My fingernails take a lot of abuse, thanks to my career of choice. Between hammering away at my computer keyboard for hours on end, and testing oodles of nailpolish, it's no wonder they're usually frail and peeling into multiple layers. (Gross!) Finally, I had to put the kibosh on nailpolish of any kind, and instead asked my manicurist at <a href="http://dovespa.ca/" target="_blank">Dove Spa</a> (<a href="http://beautyeditor.ca/2009/08/11/editors-pick-dove-spa/" target="_blank">read my review of Dove Spa here</a>) to help me nurse them back to health. After a decadent paraffin treatment and a polish-free clean-up, they're looking miraculously strong, long and—amazingly—confined to one layer only.

Now, I'm resolved to keep them that way. My friend B. introduced me to <a href="http://www.sallyhansen.com/product.cfm?product=354" target="_blank">this nifty pen from Sally Hansen</a> that you can whip out of your bag to keep your cuticles nourished all day long. (Because I suspect that I might have been a tad, er, inattentive in duly oiling and moisturizing my fingertips.) Obviously, I'm blaming my negligence on not having the oil in a pen form, which is so much more convenient. This one contains sweet almond oil, mango seed butter and tea tree oil—all good stuff for thirsty cuticles.

<em>Sally Hansen is at select drug stores and mass retailers across Canada.</em>