center between the two established clematis.

I really can’t say that the groundhog is my official garden planner, but it’s quite eerie when every time I ponder a plan, a groundhog brings to light a wiser course of action. Perhaps it’s just permaculture in action: the problem is the solution. Maybe it’s the faeries.

In any case, I hauled 1.5 tons of soil in two days, some of it twice. A testament to just how hard I’ve been working since beginning to move out of the blue house/office on May 1, followed by our full relocation: even though I’ve been busy with sessions and literally working my butt off, this week still feels like a vacation. It feels good to have new plant friends, animal allies, and yes, nearly 2 tons of additional soil since moving here, with more on the way next week to fill that Big Bag Bed and more grow pots, wherever I decide they need to go.

It feels good to observe and learn our land, and it feels dangerously good to have an outdoor garden store, indoor hydroponics store and our favorite health food store all within a very short walk. I’ve had more synchronous encounters than I have time to blog or document. Sessions continue going well. All I can say is that I must really be tired of packing and unpacking, if hauling that much soil in 80+ degrees and high humidity feels like a vacation! But it does …

Wishing you and yours some garden magic — preferably without the marmot, but the mantis are fun! Blessed Be … and be the blessing!

from Thomas Reed https://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/more-mantis-and-marmot-magic/

Hey everyone! Today’s post is going to be about lip products! Specifically ones geared towards combating the dry, scaling chapped lips that come with winter!

I don’t often get chapped lips because I don’t lick my lips much, if ever. I was born tongue tied, meaning the frenulum aka webbing under my tongue was very long and tied my tongue to the floor of my mouth. I had it fixed when I was 18 but it was never much of a hindrance. I learned to whistle just fine, never had a speech impediment, never had problems eating when I was little- my main problems were I couldn’t latch and nurse properly when I was a newborn and I could never lick an ice cream cone without pushing the ice cream off, LOL! My tongue doesn’t go past my lips (but it’s still perfectly normal doing everything else) so I really never got into the habit of licking them.

Well, this winter my usual, much beloved Burt’s Bee’s lip balm isn’t quite doing the trick. The cold winter air, the dry forced air heating inside, it’s all left my poor lips a bit dry. For years I’ve been making my own DIY lip scrub with coconut oil, honey, and brown sugar…but I felt like giving something else a try.

Enter the Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant ($16.00 for .7ozs, Sephora) ! I’ve used their Pure Maracuja Oil ($48.00 for 1.7ozs, Sephora) on my face before and LOVED the results! It was very light weight but effective in moisturizing. I know some people are scared of using oil on their skin but if you use it right it doesn’t cause breakouts, I promise! I’ve used 4 or 5 skin oils (maybe I should make a post on the various oils I have and have tried before?) and have always had excellent results! But, back to the Lip Exfoliant. I take a small dab on one fingertip and scrub my lips for about 30 seconds. Side to side, in small circles, from inner lip to line line. Then I rinse with cool water and pat dry. Next comes the balm, Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub, ($33.00 for .12ozs, Sephora). I JUST CAN’T EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS. I CAN’T. It’s a buttery textured balm with a sweet, sugary taste and a gorgeous, soft pink colour. It has a gritty texture from the sugar crystals in it. Now, at first I was a little “eh” about it...I was just swiping it on like regular balm. But after a day or so I began using it like a real scrub, working the stick GENTLY back and forth over my lips and it is just HEAVENLY. The crystals do take a little time to melt down, about 10-15 minutes, but it’s not very noticeable. Plus, sugar is hydrating! This balm is just EVERYTHING. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Dior addict. lol!) The third picture is my lips after the Tarte and Dior and they not only feel silky but look SO much sexier than before! I have decent sized lips and the shape is what most people compliment (my cupid’s bow), but the balm and scrub just left them SO much nicer! After 5 days of use now I’m loving BOTH products!!I’m VERY pleased with this purchase! Do you have a lip balm you adore? Have you tried a lip scrub before? Let me know in a comment or private message! Until next time- don’t forget to moisturize!! XO

Spring sprouts! We're due for frost or near-frost later this week, and it might be the last one so I'm getting these babies ready for planting:

Spiderwort sprouts with sand coreopsis in the background. These are by far the most mature of my seedlings

Prairie clover & a variety of bee balms, which I planted only a few weeks ago--they did indeed germinate as easily as promised and are growing crazy fast

Doing Your Nails at Home? 6 Pro Tips to Get Them Right

With week three of social distancing well underway, and public authorities still turning the lights off on non-essential services, we’ve all had to hit pause on many scheduled plans, like our go-to beauty services. And for those of you who are nail salon loyalists, not going for your regular feel-good refresh every week or two can be somewhat of a rude awakening — especially without knowing for sure when life will return back to normal. To help you out during this adjustment period, we spoke to two professional manicurists, Essie’s global lead educator Rita Remark and CND brand ambassador Winnie Huang, to get insider tips for perfecting the art of the manicure and pedicure at home. And even if you’re a DIY aficionado, trust us: a little help from these Canadian experts will only better your nail game.

Start with a clean (dry) base and shape

First things first: for nail colour that lasts well beyond a couple of days, start by removing any traces of existing (regular) polish residue, dirt and oil with an acetone-based remover, suggests both pros. Once you have a clean base to work with, it’s time to trim your nails to a desired length with nail clippers, followed by refining the shape of them with a nail file.

Now, nail files don’t seem like the thing you need to overthink (many of us have probably have emery boards gathering dust in drawers around our house) but for a salon-standard manicure, it’s worth upgrading your nail file selection. “Try to use a finer-grit nail file. It gives you more control when shaping without losing any length,” says Remark. Opting for a softer, cushier board also avoids damaging your nails when filing, adds Huang, as ultra-grainy files are known to shred the edges of natural nails if not careful, leaving them more prone to splitting and breaking.

A common thought is to sit and soak your nails before tending to dry, overgrown cuticles, or even before filing nails for that matter, but both Remark and Huang suggest only reserving this step for your feet to cleanse and soften any calluses. For your hands, a dry manicure is best for extending the lifespan of all your hard work. “Your nails are porous, so when you soak them, they absorb the water and become more flexible, which in turn often results in chipping,” says Huang. When pampering your toes however, Huang suggests soaking them in warm water for five to ten minutes, and adding in some soothing bath salts for an elevated spa-like feel.

Tend to your cuticles

Once you have your perfect nail shape, proceed with gently pushing back cuticles with a stainless steel cuticle pusher before lightly exfoliating the nail surface with a nail buffer, recommends Remark. Alternatively, applying a cuticle oil and a cuticle exfoliator (Huang suggests using CND’s Cuticle Eraser and Solar Oil) and gently scrubbing nail beds with a manicure brush works just as well. “This will gently push back the skin around the nail and help exfoliate any cuticle and dry skin away,” says Huang.

For feet, don’t forget to give some TLC to any scaly heels with a callus remover. Remark is a fan of the double-sided foot file: “The coarse side is for removing calluses and the finer side softens,” she says.

And while it may be tempting to clip cuticles, don’t go overboard. Delicate trimming — with a proper cuticle nipper — should only be reserved for loose, dead skin (aka hangnails). “Nip hangnails off while being careful not to cut into your actual skin,” stresses Huang.

Lotion up and prep properly for polish

Next up: Massage in some lotion (avoiding your actual nails as best as you can), and give your nails a once-over with a swipe of acetone.

Two thin coats are better than one massive thick coat

The perfect polish application is your best friend when it comes to longwear nail colour, and that process always starts with one swipe of a good basecoat to protect your nails, says Remark. It also gives your colour something to properly cling to. “This is the double-sided tape that adheres the polish to your nail. It’ll help your manicure last that much longer,” adds Huang.

Proceed with brushing on two thin coats of colour (the pro-approved wait time is one to two minutes between each coat) and finish up with a topcoat — unless you’ve been polishing with a multitasking, all-in-one basecoat, says Remark. And it’s important to cap the free edge, both pros advise – this means to swipe across the end of the nail after every polish layer.

Fix mistakes

Dealing with polish smudges and slip-ups? Try upcycling old makeup brushes for quick clean-ups. “My favourite trick is to use a tiny angled brush dipped in nail polish remover,” reveals Huang. “But don’t load too much liquid on the brush, which may cause flooding,” she continues. If you don’t have a makeup brush to spare, good-old orangewood sticks will easily do the clean-up (and earlier cuticle-pushing) trick as well.

“If you smudge or nick your polish when it’s still tacky, dip the tip of your finger in acetone, and with a very gentle touch, you can glide the polish back into place,” adds Remark.

Say yes to more cuticle oil

During these hand-washing and hand-sanitization obsessed times, more is more. In fact, Huang recommends pampering cuticles with oil or a balm once to twice a day to keep nails and skin well moisturized. “Really commit to a cuticle-care routine. I always like to keep a bottle of oil close to me. Now more than ever, it’s time to take care of cuticles since we’re washing our hands way more often.”

Low on at-home supplies? Shop our gallery below of nail essentials that are easily accessible via your local drugstore, grocery store or mass-market retailer.

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Loblaws

Photography via Amazon Canada

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Suncoat

Photography via London Drugs

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

Photography via Sally Hansen

Photography via Shoppers Drug Mart

1/16

The Goods

Quo 100% acetone nail polish remover

($5, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

2/16

The Goods

Relvon crystal nail file

($14, Shoppers Drug Mart )

Buy Now

3/16

The Goods

Quo cuticle pusher

($8, Shoppers Drug Mart )

Buy Now

4/16

The Goods

CND Weekly Polish Cuticle Eraser

($17, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

5/16

The Goods

Joe Fresh nail brush

($4, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

6/16

The Goods

DR. TEAL'S epsom salts in lavender

($9, Loblaws)

Buy Now

7/16

The Goods

Velkomin cuticle nipper trimmer and cuticle pusher set

($15, Amazon Canada)

Buy Now

8/16

The Goods

Revlon cuticle nipper half jaw

($18, Walmart Canada)

Buy Now

9/16

The Goods

Burt’s Bees Honey and Grapeseed Oild Hand Cream

($17, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

10/16

The Goods

Essie All In One Base Coat

($13, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

11/16

The Goods

Suncoat peelable 2-in-1 basecoat

($12, Rexall)

Buy Now

12/16

The Goods

e.l.f. small angled brush

($4, London Drugs)

Buy Now

13/16

The Goods

Essie Quick-E drying drops

($13, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

14/16

The Goods

CND Solar Oil

($17, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

15/16

The Goods

Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehab Oil Balm

($11, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

16/16

The Goods

CND Vinylux Essentials RescueRXX Care Pen

($18, Shoppers Drug Mart)

Buy Now

The post Doing Your Nails at Home? 6 Pro Tips to Get Them Right appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Doing Your Nails at Home? 6 Pro Tips to Get Them Right published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/