It's certainly not the most glamorous of tasks, lets be honest. But a quick glimpse of my rather neglected cuticles the other evening told me that I had to do something, fast. There was a time when not a single cuticle product crossed my collection but having become quite a nail polish whore I have accumulated quite a selection. Whereas once 'sorting my cuticles' meant a quick massage and push back using my nails (cringe) in the bath I now reach for a triplet of products which see my nails go from shabby to chic in just a few minutes. For when my nails are OKish: When I have not left it too long between mani's I tend to find that a cuticle oil does the job. Sally Hansen's Vitamin E Nail and Cuticle Oil pretty much does what it says on the tin. I like to apply around the nails bed and then either massage in with my fingers or use a cotton bud to push the product about. You need to give your hands a good wash afterwards with this one if you are planning on painting straight after and I recommend a quick swipe of nail polish remover over the nail to ensure that all the oil has been removed. I like to apply this after painting my nails too and on a general daily basis as it really does keep dry patches at bay. For in between manicures: Elegant Touch Cuticle Remover. Easy to find in most supermarkets and drugstores, it comes in at less than a fiver and pretty much does the job. I use this when my cuticles haven't been left for too long and just need a tidy. It comes with a brush, which you pretty much apply like a nail polish all around the nail bed, leave for a few seconds and start pushing back with a cuticle pusher (if there is a professional name for this appliance then please let me know). Afterwards, wash and your ready to go. When the big guns are called for: The latest edition to the 'cuticle family' is Sally Hansens Instant Cuticle Remover. I had been after this for a while, but not being readily available on the High Street it was going to have to be an Amazon job until I spotted this sitting alone on a shelf in TK Maxx for just £3.99. Heads up though that I have heard this could be making its way into selected Boots stores so sit tight. Unlike the aforementioned products, this is a gel like formula which you squeeze directly onto your cuticles, leave for 15 seconds and then start pushing back. The precision applicator and easy to squeeze bottle is pretty easy to handle and really does do the business. In fact my nails always look heaps better after using this. Word of warning though this is pretty harsh stuff so it does recommend only using twice a week. So if you are on the look out for cuticle taming products then I highly recommend throwing one or two of these in your basket next time you are in Boots...
