How to Choose the Right Press-On Nails for Your Nail Type

 

Image Credit: Pexels

{This is a collaborative post}

Choosing the right press-on nails can transform your manicure routine, offering an easy and stylish way to maintain beautiful nails. To find the perfect fit, consider your natural nail size and the shape that best complements your style. You can select press-ons that look seamless and natural by measuring your nails carefully. Some sizing methods involve simple tools like tape or sizing kits, making it easy to find your ideal match.

Shape and length are also key factors when selecting press-on. For longer nail beds, medium or long options often provide a more flattering appearance. Meanwhile, shorter nails may benefit from compact shapes. The right design should improve your natural nails rather than overpower them, guaranteeing a balanced look.

You can easily find the best press-on nails at Lilac St., or any other reputable brand, which offers a wide selection of stylish, easy-to-apply options. These nails are durable and available in stunning designs, perfect for any occasion. By choosing the right press-ons, anyone can effortlessly achieve a professional-looking manicure at home.

Identifying Your Nail Type

Understanding your nail type is key to choosing press-on nails that fit well and last longer. You can make a more informed choice by assessing nail shape and size, considering nail bed health, and recognizing nail texture.

Assess Nail Shape and Size

Determining the shape and size of your nails involves measuring them at their widest and longest points. Use a soft tape or a piece of paper to capture measurements accurately. People often overlook the curvature of their nails, which can impact how well press-on nails fit.

Common shapes include round, square, and almond. Knowing your natural shape will help you select suitable press-on nails. Consider both width and length, as a close fit may require some filing or trimming. This approach guarantees a more comfortable and natural appearance.

Understand Nail Bed Health

The health of your nail beds affects how well press-on nails adhere. Healthy nail beds are typically smooth and even with a light pinkish color. Check for ridges, discoloration, or spots, as these could indicate issues that might impact the longevity of press-on nails.

Maintaining good nail hygiene is important. Keep nails clean and moisturized to prevent dryness and brittleness. Healthy nails provide a strong foundation, helping the press-ons stick better and longer. Neglecting nail bed health can result in discomfort or short-lived applications.

Beauty Recommendations for Looking after Yourself in 2022

Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash

{As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, any affiliate links will be marked with #ad}

Finally, in my late forties, I seem to be looking after myself better. I've always enjoyed wearing make-up and doing my hair but I have been absolutely hopeless at looking after my skin or having any kind of beauty regime. Thankfully, God seems to have blessed me with good skin and I've got away with it, but no longer, I realise I'm ageing and need a change. So let me share with you some of the products I've been using in recent times and I'm loving.

Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Revealing Liquid Peel - £16 for 100ml

This is a fairly new product to me, I've been using it for just a few months but even in that short time, I am really finding it effective. I had thought that my face was looking a bit dull but this has cheered it up no end and I have that lovely glow again. The product has a gentle exfoliator in it and you apply it to dry skin and as you massage it in you can feel these little balls forming and they are supposed to collect up your dry skin cells and any dirt/ grime that is there. You then rinse it off your face and it really is very satisfying to use. 

You just need one or two small pumps for each use, so I think the 100ml bottle will last me quite some time and provide good value. When I was younger I probably would have opted for a supermarket fash wash in a much bigger size for under a fiver but as I get older I realise that you do get what you pay for. I also really like the values of Body Shop (#ad) and I'm happy to buy from a sustainable brand with good green credentials, using natural products. 

Accepting Yourself as You Are #TheSelfieTalk

Image Credit: Dove

I was very interested to see that Dove have a new campaign, the #reverseselfie where they take an image that has been shared on social media and roll back the time, removing any filters, edits etc.

When you arrive at their webpage, titled “building self-esteem in the social media age” the first statistic that greets you is “by age 13, 80% of girls distort the way they look online” and as you read that you might feel pretty shocked, sickened or saddened. I know I did. Why? I thought to myself, why do they feel the need to edit their pictures and make themselves look different? Just look at those images above, that young girl on the right is almost unrecognisable by the distortions to the image on the left, and a 13 year old has become 20. That's truly what you call a lost youth. 

As I mused on this for a few days, I started to wonder if the problem really is as big as many adults assume? Are young girls intrinsically unhappy with the way they look and feeling pressure to be different? Also, Is it any different now to when I was 13, 34 years ago, before the age of social media? When I was at school I remember there being girls who wouldn’t come to school without a full face of make-up or their hair pristine. Isn't this just a newer version of that?

I suppose the big difference now, is that back in my day if you had bad hair, maybe 100 people saw it at school (if they even noticed you) but now if you post a bad hair day picture on social media there is an infinite amount of people who could look at it and it could go on being viewed for days, weeks or even months. Nowadays you have keyboard warriors too, those who want to share their opinion, even if it is negative. Believing that by sharing a photo, you invited their criticism or comment. 

So when I found myself in the car with my twin 13-year-old girls last week I asked them about posting pictures on social media and how they feel about it as I've noticed they both rarely post anything to their Instagram grid preferring to share stories instead. There are also a lot of filters and specific poses or effects used. For instance, I notice they like to take photos of themselves in the mirror, so it is a reflective look and maybe their tongue will poke to the side, or they make a sign with their hands. I'm pleased to say none of the trout pout or porno style shots has been in evidence from my girls. 

One pointed out to me that many of the filters or apps she uses are for fun, they aren’t about looking more beautiful or perfect. They might be a selfie in a face mask, or with silly big eyes, they are just a bit of fun, a way of expressing herself with her friends.

The other said she didn’t know anyone who actually took the time to use a photo editor to slim their body, change nose shape, elongate their neck etc. So that felt encouraging. She said that young people just want to post a photo they are happy with on social media and to show their best self. How is this any different to many adults, she questioned? And she is right, I wouldn't put a photo up where I felt I looked awful. For me, it won't be about a full face of make-up, but it might be about hiding my crooked smile, left from when I had Bells Palsy, or making my huge tummy not look so big. We each have our insecurities and just because I do not share photos of them on social media, does not mean I am tricking the world. I'm just posting what I am happy with and that is about me, and not you.

How much do you know about Laser Hair Removal Treatment?

Image Credit: Thérapie Clinic

{This post is written in collaboration with Austin K}

For those who are tired of plucking, tweezing, shaving, and waxing their unwanted body hair away, laser hair removal treatment could be your perfect choice as it is one of the most advanced hair removal treatments chosen by thousands of people each year, because of its outstanding outcomes.

If you are looking for a permanent hair-free solution within just a few treatments, then search no more, as laser treatment could be your answer. As a cosmetic treatment, the laser is known for its non-invasiveness, precision, and speed in treating unwanted body hair anywhere on your body. The concentrated laser beams target and destroy the hair follicles that are present inside the skin’s surface so that hair no longer grows back and it only affects the specific structures of the hair and follicle, leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.

If you’ve held back, worrying about how much it will hurt, then fear not as the cooling technology attached to the laser will reduce the pricking sensation and make the entire process mainly pain-free and super simple, whilst being very effective. A top tip is to avoid caffeine before your treatment as this can make your skin more sensitive.

Talking Body Shapes and Size

Image Credit: Fat & Lean woman

I think it's been really good for my girls spending lots of time by the pool during our holiday in Spain, they have seen people (and let's be honest by people, I mean women) of all shapes and sizes wearing whatever it is that pleases them and of course that is how it should be. We are all different and our character and style is unique, so my desire to wear a one piece bathing suit is different to someone else's desire to wear a g-string.

There have been some strange comments like 'Mum, do you think all these people know how big they are and they are wearing bikinis?', 'you look really big in that Mummy' and 'can you swim if you are that fat?' I've been challenged by each of these statements both as a mother and a larger lady but pleased that they have presented the opportunity to again talk with my girls. The conversations have gone along the lines of people being able to wear whatever makes them happy, that bikinis are not just for super slim women, that I am more than just my size and that people of all shapes and sizes can swim really well.

It does trouble me where they have both got this body size obsession from. You might jump to the conclusion if you've seen me that it is down to me as I'm large but I never express dissatisfaction with my body size/ shape in front of them and I have never commented on others either. I am really open with the girls, I acknowledge that I am overweight, but I do not flinch when they touch me, they see me exercise and they have seen me eating more healthily as they know it is not ideal to be as big as me. However, I have always been really clear that it is not 'bad' to be fat but it can cause health issues and that is why I should try to be healthier. I tend to talk in health and fitness terms rather than size or weight as I feel it is much more important.

Perhaps just my being fat is enough to have scarred them? Maybe they are scared of ending up the same way as me? Maybe the cruel playground comments about me have upset them? Or perhaps it is the things I allow them to eat, the way I allow them to live their life that will lead to them being fat? I don't know, parenting and trying to navigate the minefield that is raising kids is immensely hard and like everyone else I'm just trying to do my imperfect best. Yes it worries the inner me if I see there is more weight on their little bodies than I think is ideal but I never give them any indication of this and I remember that each one of my three children is growing and changing and puberty is approaching and their bodies now will not at all be indicative of their bodies as adults. I would never ask them to change or diet.

What is it about living in the UK that makes people obsessed with how women look? The hotel where we were staying had people from all nations and us Brits were very much in the minority but I noticed it was only the British women that sat there with their arms crossed over their tummy and wearing a one piece swimsuit. The Russians, the Germans and the Spanish, to name just a few of the many nationalities were all in bikinis and as brown as berries. Maybe that is it, they are more used to the sun and having their skin on show?

I don't really have any answers, that is the difficult thing. All I know is that I need to keep encouraging my girls to accept themselves just as they are and when they are older if they decide for any reason that they don't like what they see when they look in the mirror then they need to take positive steps towards change or acceptance. They just have to be careful not to allow their bodies to become an obsession.

My prayer for them both is that they will be brave and bold enough to just be the wonderful and unique person that God created them to be, it makes no odds if that person is a size 10, 14 or 22.

Just look at them, aren't they fabulous?

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Embrace Autumn - Our Walk at Home #CountryKids

Now I realise not everyone is as lucky as us and doesn't have this kind of walk on their doorstep but literally everywhere is beautiful in the Autumn.  Even in massive cities there are public parks and green spaces where the leaves are changing colours and falling from the trees.

I swore when we moved to our unique home 27 months ago that I would never take the beauty of this place for granted and I don't think I have but our walk yesterday did make me realise I have also not been making the best of it and getting out enough.

It is probably six weeks since I have last been for a really long walk and taken my camera with me. The girls and I rediscovered the grounds at our home on this Autumnal walk and had loads of fun too. All these photos are taken around the estate that we live in.

Facing your insecurities - can I love me just as I am?

I've had a blog post brewing for weeks now. Do you ever find that you have something to say but you are not sure how? I just seemed to have so much information and no way of putting it together into a coherent (and not too lengthy) post but today I'm determined to do it.

In March I wrote a post called 'As a parent I am the antidote to the norms and expectations of society' this was my first attempt to try and sort my own thoughts out about how the beauty industry and society at large are making an impression on my children. JJ is now 10 and my girls are nearly 7 so there is still some time to be able to positively influence them and to help them know they are beautiful and lovable. They are worthy of love without any conditions laid on it, they are loved for who they are, not what they do or how they look. I'm so scared the media will get under their skin and dictate that they have to be very slim, with perfect hair, clothes that are the latest fashion and always sporting a smile.

But I'll be really honest here with you (and please don't judge me). What I'm super scared of, is that the media has already impacted me and that without my wanting to I have been conditioned to believe that I must lose weight and keep my newly developing wrinkles at bay. Then of course in my fight to lose weight and my own battles with how I look (even if I try to hide it) they will see it and they will know it without me ever having uttered a word.

Just a week or two ago Miss E wrapped a cardie around herself and said 'look Mummy, I look like you, you wear your cardie like this' and she is right, I do.  I wear it tightly around me so it hides my large tummy, that was a bit of a wake up call!

Then wake-up call number two came when I was on pic monkey the other night resizing some images to use for my weekly 365 post and I came across a picture my Mum had taken of me last weekend. I was thinking how much I liked it and that it was a good shot.  Here it is, what do you think?

I look at this photo and I see a warm and friendly person, someone I might like to hang out with.

This is me as I look most days, nothing has been touched up in the photo, it shows the true picture of an overweight 40 year old mother.

Then for some reason whilst I was in pic-monkey I thought it might be fun to play with the touch-up tools (Photoshop type) and see how I might look after. Here is the touched up photo -

I used the weight loss tool, gave myself a sun-kissed glow, removed my forehead and eye wrinkles, gave my lips a touch of colour, added more mascara and brightened my eyes. It got to the end of the process and I was pretty pleased with the photo and thinking I looked like a better version of me.

What is that about? Here I am worrying that my kids will not accept themselves for who they are and what they look like and I am evidently doing the same.

This parenting lark really can be difficult, you have to deal with all your own insecurities and face up to every challenge in your bid to help your kids be confident and independently equipped to deal with whatever life throws at them. I suppose I should thank them really for helping me to grow up and face my own demons.

I now need to find some ways to help me love and accept myself just as I am. Have you got any good ideas for me? I think it is going to be quite a process.

So please tell me, am I alone? Have you been conditioned by the media or have you stood firm and retained the knowledge that you are worthy of unconditional love and that you don't have to look twenty forever more?

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

How does your garden grow - April 2014

Last week I had the most joyous walk around the grounds here. JJ and dh had gone to the beach for a bike ride and the girls were away at their grandparents and I had time to myself, lots of time. It was bliss and I took full advantage of it by watching the sun go down over one of our lakes and taking a prayerful walk through the gardens.

I thought I'd share what I saw -

I sneaked into the gardener's greenhouse, I love to see all the work that has gone on in here. The tiny seedlings are now becoming proper plants and they are getting ready for planting and sale.

Azaleas have to be my flower of the moment, we have them in all shades of pink and they are divine. I love all those little coloured spots inside making them so much more interesting than you first think.

I can't help but love fungi as well, there is not so much of it about at the moment, it was rife last summer and early autumn but this is the first good picture I have got of it this year, growing on a stack of firewood

I'd not been in the walled garden for a couple of weeks and all this wonderful blossom on the pear trees shows just how quickly things change. The apple orchard is just starting to blossom too, I'll capture that next.

I know it is not the garden but I love the lakes and isn't that green reflection of the meadow just wonderful?

And yes another good reflection that tickled my fancy.

Yet again I reflect on just what a privilege it is to live here and be amongst all this beauty.

Wishing you a fabulous week, Mich x