manicure monday: must-haves

you could definitely call me obsessed when it comes to my nails. as soon as one has the tiniest chip- it's all over for me. I love spending time doing elaborate nail designs, but regardless of what's going on with polish, glitter and patterns, these are my tried and true must-haves every single time I do my nails. this cuticle remover is amazing! just apply a little bit, let it sit for a minute or two, and push them back before clipping. some people aren't fans of clipping, but my cuticles grow so fast and strong I have to. a sharp cuticle clipper makes a huge difference. to remove my nail polish, and clean between steps, I always use cotton rounds with some texture to them. it makes taking off glitter polish a bit easier (because we all know that's QUITE the pain) and doesn't leave cotton fluff all over your nails. when it comes to files, I always assumed a nail file was a nail file. when I was in Hawaii a few years back I randomly bought a glass file (who knows why) and have never gone back to a standard cardboard file again. not only do they stay sharp for-basically-ever, but they're less flimsy and allow me to be more precise with my edges. always remember to file in one direction, not back and forth like a saw! I also always use a multiple sided buffer file. these work great to smooth any rough edges, buff away any crack or peeling nails, and help get rid of any stains from dark polish. if you're someone who wants well manicure nails, or is looking to let their nails breath for a bit, using these can give you a shiny polished finish without any polish. and finally, the pièce de résistance of ALL of my manicures- this top coat. people often think that my nails are fake, or a gel manicure because of how strong and shiny they are, but honestly it's all thanks to this top coat. I've also found that it makes even the cheapest, more difficult to apply polishes look like a dream. if you're someone who always ruins their manicure with smudges or pillow lines- you need to try this. it dries so fast that I can do my nails 15-20 minutes before bed and make up with a perfect manicure.

what are some of your manicure must-haves?

xx, marissa