Manicure Must Have

I have a love/hate relationship with nail polish. I love how instantly chic you look with it on and how it adds glamour to every outfit you wear. I hate how expensive manicures are and how bad my nails look every time I do them myself.

To anyone who can successfully paint your nails using your non-writing hand I applaud you and am in awe of your talent. I, on the other hand, revert back to kindergarten level painting skills when attempting to draw within the lines.

What's been saving me lately has been Sally Hansen's Manicure Clean-Up Pen ($4.99, drugstores). It's a handy pen-shaped marker that easily removes smudges and excess polish with a chiseled tip point. It's perfect to throw in your bag if you need to do a quick paint job at home but have to remove the less refined swipes to your nails, on the go. It's also an incredibly useful tool to have even if you're making an evening of it and leisurely spreading on a coat of red, (give Red Hot Gift by OPI a whirl) while watching a little Jersey Shore in a full green mud mask, of course. You can slap on any obscenely bright or murky hue of your choosing and not worry when you inevitably end up with the [otherwise hard to remove] tint smeared all over your fingers and toes. It even contains conditioning glycerin to moisturize your cuticles, thus preventing an overall gnarled nasty nail appearance. This little magic marker takes the annoyance and hassle out of an activity that most girls hate the process of but love the results of. You'll be able to maintain salon-quality nails without having to shell out the dough every few weeks.





Tip: If you don't have a fast drying polish on hand, throw Sally Hansen Dries Instantly 30-Second Top Coat ($4.99, drugstores) in your shopping basket too. It's a two-in-one time saver and too cheap and effective not to own.