The sales people that work at beauty supply kiosks in the mall can be very persuasive. I was shopping in a mall on my birthday when I was approached by an outgoing young man that literally blocked my path offering me soap samples. I humored him because, quite frankly, the soap smelled good and who doesn’t like a free sample? Then he showed me the nail care kit. I was so skeptical and had no intentions of making a purchase. Before I knew it he was buffing one of my fingernails. When I saw the finished result I couldn’t believe how good that nail looked. I wanted all of my other nails to look like that. My fingernail surface was completely smooth, no ridges, and it was as if it had a clear coat of nail polish. Then the salesman whipped out fingernail polish remover and asked me to rub it on that fingernail. To my surprise this lovely finish could not even be harmed by fingernail polish remover. Seeing how quick and easy it was to make my nails beautiful, and the fact that the finish lasted until my nail grew out, I was sold. I purchased the expensive nail care kit, justifying the expense since it was cheaper than a salon manicure, with all that equipment. I’ve had that kit for almost a year and use it regularly, meaning I only use it once or twice a month to keep my nails looking great. I love it.
The expensive mall nail care kits depend on one item to make your nails beautiful — the buff and shine block. My Mom saw my nails and wanted the product, too. I did a little research trying to find it cheaper for her. To my shock I found the buff and shine block through many sources for just a few dollars each! I was horrified I had spent so much on mine, but at the same time I was delighted to find out that this nail beauty miracle worker was available at such a cheap price. I’ll never buy the expensive mall nail care kit again. Instead I’ll purchase it either online at a beauty supply website, in a beauty supply store, or at a dollar store (yes, I have even found these there). When looking online simply search “Buffer Block” or “Nail Block” or a similar keyword to find it.
How does the buff and shine block work? Through a series of varying levels of course material, filing the nail, which causes the ridges to be smoothed and the nail surface to be buffed to a shine. Depending on the brand of buff and shine block, there will be 3 or 4 different types of surfaces, usually in different colors. The instructions on the block will walk you through the process. For example, it is likely to say, “Start with black side. Next use blue side. Finish with white side.” What you will do is file the surface of your fingernail with first the black side, then the blue side, then the white side (or however the block instructs). It’s fast and easy. When done your nails will look naturally beautiful. The finish is durable because it’s your real nail; it’s just been enhanced through a process of gentle sanding (much like a home improvement or craft project where you sand the wood to a smooth and beautiful finish).
The buff and shine block works on fingernails and toenails. If you regularly paint your nails, using the block beforehand will enhance your nail polish finish because you will have a nice smooth surface to begin with. The only precaution that needs to be mentioned is to not use the first, most course side for too long. It will wear down your nail and make it thin. But it should be obvious with any nail filing not to do it to the point that the nail is thin and brittle. An easy time guide line is to complete all steps per nail in about a minute each. That should be long enough to get the job done. That’s right, about 10 minutes to get your nails looking great. Isn’t that amazing?
