The Natural Look

A  natural look for nails is extremely pretty, especially in summer or on young, smooth hands. But to get the natural look right, you must be prepared to spend time—and energy—buffing them to a healthy sheen.

Buffing the nails leaves them smooth and pink. It also stimulates the blood circulation in the nail bed, so it is a real treatment for ridged or lined nails.
Buffing should be done after you have completed your manicure. If done correctly and thoroughly, you will not need even a colourless polish. When buffing the nails, always buff in one direction only

There are special white pencils avail­able which should only be used on the underneath edge of the nail tip—the free edge. This really does enhance the natural look. Only use white pencil if your nails are well-shaped and of even length.

Polish-free nails need to be kept clean at all times. If you are going for the natural look, keep a small nailbrush in the cosmetic bag you carry in your handbag. That way, you can do a really thorough job when you wash your hands.

COLOURLESS NAIL POLISH is exactly that, completely see-through and with no colour pig­ment at all. The so-called natural polishes have a hint of pink and look very pretty in the bottle. Once on the nails, though, the colour can look somewhat yellowish, and will not flatter any but the palest of skin tones. If you use colourless polish, your nail tips must be of a good colour. Whiten them with a pencil, if necessary. To help strengthen the nails before you buff them, add a teaspoon of salt to a glass of water and soak them for several minutes.