Here’s how I make my nails look like I just got a gorgeous (profesh) mani

Okay, the pros can probably tell the difference but it's good enough for me.

People have asked, 'Is it shellac?,' 'Where did you get your nails done?' and the truth is, I prefer to polish my nails at home, myself. I wasn't blessed with the virtue of patience - so it's quicker and less time consuming. Just about every girl I know goes to the salon and indeed, those nails do look beautiful. But if you’re anything like me, this might just suit you too. Over the years, I’ve accumulated quite the range of nail polish that sits in my fridge (the cold stops the polish from separating) and the one brand that I’ve fallen in love with (and this is not an ‘#ad’) is an American brand named ella+mila. Mm-hmm... I love! I tried it out for the first time about two years ago when I found it in Dublin's Skinful Affairs and purchased it purely because it’s cruelty free and vegan (it’s PETA certified too). It would turn out to be a whole lot better than I even imagined. The range of colour is insane - oodles of metallics, neons, pastels, and glitters - while the consistency is bang on, making it very easy to apply. I always pop on two layers for more depth of colour and it lasts longer than any other nail polish I’ve tried before. The key to that shellac-like, professional shine though? The ella+mila top coat called In a Rush (€14.95). Now you might be thinking, ‘That’s not cheap!’ But compared to getting your nails done by someone else - it’s going to save you money in the long run, and it's something that suits me because I easily get bored looking at the exact same colour for weeks and I feel more glam when my nails are looking GOOOD. The ella+mila brand creators originally set out to try and create a nail polish that was eco-friendly, or at least as eco-friendly as is possible. The polish doesn't contain any toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) [banned here in the EU], formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) [an endocrine/hormonal disruptor], xylene or camphor. So it's a plus for the planet, animals, our nails and our blood stream - which these chemicals can enter through the nail bed. And there you have it!