Beauty Fix | Repairing a Nail Tear

It may sound a little dramatic, however a broken nail can be a bit of a nightmare - especially if you have a big event approaching. Luckily there is a quick fix that not only repairs your nail, but can make it look as though it was never broken in the first place....magic, right?!

Beauty Myths | Should You Really Cut Your Cuticles?

Nope. Your cuticles are there for a reason... and a good one at that. They protect the developing nail and surrounding skin from bacteria, so cutting your cuticles is definitely not a good idea. Doing so will heavily increase the chance of infection and, in case you didn't know, infections in and around the nail bed are not only unsightly, they are very painful.

Review | Nailpad

Nailpad is a simple and affordable product that I couldn't wait to review. Spoiler alert, I f**king love it...

Ask TBI: Stop My Nail Polish Chipping!

Question: My nail polish always chips after only a few days of applying it. What am I doing wrong? - Daniella, London.

Answer: It is likely that your nails have a tiny amount of oil left on them when you apply polish. When nails are not cleaned correctly, dirt and oil is left behind. This prevents the basecoat from sticking to the nail properly, causing it to flake away and take the nail polish with it.

What's The Beau(tee)? | Jessica Launch La Vie En Rose

Global nail lacquer giant Jessica has launched its latest colour collection and I am all the way into it...

Get Handsy | Best Hand & Nail Products

If there is one thing I love to do, it's get handsy. Whether I'm shaking someone's hand or sticking two fingers up to some asshole (who deserves it, obvs), my hands and nails need to be on point. These are the products I use to make that happen...

Behind The Brand: OPI

OPI was originally named Odontorium Products Inc and started off as a small dental supply company. The company was purchased by George Schaeffer in 1981, with Suzi Weiss-Fischmann joining as Executive Vice President and Artistic Director shortly after.

The Tuesday Tip: Make Your Polish Pop!

Have you ever purchased a nail polish (usually neon or sheer) that looks amazing in the bottle but far from amazing on your nails? Well I have a quick tip that will ensure these type of polishes stay vibrant and true to their bottle colour!

Holographic Nails

Sci-Fi just got sexy, thanks to a new beauty trend showing no signs of stopping. I'm talking holographic nails!

This trend has been spotted everywhere; gracing the hands of celebrities, numerous magazine pages and endless Instagram feeds. If you haven't seen at least one set of science-fiction-inspired claws yet, you must be a blind bitch...

True Brit London Launches

True Brit London is a new brand that you need to know about.

It is a British nail care company that was founded by Kate Cavan, a nail expert who has devoted her career to the beauty industry, bringing some of the biggest professional nail care brands to the market. With over three decades of experience as a design consultant for a variety of cosmetic companies, she decided to launch her own nail brand. Kate’s aim was simple; to create a brand that exudes British luxury and design a range of nail care products that supersede all others in aesthetics and performance. She succeeded, launching True Brit London this year.

Weekly Worship: Nails Inc. Overnight Detox Mask

Price: £15.00 / $21.75 14ml

Stockists: nailsinc.com / feelunique.com

Being a beauty bad girl, I have my fair share of bad habits. The worst is that I bite the skin around my nails. I know, I know, it's disgusting... f**king disgusting, and it looks it. I hate it. Anyway, whenever I get nail extensions I'm able to stop biting the skin around my nails. Why this is I don't know but it's a miracle. So I recently got my nails done and decided it was time to repair my damaged skin and finally put my skin biting habit to bed.

The Tuesday Tip: Apply Nail Polish Like A Pro

Applying nail polish seems super easy, right? But many of us gals make mani mistakes, falling victim to chips or coats so thick that our fingerprint is permanently stamped into our nail if we dare to press against it to check it's dried. Luckily manicurist Michelle Class has shared her tips on achieving polish painting perfection....

The Beauty Myth: Nail Polish Can Turn Nails Yellow

The Verdict: True

Sadly the rumor that some nail polishes turn nails yellow is one hundred percent true. Some nail polishes contain certain coloured pigments that can leave a nasty yellow stain on fingernails; darker toned polishes are usually the main culprits! The best way to stop the staining is to apply a base coat to the nails before applying nail polish. A good base coat will act as a protective barrier between the nail and the polish.

As for base coats, I use the Treat Base Coat 15ml ($18.00 treatcollection.com) as it dries quickly and protects my nails perfectly. As with all Treat polishes, the brand's base coat is '5-free'; free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate and camphor. highly pigmented, easy to apply and gorgeously glossy.

The Tuesday Tip: Fix Dried Or Gloopy Nail Polish

If your nail polish has dried up or turned gloopy, do not fear! Bringing it back to life couldn't be easier. Simply add a couple of drops of nail polish remover to the bottle, tighten the lid and shake! In only a few short seconds your polish will be back to life and ready to use.

Be warned, although this trick revives a lifeless lacquer, it doesn't do it without compromise. Adding nail polish remover to a polish does weaken its quality and pigmentation. However once it turns gloopy it is unusable anyway, so what the hell...

Now, there is a second way to combat the god awful gloop....using the Mavala Nail Polish Thinner 10ml (£7.60 feelunique.com). This amazing product does exactly what is says and deserves a spot in every nail kit! Your final option is to invest in quality polishes from great nail brands; some of my favourites include Treat, OPI, Caption and Nails Inc.

News: Olivia Palermo Annouced As Ciaté London's New Guest Creative Director

The beautiful, fashion-forward and straight-up stylish Olivia Palermo has just been appointed Guest Creative Director of Ciaté London.

Ciate London, the British beauty brand that is now available in over 40 counties, is celebrated for its innovation and colour. So I am not at all surprised the brand has decided to pair up with this fashion icon.

"I'm so thrilled to be working with Ciaté London as Creative Director in 2015, bringing to life my ideas for colour cosmetics for the first time. I'm an admirer of their innovation, I've enjoyed the creative process and I'm looking forward to the launch of the products coming to life" says Palmero.

With Palmero at the helm, 2015 will see the launch of four limited edition collections which will be stocked at Sephora stores globally. The first will be the Olivia Palermo X Ciaté London Colour Collection that will feature three shades of nail lacquer. Each polish in the collection has been carefully selected by Palmero and has been designed to suit all skin tones. The polishes will feature a mesh lock technology which provides lasting power, nail strength and a glossy finish.

Ask TBI: Save My Brittle Nails

Question: In the last few weeks my nails have become brittle and dry. What can I do to fix them? - Camille, Wisconsin.

Answer: Brittle nails can be attributed to ageing and frequent exposure to water or various cleaning products.

To avoid brittle nails, wear rubber gloves when you wash up and/or use harsh chemicals. You can also try incorporating green vegetables and oily fish into your diet as these ingredients are high in nutrients that will strengthen nails and encourage growth. Taking vitamin B supplements will also help to strengthen the nails.

To treat brittle nails massage a nail and cuticle oil into your nails at least once a day and start using a good strengthening treatment.

Oil wise, I would recommend the CND Solar Oil Nail & Cuticle Conditioner 15ml (£11.95 amazon.co.uk / $12.99 amazon.com) and when it comes to nail strengthening treatments, it doesn't get much better than the OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener 15ml (£18.65 Boots / $17.95 ULTA).

The Gift Edit: Beauty Sets

If you are looking to get a gift for a true beauty addict this Christmas, I would recommend a gift set. There are a huge number of different sets available this year, ranging from makeup to skincare. Below are four of my current favourites...

The first comes from one of my favourite skincare brands, Dermlaogica. The set is Active Moist (£44.00 Selfridges / $58.00 dermalogica.com) and it contains 100ml of the much-loved Active Moist, along with 30ml of the Soothing Eye Makeup Remover and 4ml of the Intensive Eye Repair. These hydrating heroes will give all skin types a massive moisture boost that will leave them with soft, plump and glowing skin. Who wouldn't love that this festive season?

We then have the Rituals Tao Treat Collection (£17.50 uk.rituals.com / $31.99 bathandunwind.com). This bodycare set contains four hero products from its Tao range, including the Shower Foam, Body Scrub, Body Cream and Deodorant. What I love about the Tao range is the scent, it is not too overpowering, just fresh, simple and subtly sweet - the kind of scent that would be loved by just about anyone. The set cost £17.50, so it is perfect for those looking for something more affordable.

Next up is the Benefit Sexy & Scrumptious Gift Set (£29.50 Boots). This set contains everything you would need to put on a full face! It's got High Beam, Posietint, They're Real, Fauxmance Lip Gloss, Coralista Blusher and an eyeshadow palette with fluff shadow/hard angle brush. Benefit have a large collection of Christmas gift sets this year, so it's worth popping in to one of their stores or going online to see what else you can get your hands on.

Swiftly moving from makeup to manicures, the final gift set on my list is the Nails Inc. Autumn Winter Collection (£29 nailsinc.com). This gift set contains a trio of limited edition nail polish shades that include Battersea Park, Grosvenor Crescent and Uptown. Each colour is highly pigmented, chip-resistant and provides a high shine finish. Considering each Nails Inc. polish is £14.00, the cost of this set is pretty impressive - we're talking a £13.00 saving!

The Tuesday Tip: Polish Prep

Do you ever get unexplained streaks when painting your nails or, worse, nail polish that recedes from the nail tip the second it's applied? Well if you do, I have a little trick that you are going to love.

The trick is to wipe each nail with acetone nail polish remover before applying nail polish - even if you aren't wearing any nail polish to begin with. Now this may seem a little backwards but, trust me, it works like a dream!

Wiping nails with acetone nail polish remover will strip the nail of dirt and oil, making them very dry. This will then create a rough nail surface, enabling the polish to apply more evenly and stay in place!

News: #Essietogo

The beauty vending machine is not a new concept, however the rumours of an Essie vending machine still got me pretty freakin excited! So I'm very  happy to announce that those rumours were true...

This month, the much-loved nail brand launched the Essie Color Boutique - a nail polish vending machine that will be available in select airports and malls across North America.

Each Color Boutique will be stocked with a total of 42 shades from the core Essie range, along with six seasonal colours that will be switched up every time a new collection launches. Users can also choose from among eight curated nail art looks, which link to a 'how to' application guide.

So you can now feel safe in the knowledge that the next time you have a chipped manicure (or no manicure at all!), a solution won't be far from your fingertips!

Weekly Worship: Nails Inc Newbies

Price: From £12.00 / $11.00

Stockist: nailsinc.com / Sephora

Nails inc has launched a few gorgeous, eye catching collections lately and I have fallen head over heels in love with each of them. Britain's favourite nail brand used to play it safe when it came to colour and texture, however in the last few years it has really brought some amazing  polishes to the nail counter!

The new collections include Garden Party, an English countryside-inspired range packed full of pastels, matte and metallic glitters, and Floral, a SS14 fashion-focused collection filled with romance and (you guessed it) flowers! The other new additions are Latex Effect Polishes, super smooth polishes with a waxy finish to die  for, and 2 in 1 Colour & Pop Art - gorgeous polish duos that have a strong summer colour at one end and a glitter effect top coat at the other!

Whatever the colour or effect, these nail polishes apply easily, pack some serious staying power and make your nails pop. I couldn't think of anything better to worship this week...

Swatches from left: Richmond Gardens Floral Polish, Westbourne Gardens Garden Party Polish, Shoreditch High Street Latex Polish and Sheraton Street Cavendish Place 2-in-1 Colour Pop Art.