If you’re big into DIY mani’s like moi, you’ll appreciate Sally Hansen’s new line of slick-looking pro-style beauty tools. They’ll be in stores as of next month and the range includes everything you’ll need to take care of you finger and toe nails as well as three different types of tweezers.

I got given these boys to play with:

As I don’t cut my cuticles or nails, I didn’t use the nail and cuticle scissors (R99,95) or cuticle nipper (R129,95), but appreciated the zexy-looking packaging. Each pack has a little gaaitjie at the back so you can see exactly what you’re getting.

Of everything I used, I was most impressed with the Fabulous Fingernails perfect manicure kit (R129,95).

It includes a metal nail file, clipper, cuticle groomer and three-way buffer in a nifty orange carry case. The cuticle groomer is great ‘cos it’s nice and sharp but not so much that it damages your nail bed. I also like that the little rubber ‘cuticle pusher’ on the back is nice and hard so you can actually get some use out of it. (The last two cuticle pushers I bought were so ridiculously soft that they were completely ineffective and I ended up throwing them away.) The metal nail file works well and has two different grains. (Still, if your nails are very soft like mine it’s best you stick to a regular emery board.) The most impressive tool in the kit, however, is the buffer. I’d been using a Ms. Manicure buffer beforehand and this one beats it hands down. Somehow it manages to impart my nails with a gorgeous-looking gleam within seconds. Seriously. I feel like I almost have to let it just touch my nails and them – BAM – they’re done. The only negative is that as the buffer’s so small, I’ll wear out all its surface area in no time flat and have to replace it rather soon. I don’t know if Sally Hansen make separately sold buffers that are available in South Africa, but if they do I’d like to buy some. The only item in the kit that lets it down is the nail clippers. You have to push down REALLY hard and deep to use it and getting it to clip with just one hand is very difficult.

Now get a look at the Easy Tweezy tweezers, R59,95.

Also included in the range and not mentioned here are a toe nail clipper and two finger nail clippers, a cuticle scissors and two other tweezers; one with a claw slant tip and the other with a round point tip. They’ll all be in stores as of next month, so if you’re keen, keep an eye out.

Love, love

Leigh