my winter nail care routine (plus a Julep tutorial!)

It's the middle of winter, it's dry, and your hands may look like a hopeless, cracked mess.. honestly, mine look like that most of the time. But with a few tips and tricks, your hands and nails can look so pretty and polished. Julep contacted me to share their nail care tutorial and nail polish color swatches, as well as my own personal tips. 

First, allow me to share my nail care routine.

I've omitted a few tools, such as nail clippers, filer, and hand cream but I will mention them in the steps below!

1. Soak your fingers in warm water, and if desired, add a drop or two of essential oil
2. Dry hands, clip nails to desired length, and file if necessary
3. I use Seacret's Buffing Block to smooth out and prep my nails
4. Rub in some nail oil onto your cuticles. I use one by Canmake, a Japanese brand
5. Apply hand cream to your hands until they are soft (don't forget to massage!)
6. Apply a base coat to your nails. I use Bonder by Orly, which is probably the best out there
7. Next, apply two coats of your favorite nail polish. This time, I am using Essie's Cocktails & Coconuts
8. Lastly, apply one coat of top coat. I'm using Essie's all in one

I'm no pro when it comes to doing the perfect manicure, but I think it looks pretty decent!

And here is Julep's nail care tutorial:

Make sure to check out their color swatch and their new nail colors on their website here! They have some really pretty winter shades (Ilsa is my favorite!).

Did the tutorials help at all? Which Julep shades are your favorite? If you have any nail care suggestions or recommendations, let me know in the comment section!