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POLISH SHADES, SKIN TONE & YOU!
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Did you know that different skin tones reflect the same nail polish shades differently?
With all of the beautiful colour choices around this Spring how can you possibly choose which ones are best for you?
If you choose your nail polish colour according to your skin tone, you always make the proper choice.
With over 200 fabulous colours to suit your style, you can find a Zoya colour for whatever skin tone you have.
All Zoya Professional Nail Lacquers are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and Dibutyl Phthalate because we don't believe in adding to the chemical soup we all live in.
Here are some tips for selecting the correct shade of nail polish by Zoya.
FAIR SKIN - Fair skin has blue undertones. Use sheer colours in light pinks and ivories such as Zoya Jessica (pretty pastel pink), Heather (the palest mauve) or Blossom (a pale skin tone with metallic pink highlights). If you want a little drama try, Diana or Sasha - blue based reds.
OLIVE SKIN- Olive skin tones look great in rich colours. Try bright orange based pinks such as Kali (bright crimson) or rose pinks such as Eva.
PEACHY SKIN- If you have a warm peaches-and-cream complexion, most colours look great on you. If you have this skin tone then consider any of the following Zoya Nail Lacquers - Poppy (a soft orange with silver highlights) or Kate (dark terracotta pink).
BROWN SKIN- Bronze skin looks best in bold, warm colours. We suggest Kara (bright tangerine) or Kaufda (coppery brown with golden metallic highlights) would be suitable colours for this skin tone.
DARK SKIN- Rich skin tones look great with bold, vibrant hues which pick up the warmth in dark skin tones. To suit this skin tone try Carmen (a bright pillar box red) or Kierra (a dark plum with metallic highlights).
See all the Zoya Professional Nail Lacquers in the Zoya Department of this website.
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Problems of the natural nail
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Lack of Growth
Many people will say that they cannot grow their nails naturally. This could be because their nails actually do grow slower than average or it may be that they just keep breaking or are very weak. The Qtica Natural Nail Growth Stimulator has active garlic enzymes and amino acids that work with the nails natural process to hydrate, strengthen and keep the nail in perfect balance
The average rate of growth is 3mm per month but a bio-stimulant may speed up the rate of growth to 6mm in just 14 days.
Dry Nails
The natural nail can have problems with dryness just like the skin or hair. If you are having trouble keeping on polish it could be due an overly dry nail plate. Signs of dryness are:
• the nail is stiff and inflexible
• the nail has superficial white spots
• flaking or separation of the layers of the nail plate
An overly dry nail plate can be caused by excessive use of products designed to prevent chipping. If the nail is dry and separating it is important to buff out the separations before applying polish or the nail will flake apart and the polish will chip off with the flaking nail.
Brittle Nails
When a nail is extremely dry it can become very brittle which means that it will break off very easily. If your nails are already brittle, using a hardening product will only create more problems. The brittleness is due to a lack of moisture and hardening products are designed to harden the nail by drying it out - this makes the nail even more brittle and creates more breakage.
Products designed to prevent chipping will also make the problem worse because they are also designed to dry the nail out, as will polishes with active formaldehyde. Some type of hydrating product such as a cream or nail oil would be best for strengthening very brittle nails.
Cracking
Cracking is different from brittleness in that the nail doesn't actually break off it just cracks, usually on the side of the nail where it is under stress. The most common cause of cracking is incorrect filing. The natural nail should always be filed from corner to center in one direction on one side then from corner to center in one direction on the other side.
A one directional filing motion should also be used when filing the nail down from the center. If a back and forth sawing motion is used to file the natural nail it will create tiny stress breaks in the nail that will lead to cracking. The back and forth sawing motion of filing should only be used on artificial enhancements.
Oily Nail Plate
Some people have the problem of their nail plate being too oily, just like their hair or skin. This can lead to problems with their polish staying on because the oil is lifting the base coat off the nail. Some technicians believe the dryer the nail plate, the better the polish will adhere and so they over use product and end up over drying the nail.
If the nail plate is stripped of moisture it will trigger the production of more oil, which will only make the problem worse. Plus over drying the natural nail will make it brittle and more prone to breakage as well as flaking, which will cause the polish to flake. The best solution for an oily nail plate is to clean off the nail plate before polishing without over drying it by using an acetone based polish remover. In addition a base coat that can adjust for moisture and bend with the natural nail will adhere best and be less prone to lifting.
Soft Nails
Some people have a problem with their nails being too soft. Too much water in the nail usually causes this, which can be the result of job, lifestyle, housework etc. When artificial enhancements are first removed the nail plate will be very soft indeed. There are also certain medications that can cause a softening of the nail due to how they affect the body's natural functions.
Traditional nail hardeners will harden an overly soft nail yet they will do it by drying the nail out so much that the nail becomes inflexible and brittle. The key is to harden the nail without drying the nail out so that the nail becomes stronger, yet still remains flexible.
Peeling Nails
The problem of peeling can occur when the nail is too soft and moist. When the nail is too soft and moist the layers of the nail plate will peel apart and separate like tissue paper. This is most common when artificial enhancements are first removed.
It is important to strengthen the nail without drying it out to correct the problem of peeling. This is achieved by adding to the sulfur amino acids and proteins that make up the nails natural keratin structure, such as with the Qtica Natural Nail Developer and by painting on a lacquer that contains both. This will strengthen the nail by giving the nail plate several extra layers of keratin.
Flaking Nails
Flaking of the nail plate occurs when the nail is overly dry and flakes apart usually at the free edge. This can be caused by:
• using pure acetone on the nail
• using stripping products designed to reduce chipping
• using bond-aid
• using nail hardeners with active formaldehyde
• incorrect filing
• using polish with formaldehyde
• lifestyle
• medication
Once the nail has started to flake there is nothing that can be applied topically to fuse the layers back together. The only solution is to buff the flakes away. When buffing the natural nail always use a super fine buffing block and buff in one direction. Never use a back and forth motion when buffing across the body of the natural nail. If the flaking goes too deep into the layers of the nail plate it may have to be only partially buffed down and then just grown out.
Ridges
Ridges in the nail can be either vertical running down the length of the nail or horizontal across the body of the nail. Ridges can be caused by:
• vitamin deficiencies
• hormonal changes
• skin conditions
• lack of moisture
• heredity
• artificial enhancements
Sometimes a change in diet or lifestyle can improve the appearance of ridges, other times they just must be buffed out at each manicure.
White Spots
White spots can be either superficial or deep in the layers of the nail plate. Wearing polish for weeks at a time will most often cause surface spots. These white spots are most commonly seen on the toes of people who leave their toe polish on for more than a month at a time.
There is no way to correct the existing damage, it must just be buffed down and grown out. White spots that are deep in the nail plate usually indicate damage done to the matrix or a vitamin deficiency.
Qtica Natural Nail Manicure Hints & Tips
Why Does Polish Chip?
The nail plate is too dry
If the nail plate is too dry the layers of the nail will separate and flake apart causing the polish to flake off with it. The nail plate is most often dried out by over using dehydrating products during the manicure: Bond-Aid, Chip-Skip, Nail Hardeners and Polishes with high levels of formaldehyde all can over dry the nail especially when used together. Once the nail has started flaking, the edges must be buffed so that the nail will not continue to separate and any products that cause dryness discontinued. If the flaking is sever it may need to be partially buffed and then grown out.
Why Does Polish Chip?
The nail plate is too oily
When the nail plate is too oily the base coat cannot adhere and the polish will peel right off the nail. Products that are used during the manicure such as oily polish removers, cuticle oil, lotions, cuticle creams can cause an oily nail plate. The best solution for an oily nail plate is to clean the nail off thoroughly, immediately before polishing, with an acetone based polish remover. Pure acetone will dry the nail out too much however acetone free removers have too many moisturizers in them. A traditional polish remover with acetone will clean the nail without residue or over drying.
Why Does Polish Chip?
The nail plate has residue on it
During the manicure many products are applied to the hands and nails and most will leave a residue of some kind. This residue can interfere with the way a base coat bonds to the nail plate and will result in the polish chipping. The best way to remove residue from the nail plate is to clean the nail with acetone polish remover directly before polishing.
Why Does Polish Chip?
The nails plate has too much water in it
Too much water in the nail plate will cause the cells in the nail to swell like a sponge. When the water evaporates, the nail plate will shrink back down to its hardened size causing air pockets between the nail and any polish that was applied while the nail was enlarged. These air pockets will cause the polish to chip in pieces as the parts of the polish that have lifted break away from the nail.
The most common cause of excess water in the nail plate is soaking the nail at the beginning of the manicure. If the soaking step is eliminated from the manicure the polish will hold without chipping for days longer than when the nail is soaked. If you must soak the nail try to limit the time to one or two minutes and always go over the nail with an acetone polish remover directly before polishing. Using a nail dehydrator is not a smart move because you cannot control the amount of water removed and if the nail is over dried then chipping will still occur.
Why Does Polish Bubble?
In order to understand why polish bubbles you must understand how polish dries. Polish dries when the solvents in the polish that keep it wet evaporate into the air. Drying time is determined by how quickly these solvents evaporate. The faster the evaporation the faster the drying time. If all the layers of polish are timed to dry together then no bubbling will occur. If the top layers dry faster than the bottom layers then as the solvents in the bottom layers evaporate they will create bubbles in the upper layers. In addition to the solvents causing bubbling there is also the problem of water in the nail plate evaporating, which can also cause problems with bubbling. Polish that is very thick may cause bubbling if it is used beneath a thinner polish that dries very quickly. The best way to prevent bubbling is to use a quick dry product that will dry all the layers of polish at the same time. If bubbling has started to occur sometimes reapplying a layer of topcoat can correct the problem.
Why Does Polish Ripple?
Polish ripples when the topcoat dries 2 -3 times as fast as the layers below. This extreme difference in drying times causes a rippling or shrinking effect to occur within the manicure. Quick dry topcoats are very susceptible to this problem especially when they are used together with a spray that makes them dry even faster. The best way to prevent this from occurring is to use products that are timed to dry together and if a quicker drying time is desired use a product that will accelerate the drying time of all the layers at once not just the top most layer.
Remember:
The nail plate must be balanced, neither too oily nor too dry in order for the manicure to wear on a natural nail. Anything that interrupts that balance will cause the polish to chip.
8 Hot Hints:
1. Always use an acetone polish remover
2. Always buff away peeling or separation before applying base coat
3. Always file in one direction never in a back and forth motion
4. Always file up from beneath the tip to seal the free edge of the nail
5. Always clean the nail plate off with polish remover just prior to polishing
6. Never over dry the nail with nail dehydrators like bond-aid and chip-skip
7. Never scrub the nail off in the soaking dish prior to polishing
8. Always wrap every layer of polish around and under the nail sealing the tip
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FOR A CHIP-FREE, LONG LASTING MANICURE OR PEDICURE.
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Everyone wants a chip-free long lasting manicure or pedicure.
Here are the steps to the perfect mani.
Clean your nails thoroughly. Zoya Remove+ acts as a polish remover, nail cleaner and nail prep, removing all traces of nail lacquer without streaking or staining and moisturizing, nourishing and fortifying the nail plate.
Apply a thin coat of Base Coat - Zoya Anchor strengthens nails with complex protein chains and adheres nail colour to the nail plate which prevents peeling and chipping.
Zoya Polish Follow with a thin coat of your favourite polish colour. Hint: Extending your polish application just over the free edge of your nail will ensure chip free wear. Repeat with a second thin coat to each nail. When working with the natural nail, the polish chosen should be formaldehyde, toluene and DBP free to prevent damage to the nail.
Topcoat Apply one thin layer of Topcoat. Zoya Armor creates a super brilliant, high gloss, ultra strong and flexible chip free coating. It also provides an effective barrier against UV rays to prevent yellowing.
Speed Dry Apply one drop of Zoya Hurry Up Speed Dry Drops to each nail to quickly dry all layers of polish to a vibrant, bubble free finish. A drop on each nail every two days will keep colour fresh and gorgeous for up to two weeks when applied over Zoya Armor Topcoat. As an added benefit, this easily absorbed oil also moisturizes cuticles.
Easy as 1,2,3 - The perfect manicure or pedicure!
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