Best Manicure Secret Ever

I’ve been doing my own manicures for some time now, and my biggest challenge was to find a good pre-soak that would clean and soften cuticles. And not cost a fortune.

In desperation one day, and recalling an old TV commercial about some kind of dishwashing liquid in a nail salon (oh my!), I grabbed my Blue Dawn and figured that at worst, it wouldn’t kill me. And if it turned my hands blue, I’d deal with it.

Well, surprise, surprise! I soaked my hands in full-strength Blue Dawn for on few minutes, rinsed it off … and Wow! It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well. And that’s my best manicure tip, ever! Cindy

P.S. By the way, I’ve tried other brands dishwashing liquid, and none I’ve found work like Blue Dawn.


More from Mary …

19 Remarkable Ways to Use Blue Dawn Outside the Kitchen

Readers Share Even More Brilliant Uses for Blue Dawn

 

Poison Oak Quick Treatment

When it comes to treating exposure to poison ivy, time is of the essence.

Fels Naptha works great, but so do most soaps. I’ve even used horse shampoo. One of my trail buddies soaps her forearms with Fels Naptha before heading into the woods and then rinses it off after the ride. Joan

Gym Membership

Many health insurance plans offer reimbursements or discounts on gym memberships. For example, United Health Care has plans that will reimburse you for up to $240 per year in gym costs.

Benefits vary by provider, so check with your insurance to see if you’re eligible. Bonnie

Buy Sample-Size Cosmetics for Get Them For Free

I am always reading reviews on many different types of cosmetics, anti-aging products, but not sure which ones will work for me.

Instead of buying the regular-sized product at a store, I scour the internet for free samples, first. If none are available, I go on eBay and Amazon to see if someone is selling a small size of the product for a few dollars.

Once I get the product, I try it out. If it works well and I like it, I buy a larger size. If I don’t like the product, I just throw out the sample size and don’t feel guilty since I spent almost nothing on it.  It also helps keep my bathroom clutter-free!

Toasty Lotion

Here’s a great tip for solving the discomfort of applying cold body lotion in the winter.

My bathroom is heated, but when I rub in lotion after a shower, I freeze. I found that if I lay the bottle of lotion in the shower when I get in, the hot water warms it up.

No more cold lotion. Audrey

 

 

Super Glue For Super Nails

I apply Super Glue to my fingernails, just like nail polish. I work with my hands, fixing things and doing crafts, and have very weak nails.

With a layer of Super Glue, my nails look shiny and healthy, and the protection really keeps them that way. Cathey

 

 

Banish Flaky Facial Skin

For years, I’ve been plagued with flaky skin along my forehead, eyebrows, and nose. Expensive beauty products and procedures didn’t help at all.

A young nurse practitioner at my dermatology clinic suggested this trick:

Fifteen minutes before showering, I apply dandruff shampoo to the affected areas—straight out of the bottle; leave it on to be rinsed off in the shower.

It works! This treatment was and continues to be a miracle worker for me!

 

 

Get to the Bottom of It!

I discovered this method when I came to the end of my favorite, and quite expensive, tube of lotion. This works on any thin, plastic tube of product that you are able to cut through with scissors (toothpaste, face cream, lotion, hair products, medications…)  Never throw away an “empty” tube of product without doing this first.

Directions:

Once the container appears empty, stand the tube on end, as though you’re trying to drain out every last bit of product.

Using scissors, cut horizontally through the tube about 2-3 inches above the cap end, cutting the tube into two separate, not necessarily equal, pieces.

Notice how much product is hiding in the tube!

Use your fingers to transfer all of the product into the cap end of the tube.

To reseal, simply place the top half of the tube over the original cap end.  It may not be a perfect fit but you will be able to squeeze them together securely.

Push the new “lid” down as far as possible onto the cap end of the tube, creating a much shorter “mini” tube, as pictured below.

To use any remaining product do not use the original cap but remove the new “lid, or tube half” to reach in with your fingers.

You can get your fingers right to the bottom of the tube for several more days, or even weeks, of product use.

No more wasted product!

You’ll really be able to “get to the bottom of it”.