Manicure At Home Tips With Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Lacquers and Hand Cream

So it happened about 9 or 10 years ago. But "it" I mean me starting to paint my nails in other colours than clear or all shades of pink (I admit, I still love pink). Horrendous shimmery polishes said their final goodbyes and were happily dumped by yours truly introducing gorgeous glossy finish shades in all possible colours and variations. As time went on my love towards 100+ tones has been shifting according to the season, trend, occasion and, most importantly, my mood. With all of that came a bit of experience in doing my manicure at home. Especially since the spring is in the air (with an extra Leap Day this year - how exciting - also I've just read it Leo Day haha - so true, go Leo!) I thought I'd share my easy tips on how to get a perfect manicure at home featuring these lovely Crabtree & Evelyn spring nail lacquers and Lily Hand Therapy. Let's dive into the spring!

We all love to get pampered and would never say no to a great manicure done professionally. At the same time it's almost impossible to be a frequent nail salon customer. That's why I would like to share a few tips and tricks how to do it at home. It's very easy and a lot of fun! Netflix, nails, blogging = pretty much perfect evening ;)

1. Get your "tools" ready.

Things you might need: nail polish remover, cotton pads, nail clippers/scissors, emery board/nail file, cuticle stick, bowl with warm water, face cleanser, nail polish (+ base & top coat if you have extra time) and hand cream.

2. Clean and shape.

Get rid of the old chipped nail polish with the help of the nail polish remover (preferably acetone-free) and cotton pads. After that give your nails the desired shape using your emery board or nail fail that is not too coarse.

3. Just like a spa treatment.

Before dealing with your cuticle or starting to paint you need to prep your nails by immersing them into a bowl with warm water. What I like to do is add a bit of my facial cleanser into it as well. 2 minutes in and you're ready!

4. The (not-so) scary part.

Ok, there are a few ways of dealing with cuticle and thickened skin. I would recommend to avoid any form of clipping unless you know what you are doing. Cuticle simply needs to be gently pushed back from the nail (not too far) using the cuticle stick. I used to nip the cuticle before and would always make it bleed. Big no no. As for the callouses or thickened skin - clip gently only if you see it's safe to do so. If you're not sure about that part, leave it.

5. Get your hand cream on.

You might have heard that it's essential to moisturize after your nail polish is nice and dry. Yes, but it's also important to do that part before painting your nails. Very much needed rehydration and care is always a good idea.

6. Prep and paint.

Get a Q-tip and soak it in the nail polish remover, then gently clean your nails of any cream residue. Now we got to the most fun part - painting! If you are going for a bold colour, use a base coat as it will prevent staining. Some nail polishes look good with 1 coat on, some always need 2. If you make mistakes - don't worry. You can take another Q-tip, dip it into the nail polish remover and carefully clean up the mess. Moisturize again when nails are 100% dry.

When I was contacted by the lovely PR team at Crabtree & Evelyn to try their new spring collection nail polishes* and Lily Hand Therapy cream*, it didn't take me long to agree to such a fab offer. I have fallen in love with the brand a while ago, and sharing my passion for something I truly adore is exactly the reason behind this post. 

As the company promises, these beautiful nail lacquers apply perfectly, dry fast and are formulated without the toxic chemicals commonly found in nail polish. The shades I got were stunning & the formula was beyond amazing.

Peony* - gentle and flawless opaque pale pink shade, perfect bridal shade (and my personal favourite)

Petal Pink* - gorgeous sheer pink/taupe shade, perfect for French manicure as a top coat

Azalea* - just like a name suggests, this is a stunning shade of pink inspired by an azalea flower

Mint* - beautiful shade of minty colour, there's nothing to add if it's that perfect

Each bottle has a lovely sleek minimalistic design. It contains a little properly-shaped brush (don't get me started on a tricky pointy shape of a brush you can get sometimes). The consistency of the formula is great - each nail polish gives a beautiful finish even after one coat. The exception is Petal Pink but it was created that way - sheer. 

Nail polish glides on smoothly and has a gorgeous glossy finish. I am actually not a fan of matte nail lacquers one bit. So in my books the shinier finish it gives the better. These amazing happy spring colours have quite an impressive longevity! Depending on what you are doing with your hands and how well you protect them (while doing housework, for example), you might enjoy them completely intact and chipping-free for good 5 days. 

Like I mentioned before, moisturizing your hands is crucial. And not only when you are doing your nails. Our skin is so dehydrated and exhausted after winter that it pretty much begs for a "drink". I don't know about you but I am very picky about my hand creams. Ingredients, formula and, most importantly, scent defines my choice. The only issue I have with Crabtree & Evelyn is CHOOSING the scent because they are all so good! Each Hand Therapy cream is an absolute masterpiece. Lily Hand Therapy* contains shea butter, macadamia nut oil and ceramids 3 and 6II which are well known as skin restoring and moisturizing ingredients. It is formulated without parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, or propylene glycol. Myrrh extract is added to this incredible hand cream to condition nails and cuticles. Finally, the scent comprises lily of the valley, peony, magnolia and elderflower extract which is a divine mixture.

*PR Samples

Other featured products:

Nail kit - Paperchase | Nail polish remover - Cutex

Hope you enjoyed my simple tips on how to do your manicure at home as well as 

the review of these gorgeous spring nail polishes and stunning Lily hand cream.

These products were offered to me by Crabtree & Evelyn 

but opinions are, as always, my own and 100% genuine.

P.S. 

Miel and Mint is awakening from the "winter hibernation" (sometimes more known as "life is taking over" sitch) introducing a new posting schedule for March and onward with 3+ posts per week. 

Happy spring! :)

Related posts:

BEST NAIL POLISH COLOURS FOR FALL

CLINIQUE ALL ABOUT EYES RICH CREAM REVIEW
CLARINS MULTI-ACTIVE NIGHT YOUTH RECOVERY CREAM REVIEW

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Leave a comment and let me know how you do your manicure at home.
Do you like painting your nails?
What shades are your favourite for spring time?
Have you ever tried Crabtree & Evelyn nail polishes and hand creams?
It's March, yay!