#{ODE} Confession (And my ultimate hand care kit)

I am a beauty editor that nibbles her fingers, cuticles and sometimes nails. 

There. I said it…

It’s a habit that started when I was young, somewhere around the time of my brother’s death. It’s not something I’m proud of – in fact, nail biting is something that can be super embarrassing. After all, I am old enough to know better, and work in beauty – testing out the latest colours, mani’s and treatments. I often lie to my 3-year old – who says ‘Mummy, you have an ouch – let me kiss it better.’ So often blame the cooker. (Yup, he now has a deep-rooted fear of the oven – which is probably not a bad thing.)

As I’m not keen to pass this habit onto my offspring – I do my utmost to keep it under control.

It’s essential I have products on hand that act as a prevention or quick cure… For instance; keeping nails painted and pretty seem to help enormously. My go-to colours are both by ESSIE – Ballet Slippers – is a white-based natural pale pink and the perfect nude shade. While the other is Fifth Ave, an orangey-based red, with a great shiny finish. I apply Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat for a longer lasting mani which I stockpile from Lookfantastic.com.

Molton Brown Hand Creams come in a variety of fragrances and are non-greasy, and leave hands smelling very perfumed and pretty.

I carry almond oil in my handbag – and sometimes little testers of CND’s Cuticle Eraser.

Crabtree&Evelyn’s Hand Recovery does what it says. In a couple of minutes, the scrub eliminates dry skin, softens and smoothes. (So I’m less tempted to pick at any hangnails or dry skin.)

Without a doubt, the best for nourishing dry digits is L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Loaded Handcream – it contains honey, almond, coconut oil and with the miracle moisture worker – 20% shea butter – to repair. Plus, L’Occitane uses shea butter sourced from Burkina Faso, harvested in a sustainable and fair trade partnership with the women who produce it.

If I’ve had a particularly bad session and chewed until my cuticles bleed, I dab on some of this at the crime scene, cover with a plaster and it will heal in 24-hours.

My new mantra:

Cuticles are not a food group

cuticles are not a food group

cuticles are not a food group

cuticles are not a food group

cuticles are not a food group