Feminine Buzz

The popularity of the French manicure is undeniable. Maybe it’s because of the versatility that is offered by a French manicure. They allow you to have groomed and polished looking hands without having to worry about picking a color. Picking a color is one of my least favorite things about getting a manicure, especially at a nail salon. I always end up picking a color that I don’t like once it’s on my nails. Then I either have to live with the unfortunate color or embarrassedly ask the manicurist to change the color. That’s the beauty of a French manicure. There really aren’t that many decisions to be made. Sure you may have to choose between white and off white for your tips, or possibly have to choose between blush and beige for the base color; compared to having to choose between wild orchid or pink palm, that decision is for amateurs.

Another great think about the French manicure is that it usually lasts longer than a traditional manicure with color, if only because it shows fewer chips and imperfections. Also, I like that I don’t have to think too much about the color of my nail polish when choosing my outfits. Nothing is worse than having someone point out that my hot pink polish clashes with coral dress.

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For a basic manicure you need some basic supplies like, an emery board or nail file, tweezers, an orange stick, nail polish remover, and last but not least the nail polish itself. These all seem simple and basic enough, but if you are giving a spa manicure, the whole simplicity thing is out the window.

A spa manicure is not entirely different from a regular manicure in that you will still receive all of the basic cleaning, massaging, shaping and painting, but you will also receive a paraffin wax in addition to the basics. It’s awesome. A spa manicure really is the total luxury in pampering. Because of the wax, you will need a couple more products than are necessary to give a basic manicure. The products are a little pricier, but most clients will be willing to pay the difference in order to experience this extra pampering. If they are not willing to pay the difference every time they get a manicure, it’s guaranteed that this can be used as an enticing bonus for special occasions.

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Getting a manicure these days seems to be common practice for a lot of people. Some men do receive regular manicures; however, it seems that is type of pampering is usually dominated by women. I went to the nail salon this morning and was amazed at how many women were there. There were mother daughter duos in the nail salon. There were people like myself that were at the salon because of being in a wedding party. There were also women that were just there for a little much needed pampering.

I am not one of those lucky women that have the money or let’s face it the time to get regular salon manicures. I am thrilled with the way that my nails look now, but I know that in just a few hours the polish will start to chip. Unfortunately, I am just not that graceful. Because of my lack of funds, I have mastered some tips to do my own at home manicures.

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Manicure Sets can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. You can purchase a basic manicure set at the drug store or your local discount store. A basic manicure set will probably consist of a nail file, tweezers, nail clippers, fingernail scissors and a cuticle pusher. I remember the kind that my grandmother used to have. It was a leather case and each item had its own little elastic compartment that held it in place. The case could be closed with a zipper. She always had it handy in case of an emergency hang nail or broken fingernail. It was basic, and absent of any frills, but in a pinch it did the trick.

Well, nowadays the manicure kits can be a lot more complicated than that. Mine for example is probably the most elaborate of its types. I use a small silver train case as my manicure kit. I have all of the basics mentioned above, except a cuticle pusher. I never much enjoyed that part of an at home manicure anyway. I did replace the cuticle pusher with an orange stick which accomplishes the same basic thing. I also have some cotton, fingernail polish remover (I have both the bottle and the jar that you stick your fingers into), sticky tapes for fool proof at home French manicures, tons of different polishes, and of course one of those cute little toe separator thingies. Mine is hot pink and has palm trees on the end. This is a manicure kit that would make my Grandma proud.

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When passing by a nail salon, typically all you see are women at first glance. You’ll see them having their nails painted or soaking their feet in the amazing relaxation of a footbath. But sometimes if you take a second look, you’ll see a man in the middle of all the estrogen. And no, he isn’t there waiting on his wife to get her manicure. He’s getting a manicure himself!

It’s not totally uncommon anymore to see this type of thing at nail salons and spas. And contrary to popular belief, it usually has nothing to do with the man’s sexual preference. Although it’s not yet something every woman is accustomed to seeing, it certainly doesn’t make the man any “less of a man”. If women have the privilege of getting pampered through a manicure, why can’t a man have the same right of passage without being labeled or laughed at? Granted, a man having his nails painted pink might just send out a snicker or two, but this usually isn’t the case when men get professional manicures. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for men not to have the actual manicure as a top priority when visiting a nail salon.

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