life and style

Beauty spot: home manicure

We've got to hand it to you…

I once met a hand model. Her secret? "Nice hands take work." This blew my mind. I'd heard of hand cream, sure, but, aside from a quick slash of varnish, what more could one really do to a hand? I look back on those innocent days with fondness and embarrassment. The home manicure is a tricky art to master, but luckily websites such as Sally ( make it easier. They have buffers, they have oils, they have scary-looking scissors. Elsewhere, the luxury brands do creams that make you feel less like you're fighting a battle with time, more like you're rewarding your hands with a loving massage. Dot Eve Lom's cuticle cream (£16, on the base of your nails and rub it in before pushing the cuticles back with an orange stick. Don't cut the cuticles. Never cut the cuticles. After a hand cream, wipe the nails with a damp cloth, apply your base coat, and exhale. You're safe.


Rituals Nail Whitener, £8.90,

Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Hand Cream, £13,

LCN Ampoule Treatment, £35.20,

Decléor Aromessence Nail Oil, £39,

Anatomicals Nail Shaper, £2, New Look,

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