The nailcare and handcare edit: my staples and some tips

It's been a minute since I started doing my own natural nails at home and I've tried *coughs* quite lot of products myself during this decade [you can check out my Flickr album for reference] and I think I've finally come to know how to take care of my nails. For this, I feel like I can share a couple of tips without feeling guilty for doing so (e.g. not feeling "entitled" to do so ahahah).

If you've read my previous post on nailcare, the way I perform my manicure hasn't drastically changed. As a matter of fact, many of the things I've talked about in that article (link here) are still relevant.
However, in these last few years, I've learnt some new things.

The best way to take care of my nails and hands, for me, is by three separate phases, each of which consists of different steps: 

1. Dry phase
2. Wet phase
3. Oily/greasy phase

Nail care and manicure essentials

Hello beauties!
Here are the products I use and the things I've learnt throughout the years on how to keep nails healthy and to make my mani look good.
I'm not a pro and I'm so far from perfection, but since the beginning of my passion for nail polish the way my nails look has improved so much (however I still have to improve my  cleanup game and the appearence of my dry cuticles...).

• It's better having short but healthy nails rather than long and dry, brittle and peeling ones. I've learnt this after years of wanting my nails to be super long. The fact is, my nails are weak and they tend to peel and break AND I am lazy. So trying to grow them and maintain the length (aka putting effort in taking care of them) has always been a struggle. It was not until recently that I came to accept the fact that my nails are healthier and better looking at a short/medium length. The trick I use to give the impression of longer nails is to try to have longer nail beds.

• My nails bend, so I file them very gently on the sides under the free edge and try to moisturize them regularly.

• Hydration (from the inside out) is the key! I try to drink lots and to apply cuticle oil or balm and handcream as frequently as I can (or better remember to). My arsenal: L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand cream, Love + Toast, Lush Lemony Flutter (which I love more as an all-over hand and nails cream rather than as cuticle butter), Pai Fragonia & Sea Buckthorn Instant Hand Therapy cream, Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme (smells delicious!!).