Vegan nail polish simply means it’s not tested on animals nor does it contain animal by-products. Find out what three common animal-derived ingredients to look out for.

 

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Polish is for the daring. But would you dare to use it on your clothes, to make repairs, or even as a medicine cabinet go-to remedy? Well, studies have shown that you should!

When it comes to practicality, polish is the most practical choice. Not just for your nails...but for your apparel, home repairs, health remedies and more! Here are our top nail hacks that illustrate the super unconventional uses for your favorite nail polish.

Polish Used for Apparel

This doesn’t mean polish aides in painting the color back into your overwashed favorite blouse, but it does give new hope to some of your most expensive shoes and pantyhose. It makes a great tool for fixing and restoring the appearance of apparel.

Stop a Run in Your Hose: Although it’s impossible to to permanently prevent a run, it doesn’t mean that polish cannot offer a quick repair to prevent a continuous run and prolong the life of your pantyhose. Adding a dab of clear polish to the end of a run will stop it from spreading.

(Courtesy of Huffington Post)

Thread a Needle: We all know the hassle of threading a needle. By dipping the cut end of your thread into polish and rolling the ends together, you’ve just saved yourself from a headache. Once the polish has dried on the ends, the thread will be stiff enough to leverage through any hoop.

(Courtesy of Viral Hot Topics)

Keep Your Sole Flawless: If you have any pair of high-heels with a distinctive sole, you likely know all about the headache of preserving the look. Whether you’re a Christian Louboutin fan or artsy sole-enthusiast--applying clear polish over the base of your sole can help to keep the appearance refreshed and renewed. Consider it the high-heel coverage you always desired.

(Courtesy of Christian Louboutin)

 

Polish Used for Repairing

As feminine as the idea of polish can be, there are several masculine uses that may have your boyfriend running to purchase his own set!

To Stop a Cracked Windshield from Spreading: Believe it or not, adding clear polish to a cracked car windshield will stop that crack from spreading to other parts of the window. Before you actually begin this quick-fix remedy, it might be important to note that you should move your car into a shaded area. Then, simply apply a clear coat on both sides of the window (yes inner and outer areas of the windshield). Once you have applied the coats, place the vehicle in sunlight to dry. This should buy you a little more time until you are able to get your windshields completely repaired.

(Courtesy of Google Images)

Mend Your Window Screens: Yep, for a relatively small puncture, you can apply a dab of polish. This would prevent the hole from getting larger and keep those pesky bugs out in the meantime.

(Courtesy of Google Images)

Get Those Loose Screws Tight: A great way to keep screws in place, whether for a shaky drawer or cabinet door is to apply polish on the grooves of the screw. Once you insert the screw where needed, the grip will hold in place. Did I mention, this also works well for loose pot handles?

(Courtesy of Google Images)

 

Polish Used as a Medical Remedy

It sounds absurd to use polish and medicine in the same sentence (Although, polish is quite therapeutic for us here at IV Kulture). But before you rule it out, understand that using polish can serve many purposes, including treatment regimes.

For Sensitive Skin: If you’re like many people, sometimes your skin sensitivity to copper or metals may prevent you from wearing fake/cosmetic jewelry. The material can cause breakouts and rashes--which aren’t fun to deal with. Well, if you apply a clear coat of polish over your jewelry you can eliminate getting an allergic reaction because once sealed, it serves as an outer protection layer.

(Courtesy of My Thirty Spot)

As a Bandage: Small cut...no problem. Broken acrylic nail...no problem. If you're out of Neosporin and a Band-Aid, then try polish as a substitution to temporary close and seal a wound. Sounds insane, right!? No, truly polish can seal off a wound and prevent further infection. If you're nervous about using polish because of the toxins, consider changing your polish to a non-toxic brand like IV Kulture.

(Courtesy of Simple Remedies)

 

Polish Used in Your Office

If you're anything like me, than polish has always been a piece you carry around faithfully. In office settings it can get a bit tricky to justify, but now you have the perfect excuse---it’s an office accessory.

To Color Code: Organizational skills are so important in any office setting, so don’t waste time buying ridiculous color coding kits when you have the ultimate coder at home! Painting the top of keys could help to distinguish a specific function or purpose. Feel free to use on hanging folders as well to create office distinctions. 

(Courtesy of Instructables)

Prevent Labels from Smudging: Don’t let an occasional elbow swipe or water ruin your labels. Take a light coat of nail polish and paint over your labels to make them waterproof.

(Courtesy of Instructables)

To Seal Envelopes: Licking envelopes are truly a thing of the past. It taste horrible among other things, so why not make it a tab bit easier. Rubbing a layer of nail polish across the seal helps to secure a stronger closure. And your tongue will thank you!

 

(Courtesy of Instructables)

Smooths Out Office Furniture: Every now and then, your clothes take a beating from the wooden desk and chairs in your office. Whether you are getting caught on small splinters or unraveling your garments from pointy corners, you can apply 2-3 coats of polish over those affected areas of furniture to smooth out the splinter.

(Courtesy of FastCoDesign)

Do you have any good unconventional uses for polish? If so, comment below and let us know what they are!

 

Besides being properly groomed during a manicure, the cuticles are often times the most unexciting part of your nails. Because honestly, what’s so exciting about the cuticle?

The truth is, when done correctly, the cuticles can be the most exciting part of any nail art design.

Let’s find out how to spice up your nail design by focusing simply on the cuticles!

Differentiate Through Color:

The simplest way to spice up your cuticle life would be to add color. Not just any color. Try contrasting hues to show a distinction. Focusing on creating a drastic contrast would allow for you to accentuate the cuticles in a way that would make them hard to ignore.

(Courtesy of IG: Chelseaqueen)

Shapes Create Depth

We all love a great shape combination. Placing them on the cuff of your cuticle creates an illusion of depth.  That’s right, shapes are a great way to make a design appear more 3-dimensional. When using shapes such as triangles, circles and rectangles, your cuticle area develops more of a distance from the top and surface level art design.

(Courtesy of Instagram)

Reversed Tip:

This is by far the editor’s pick! Changing the direction of the standard tip where it appears on the bottom of the cuticle, instead of the tip of the nail is brilliant and edgy. In some instances, nail technicians trace the outer area of the cuticles to form a half circle, and other times a straight line will also make due. Either way, adding a tip around the cuticles is an intrepid move that proves to be a crowd pleaser.

(Courtesy of Instagram: NK_Nailartroom)

(Courtesy of Instagram: Nailartbysig)

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