How to Clean Up Nails

Hi Tory,

you get a lovely degree of control and it fights right in where you want to clean up the mess

The last holiday I had - aside from occasional day trips to Eastbourne, don't judge - was going to the States and having a really rather fabulous time. North Carolina and Tennessee are gorgeous, beautiful places and the people are super nice.

They also do a spectacular manicure there. Oh yes. I had a French manicure done by this amazing lady who not only took just 20 minutes to do it, but gave me something that lasted a month. I was suitably impressed. What really impressed me, aside from the speed and the longevity, was how she cleaned up any lumps and bumps and spills.

I know that recently you've been trying out some nail art - and very good it looks too - but have had a nightmare cleaning up those occasional wrist slips when the polish tips over on to your skin and you end up crying and wondering why you even bothered. And I know that you've tried the standard "use a cotton bud". They taught us to do that in beauty college. "Use a cotton bud," they said. "Or a cuticle stick wrapped in cotton wool." Bad idea. Very bad idea.

For starters, the said article is WAY TOO BIG. There's no way you can get into the crevice between your nail and your finger much less anywhere near your cuticle. Also they shed fibres all over the place and you end up with unintentionally flocked nails. That makes you cry as much as slipping with the nail brush in the first place. I know. I've been there. It's not pretty.

The nail technician back in the States (remember her?) used an eyeliner brush dipped in nail polish remover. I watched her in fascination, thinking how obvious and logical that was, and wondering why anyone in their right mind would use the bear's paw that is a cotton bud. You get a lovely degree of control, it fits right in where you want to clean up the mess. Brilliant. I would absolutely advocate that you get a separate brush which is only for nails though. You can clean the brush but with the best will in the world I wouldn't want that anywhere near my eye. No sirree, Bob.

Products Used

• Thin eye liner brush
• Nail Polish Remover
• Cotton pads or cotton wool

Hugs and kisses,
xxx