Verruca Plantaris... aka. Plantar Warts... aka. Warts

WARNING! .THE FOLLOWING BLURG CONTAINS PHOTOS AND INFO THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME, BUT I STILL WANT YOU TO READ IT :) WARNING!

Plantar Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and are commonly contacted from moist walking surfaces like showers and pools. They look like pea size callouses with tiny black freckles inside and are often pushed inward do to the pressure on the feet.

Be aware of your body, Just like you are told to be aware of any changes in moles or any lumps in breasts - be aware of warts! Commonly on your feet.

We get some clients that have plantars warts and I'm not sure if these people are aware they have them but decide to say they are unaware when I tell them they do, or if people just don't realise that if it wasn't there before, chances are it doesn't belong there and you may want to check it out*

I can still work on you if you have warts- obviously I will be wearing gloves! And take all necessary precautions to insure the safety of me and my future clients. And any spa that passes the health code is using a disinfectant/sterilising method that is strong enough to kill the bacteria in the tub. I have to avoid the area, no massage because it could spread the virus any where else I touch you and no filing down the wart!

The only time your service provider may refuse to service you is when it's a severe case or when you have come in for multiple pedicures and told every time that you have plantars warts and to treat it or see a doctor and you keep on coming back and it hasn't gotten better.

This tells us either your warts are deeply rooted and a more severe case or you are dis regarding what your estheticians has been telling you and not treating it at all.

Like I said we can work on you BUT should only work on you with warts ONCE. We go easy on you the first time - let you know you have warts and how to treat it. After this you shouldn't come back for a pedicure until they are gone, down by 50% or you just book in a polish change (no soaking).

If you know you have warts and STILL decide to come in for a pedicure, don't be shy in telling your therapist BEFOREHAND that you have warts. We really appreciate this and it prepares us, instead of being surprised later*

For the treatment of warts, go to your drugstore and get over the counter product. If you use it just like the instructions say too and they still haven't gone away then see a doctor, they may have a stronger method for you.

The photos I showed are a mild/normal case of plantars warts...they can get a whole lot worse. So like I said before, just be aware of your body and skin for any changes. If you aren't quite sure if you have a wart or have any other skin condition problems - come in and see me and I will be happy to help you out! :)

Use Protection...A Top Coat

This is a step you should never skip*

And I know some of you do!

Not only does a top coat finish the look of your polish by making it glossy and making the colour more vibrant, but it is the deciding factor on how long your manicure is going to last, and how quickly it is going to dry.

Now here is the hard part : there are a million top coats and only few that do the job.

I have tried OPI, Seche Vite, Essie, China Glaze, Out the Door, Creative, Sally Hansen Revlon and a whole bunch more!

What I found to be annoying with some top coats and led me to try a million and see what the best one was, is after and hour of drying and sometimes 24hrs you could ding your nail and there would be a dent in the polish. The polish is dry to the touch but not dry throughout.

So I set out to find the perfect top coat and here it is
> Out The Door, America's #1 fastest drying Top Coat.
And yes, that is the whole title lol.

It is one of the few products in this world that live up to it's name.

Once you apply the top coat it is dry to the TOUCH in 1 minute and thoroughly dry in 10 minutes, no dinging and denting your nails after that!

One small tip : 5 minutes after you use your top coat, any top coat, run your nails under cold water and this will cool down your hand temperature and quick dry your nails*

I could talk about. Quick dry drips and sprays right now, but I will save that for another post! ;)

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

24 days till christmas!

This is the month of dressing up and christmas parties. One of my favourite looks for the holiday season in red lips with a dewy glow*

Here are some tips for achieving this look.

When choosing your lipstick colour, get professional opinions. There are a million colours of red with a million undertones that do not suit a million people. You also have to choose what you are comfortable with because I find that tanned people suit the bright and orange reds, but if that doesn't say YOU then it won't SUIT you. So bring an honest friend and make a day of it!

When you choose the right colour for your lips, create a flawless canvas (your face)...give yourself a mini facial, exfoliate, moisturise, conceal - conceal outside your lip line also, apply liquid foundation and powder.

Line your lips with a similar colour but please do not go too far outside your natural lip line, you could end up looking like a clown - if you want fuller lips, choose a red lip plumping gloss and put it on top of your red lipstick*

Apply your chosen lipstick colour and with a conceal brush conceal around your lips to prevent the colour from bleeding as the day/night goes on

That takes care of the lips, now for the dewy glow!

Get a shimmer powder and apply it right on your cheek bone, apply a light bronzer on your cheeks with a soft pink/peach blush!

When doing red lips, I tend to like the eyes to be natural - gold shimmer, thin eye liner and mascara. This way your lips are the focus and you look fresh not messy!

Enjoy*