Ask Muffin!

Welcome to my first 'Ask Muffin!' Post! Every week, I'll make the 'Ask Muffin' post on both Facebook and Twitter, and give you a few hours to comment/respond. I'll then write out my best answers to each of the questions and post them here for everyone.

Kathryn P: “What does one do if their nails get really dry and chip after swimming? My nails are always horrendous during swim season, and I'm not sure how to fix it.”

Constant contact with water is always bad for your nails. You might hear to wear gloves when you wash the dishes, for the same reason. You can’t exactly wear gloves while swimming, though, so it’s really hard to stop that water from drying out your nails. What you can do is Counteract the drying effects of the water by keeping your nails moisturized. If you have the time I would suggest going to a store and buying cuticle cream, but if that’s not an option Vaseline works just as well. Every night before you go to bed, rub in a little Vaseline into each nail and let it sit overnight. You can even cover your hands with cotton gloves (even socks work!)to hold in maximum moisture if you’d like, but I always find that kind of uncomfortable.

I would also recommend painting on a clear base/topcoat once a week on each of your nails for an extra layer of protection. Make sure to “wrap” the tips of your nails and get the polish under them (depending on the length of your nails) to completely seal your nails and keep the water out.

If you’re still struggling with chipping nails, try taking a gelatin supplement. It will boost your protein and strengthen your nails a bit. If you’re too lazy to go out and buy it (a.k.a. me) sit down with a bowl of Jello every so often. I don’t know if it works as well or not, but it certainly tastes amazing!

Esther J: “What are some trendy toenail designs?”

Toes are really fun to paint, just because they aren’t noticed as much, which means you can really go crazy with your designs. But because they’re not noticed as much, you really need to make them ‘pop’ to get them the attention they deserve.

Therefore, I would definitely recommend using bright, fun colors. If you can pull off neons, then go for it! Using colors that match the seasons work really well, too. Try getting in some summery blues and greens before fall kicks in!

Your big toe is probably the only one large enough to put a design on, so make it count. Tape manis are a n easy way to get a professional look, and they take seconds to do. Throw in some glitter and metallics in there too!

One trend that I’ve seen a lot of this year is the whole gradient/ombre nail look. Try using a light and a dark color together to really make your toes stand out. Neons are also wonderful for a perky gradient, as well as glitter, although depending on the thickness, the latter can tend to be a little more difficult.

Other than that, nail art is always a go! Use your creativity to the max. Flowers, animals, foods, whatever! Nail art is always in style!