5 Steps to a Perfect Manicure

Don't have the money for a salon manicure? With this step-by-step guide, you can paint your nails like a pro without emptying your piggy bank.

3 Hot Nail Trends for Fall 2010

Forget the chipped pink polish you've been wearing since fifth grade. This season's biggest nail trends are chic, unique, and perfect for the style-savvy gal.

1. Neutral nails give your manicure a makeover with sophisticated shades of grown-up colors. Think camel, mud, dove, and minx -- names that don't look good on paper but will leave you super stylish in a cinch.

 2. Lacy laquer is a interesting, hip way to glam up your nails. You can try other embellishments as well, like rhinestones or glitter, as long as you don't go overboard.

3. Rocker-glam glitter is all the rage. But instead of your usual flecks of sparkle, models are setting the trend with big, chunky pieces of glitter to add some hardcore drama to any diva's look.

Would you wear any of this season's fierce nail trends?

Want Super Strong Nails?

Follow these strengthening nail tips and you'll have Superwoman fingernails in no time.

TRIM YOUR NAILS
When you trim your nails, you have 2 cutting options. You can have an oval shaped nail or you can have square nails. Square nails are stronger.
- To achieve this look, cut your nails straight across the top and round the corners slightly.

MOISTURIZE YOUR NAILS
Healthy nails are beautiful nails! Remember this as you moisturize your hands and nails.
- Seal moisture in your nails by rubbing cuticle cream or hand/nail cream on your hands once a day. Pick one in a scent you love!
- If you're looking for a real treat, pour some olive oil into a bowl and soak your hands & nails for 15 minutes. Use the extra "You Time" to talk to God or listen to Bethany Dillon's "Beautiful" on your iPod.

PAINT YOUR NAILS
Who doesn't love painting your nails?
- Choose a clear base that strengthens your nails.
- While you should always remove chipped nail polish, don't go overboard with the nail polish remover. Remover makes your nails brittle, which leads to cracks and unhealthy nails! Only use remover once a week if you have to use it that often.

BREAK BAD HABITS
I know, I know, you can't help it. Yada, yada, yada. I absolutely cannot stand it when people bite their nails. My little sister and brother do it constantly, so that's my excuse for being mentally insane. Break the peeling & nail biting habits now to let your nails grow back and be beautiful!
- Put a little bottle of cuticle cream or hand/nail cream in your purse. Every time you feel like biting or peeling your nails, apply the cream to your nails instead. Instead of gnawing on your nails like a hooligan, you're actually repairing your nails! It's a win-win situation to breaking this embarassing and gross habit.
- Try putting lemon juice on your nails. Some girls have found this doesn't work because they get used to the taste after a while. The solution? Don't put your hands in your mouth enough to get used to it! When the habit is broken, forget the lemon juice. If that habit doesn't break, try the above tip instead.
- Remember that a bad habit takes about 2 weeks to start and almost 5 weeks to break. Stick with it, girl! I'm with you!

Funky Nail Art

If details make the difference, then having beautiful nails is important. But what if you're going bolder, outside of the traditional French manicure? What if you want actual nail art? Here's a look at some of the coolest -- and craziest -- designs.

>> These nails are light and simpler than some of the other nail designs we'll look at today. You can buy nail kits to *try* to do it yourself, or you can fork over the cash to get proffessional help for your nails.

>> These nails are called "Why We Hate Nail Art". Tacky, tacky, tacky.
C'mon, are you really going to wear that?

The designer started with a clear basecoat as you should always do for dark polish. Then she painted the nails black. She dusted some gold polish on the tips. Then she got a pile of fake gems and splashed them over the nails. The result? Er, interesting.

>> These nails OK. I approve of them. They are more simple than the nails above. In fact, some of them are really cute. Just chop the length down a bit, please.

>> These look like a carosel. I don't understand. Why?? Plus, the more jewels and stuff you put on your nails, the more it's giong to come off. Think of all the things you do with your hands every day. Would these nails really make it through all that? I don't think so.

These nails prove that nail art is really that -- art. I mean, people have careers in this stuff. They went to school to learn how to do this! So, to some degree, nail art is fascinating. In another degree, it's like haute courture: fun, but almost unwearable, by no means practical, and not to be used off the runway.

I have a few more wacky designs to show you later, plus some simpler, more everyday ones that you can do at home. So stay tuned!

Italian Natural Beauty Secrets

Italians know their stuff (after all, they invented pizza). I’m going to share with you 2 Italian beauty recipes that are all-natural and can be found right in your kitchen, plus a quick recipe idea to make with the leftovers. Let’s get started!

Roma Facial
Italian food would be nothing without juicy red tomatoes. Slice some tomatoes. Paint your face (except for your lips and eyes) with plain yogurt. Then cover your face with the sliced tomato. Finally, cover your eyes with cucumber slices. Relax for 10-15 minutes and throw the face food away. Rinse off the yogurt. Refreshed yet?
WHAT IT DOES:

- Plain yogurt moisturizes your skin
- Tomatoes soothe redness, irritation, and leave your skin feeling wonderful
- Cucumbers soothe puffy, swollen eyes and give your skin a cooling sensation

Mediterranean Moisturizer
Olive oil is another key ingredient in Italian food. I’ve shared this tip with you before, but it’s so good, I’ll share it again. Soak your hands and nails in a bowl of olive or vegetable oil for about 10 minutes. Remove hands and toss out used oil. Let the oil seep into your skin for about 5 minutes, then wash off any remaining oil. Your hands will be a bit greasy for a while, but the end result is soft, healthy hands and nails. Voila!
WHAT IT DOES:- Olive/vegetable oil is an intense natural moisturizer that soaks deep into your skin

Recipe Idea
Did you know that Mediterranean food is super healthy? Use the leftover ingredients  to whip up some Italian food for your family. You can make a refreshing, light salad with half-pieces of cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, crumbled Feta cheese, and Italian salad dressing. Now how do you say "absolutely DELICIOUS" in Italian?

Make Nail Polish Last

Don't you hate it when your polish chips? Here's how to get the most out of your manicure.

1. Wash your hands to make sure your nails are clean and have no oil residue from your fingers or lotion.
2. Apply a clear basecoat.
3. Apply two coats of your favorite color polish. Let dry.
4. Apply a clear topcoat to seal and shine.

BONUS TIP
Your polish will chip once the topcoat is worn off. You can keep reapplying topcoat every 2-3 days to make the color last even longer.

Nail Polish Remover 101

As soon as your nail polish starts to chip, that's your cue to break out the polish remover and scrub the color away. Before you start, there are a few important things to know about what you're putting on your nails.

A main ingredient in nail polish remover is acetone -- the same stuff used to make cement and photographic film. Cool, right? It's extremely flammable and exposure to the vapors can make you sick. Of course, just like it can take the paint off your nails, it can also take the finish out of your mom's furniture or the color out of your jeans.

Another ingredient in this product is alcohol. This is found in many personal care products, but it is infamous for drying out your skin, hair, and nails. Because of the alcohol content, you shouldn't use nail polish remover more than once or twice a week unless you want brittle nails.

You can get nail polish remover in a pad or in a bottle with a cotton ball. For best results, soak your nails in warm or hot water before wiping away the polish. To rescue your nails after use, soak them in olive oil for 5-10 minutes.

DID YOU KNOW? Acetone is produced naturally by your body, but can also be found in onions and grapes.