In my opinion, nothing makes a woman look more feminine than pretty hands and fingernails. Soft hands and a good manicure are the epitome of beauty to me, and I’m always searching out ways to make my hands lovelier. Let me qualify that statement: I mean, of course, easy and fun ways to make my hands look beautiful. I’m a busy person, just like most every woman I know, and I don’t have time for hours spent on my hands. I still want them to look nice, though. If my nails and hands look unkempt, I never feel as if I’m completely ‘dressed’. On that note, I’ve gathered some nail care tips and hand care tips that help keep my hands looking nice, yet don’t take a lot of time and/or are enjoyable.

Wash your hands regularly and scrub your nails every time you do so. Use a soft bristle brush (a soft toothbrush is perfect for this!) and just keep it on the sink by the soap. If you use a hard bristle brush, it toughens the skin under your nails and actually lets dirt collect more easily under them. Did you know that? I didn’t, for years, until a manicurist told me that I’d been making my nails look worse, not better, by using a hard brush.

Lotion up. Frequent washing can dry out your skin and your cuticles. Soften your skin with a good quality hand lotion, such as Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion.

Give yourself a hand massage. Alternatively, let someone else give you one. That’s my choice, of course. A hand massage will boost your circulation and encourage nail growth. It’s easy and it’s pleasurable – so you see that it definitely meets my criteria. Hand massages are the perfect way to pamper your hands.

If you have short fingers (like me), file your nails into an oval shape and keep your nail length out past your fingertip. They don’t have to be super-long, just barely past the tips. This gives the illusion that your fingers are longer than they actually are. If your fingers are long and thin, keep your nails rounded or square and the length short.

Keep your nail polish in the refrigerator. It keeps it from thickening. It also eliminates the cursing and gnashing of teeth that happens when you find that your favorite color nail polish is dried-up and useless. What? You don’t do that? Must be just me, then…

Go colorful: Nothing is prettier than a pop of color on your nails. When I’m feeling subtle, I use Essie Buymeacameo Nail Polish, which is a creamy beige with a pink undertone. When I want to wow ‘em, I go with Essie Well Red Nail Polish. It’s, well…very red. Some days I just feel bold and powerful, and red nail polish suits that mood perfectly.

I’m always on the look-out for better and easier ways to take care of my hands. What do you do to keep your hands and nails looking nice? Do you have a favorite product or a tip I can use? Post a message to our facebook page, tweet something to Stockngo on twitter or leave a comment here.