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Don’t Forget About Your Nails! Nail Beauty Tips for 2009 Brides

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bella-naija-nailsAs the days get longer and the nights get shorter, it can only mean one thing for all the bella brides out there….your wedding day is fast approaching. The day in your life where you are the trophy, the show piece, the champion jockey and star of the show!
With all the decisions you’ve had to make – the dress, the shoes, the cake, the flowers and yes, I know the list is never ending, your nails become an afterthought. But, please add your nails to the list…not pencilled in at the bottom but somewhere near the top. My last summer was spent rescuing brides from all their nail dilemmas….last minute hands and nails don’t showcase the beautiful rock on your finger! Which, lest we forget, every aunty, cousin, friend and grandmother will the clamouring to see!
With a few months to go before the big day, now is the time to embark on loving hands routine and sit down with an experienced nail technician for relaxing fortnightly manicures. Even if you intend to wear nail extensions for your wedding day, start pampering your hands (and feet!) now.
Begin a luxurious treatment programme to deliver your hands to picture perfection on the day. Soaks and scrubs are a great way to start, ensuring that your hands remain soft and supple. The professional manicure is a great starting point. With their Effervescent Soak and Skin Renewal Scrub, your hands and nails are quickly revitalised and rejuvenated. This also goes for your feet. Brides tend to forget their feet which are just as important for those open toed Manalo’s that will be peeping out from under your bespoke Kosibah creation! The word exfoliate should always be at the tip of your tongue. Use a pumice stone daily for a quick and cheap way to achieve soft and supple feet.
Make sure you are conditioning and hydrating your hands and nails using good quality hand creams and cuticle oils. The key point to remember isheaven-vanilla-hand-cream that the focus will be on you, your hands especially, and now is not the time to let your grooming routine fail you. The Manicure by OPI range stocks high quality hand creams and oils, but another worthy contender is the scrumptious Heaven Vanilla Pod Hand & Nail Cream.
If you are planning on wearing extensions, start now. This will give you time to get used to them and pick the perfect length to ensure a snag and snap free day. Starting at this point in time will also give you a chance to experiment with acrylic or gel extensions and decide which one will suit your big day.
The catwalks are showcasing very feminine brides for SS/09. This instantly translates to pretty and girlish hues for the nails. Shades of pearlescent pinks, lilacs with a touch of shimmer and the classic French will be all the rage. For the more adventurous brides, nail embellishments in the form of hearts, flowers and glitter will subtly enhance nails and set you apart from the crowd.
For the classic bride, choosing the ever elegant and stylish French manicure keeps your nails chic. This means choosing the right shade of white lacquer for your tips. A shocking white does not always work on all skin tones and can sometimes look very unnatural next to dark skin tones. A good nail technician will be able to advise you on the most appropriate shade of white which compliments your skin tone perfectly. For a perfect white, try Blanc from Essie which will create a brilliant white hue. Alternatively for a more muted white tip, China Glaze’s First Kiss is a must have as are OPI’s Coney Island Cotton Candy and Samoan Sand.
To jazz up your French manicure, you can add some strategically placed diamantes or glitter lacquer like Nubar’s Shimmering Tulle to your nails….just take care not to overdo it as let’s face it…..the attention should be on the real gem on your finger.
Girly brides opting for a flash on colour can do no wrong by choosing from the wide spectrum of colours available for summer brides. The key word with bridal colours this summer is romance. Soft and dreamy colours that caress the nail are fail safe. Cotton candy, pinks, pearly and iridescent colours will add a touch of glamour and bring out the romantic in you.
Product houses have come up trumps with this year’s bridal colours. The phenomenal Dashing Diva range comprises of great colours like Cotton Candy and Springing May. Leighton Denny’s bridal shades are also a huge hit. Lacquers like Romantic Glow with a modest pearly shine and their top coat – Butterfly Wings will bring life to any nail colour when used as a top coat. opi-fairytale-bride
For customised colours, try layering a few different shades to create a look only for you! For added sparkle, request for glitter gels and powders to be added to your nails. If you like, for extra gleam points, you can also adorn your nails with nail jewellery. 3D bridal nails have also been making a statement on the catwalk. Nail art using flowers and hearts can be used to make a statement and set you apart. You can choose to have the flowers from your bouquet matched to your nails to continue a theme or you can choose hearts to invoke the romance of the day. For an extra special dramatic effect, you can add stick on flowers to your nails after applying base coat and then add your lacquer on top. The flowers show up softly under the lacquer in a sweet and demure effect.
So, there are a multitude of options open to the summer 09 bride. Will you be sporting natural nails or extensions? Acrylic or gel overlays? Classic or stylish colours? The key to deciding and making the right choice is to start experimenting now whilst you still have the time. Find an experienced nail technician who can guide and talk you through your options so you can showcase beautifully manicured nails. Stay beautiful brides, from head to toe…..the last thing you want is your guests commenting on the state of your hands rather than admiring your fabulous ring!
Til’ next time!
Bella Queen
‘Go on….put your crown back on!’©
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Bella Queen is a London based luxury beauty company owned and managed by Khadijat Akpata – aka Kay. Predominately aimed at women wanting a little bit of luxury at affordable prices, Bella Queen helps clients to be the beautiful queens they really are! Treatments with Bella Queen, are unique and bespoke focusing mainly on nail care and make up, with the aim of introducing beauty treatments later in the year. I use the very best products to bring out the very best in you. The current line of products includes OPI. Essie, Dior, Giorgio Armani amongst many other cult brands.
Kay, herself is a renown beauty junkie and loves everything to do with looking beautiful – inside and out! With Bella Queen, it’s all about putting your crown back on!

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