NOTD: Nail Repair

I'm afraid the exciting nail art posts are being momentarily put on hold (not for long, don't worry) while I try and give my nails some much needed TLC! For a beauty blogger, you might be surprised to know that I'm not actually that bothered about all the fine details of the world of beauty. I love experimenting with new nail art designs, but if you ask me to recommend any nail products I'll be speechless. I don't use a base or top coat (if I want more shine I'll maybe put on a clear coat), I don't do anything to my cuticles - unless you count pushing them out of the way with my own nails, and I certainly don't buy a specific hand cream; regular body moisturiser does it for me! 

Because I do neglect my nails so much, right now they are in pretty bad shape. The list is endless for everything that is wrong with my nails, but the main culprits are dryness, flaking and stains. As for the stains, I'm not springing into action just yet. I know this is probably a terrible outlook but as far as I'm concerned, nails grow pretty quickly, and I always have mine painted anyway... So does it really matter if they're stained?

As for the dryness and flaking, they're getting combated straight away! Introducing my miracle product...

Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails

I managed to snag this for £1 something over on Here For A Day. This is a website much like Groupon and Wowcher, that runs day-long offers on various products. I personally find them to be a bit hit and miss, as the featured products are so varied, but every now and then I find myself tempted! As you can see this product claims to harden nails and smooth ridges, and boy does it deliver! I'd always been a bit sceptical about these products as I couldn't understand how they'd work, but after just over a week of using this, the results are amazing.

As you can see, I still have some flaking on my ring finger, index finger and thumb, but this has dramatically reduced. Before, whenever I would cut my nails I'd lose most of the top layer of each nail due to flaking and chipping, and I'd just have to use copious amounts of polish to even out the texture of the nail. Now, my nails don't chip or flake when I cut them, and the body of the nail is much more sturdy. 

I've found myself even reaching for this product as a base coat (I know - I'm growing up!) as it makes a beautifully smooth canvas to begin painting with, and does (albeit annoyingly) make the polish harder to remove when the dreaded time comes. 

The majority of you voted for beauty prizes over nail or fashion prizes to be up for grabs in the 200 follower giveaway, but this product is so amazing that I have to share it. I bought 2 of these, one of which (unopened of course) is in the 200 follower giveaways, alongside a beauty prize - so make sure you enter now!

What are your favourite nail repair products? I clearly need help in this department!