Four things polished girls never do

I’ve never been a polished girl. You know, one of those heavenly creatures who manages to look pristine no matter what the situation – after the gym, at the end of a night out, just casually doing the shopping in Woolies. The kind of girl I imagine Emily Blunt to be: not a hair out of place or a scuffed heel to be seen. Ever.
Currently I’m sporting a two-week old chipped toenail paint job (with the polish removed from my two big toes from when I was testing out colours last week), fingernails that are all different lengths, and a serious case of bedhead that I didn’t quite have time to tame.
Yeah, I know, something’s got to change. But I don’t think it’s big changes that are needed here – nor a big budget to blow on manicures and blow-drys. I’ve been observing polished girls, you see, and I think I’ve managed to acquire some of their secrets. Their immaculate, well-presented demeanour is all down to paying attention to the small-but-important details that finish off a look, and setting a little time aside to keep these things in check.
In order for me to learn something from these well-put-together darlings, I’ve compiled a list of the things polished girls never ever do.
1) Have chipped, uneven fingernails. If a nail breaks, they take it as a sign it’s time to chop them all; if their polish chips, they either get rid of it all or switch it up for another colour. Tip: keep a nail file like Cutex Crystal Gloss Nail File and some nail polish remover pads such as Swisspers Nail Polish Remover Pads in your handbag for emergencies. Shorter, polish-free nails have got to be better than raggedy, messy ones, right?
2) Let their hair get to that day-after-the-day-it-needed-to-be-washed stage. Or, if they do, you would never, ever know it. My guess is polished girls don’t do lie-ins on hairwash days. If for some reason they don’t have time to shampoo greasy tresses, they have a go-to failsafe updo and they always have a good dry shampoo such as De Lorenzo Essential Treatments Absorb Dry Shampoo on hand to disguise any oiliness. Tip: a Scunci Bun Maker is one of the easiest ways to give yourself a chic-looking style without spending hours on it.
3) Walk like they stole their shoes from their mum. Yup, polished girls were born to wear heels. Or so it seems. They appear to have the ability to pound city streets, Carrie Bradshaw-style, with three inches of sexiness strapped to their soles without so much as a grimace of pain. But it’s all an illusion. What you don’t see it that they’ve got some cute fold-up ballet flats tucked in their bag ready to be worn when the night is over. And they’ve also employed the aid of some super-secret foot-helpers such as Compeed Blister Patches, which to not only help heal and protect your feet when you have blisters, but also to prevent them.
4) Have a smudged eye, a two-tone foundation jawline or a lipstick-splodged tooth in sight. These girls look in the mirror regularly during the day (under different lighting conditions). To make sure their foundation matches their skin and that their eye make-up has stayed on their eyes. Don’t be afraid to keep a compact mirror handy to check on your make-up throughout the day. When I see a polished girl checking her reflection in public, I never think, ‘oh, she’s vain’. In the back of my mind I’m always saying, ‘ahh, so that’s why she looks so good’.
Do you envy polished girls? Do you pay attention to the finishing touches of your look? What are your tips for looking pristine and flawless?
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152 Member Comments
Chipped or uneven nails bug me so much! I am always filing mine, I always just thought I was being obsessive but i'll take the title of 'polished girl'!
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I always feel the need to have clean chip free nails
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they are taboo for the beauty lovers!!!
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Number 1 is one of my biggest beauty pet peeves!
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Showers are always a must
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It's not that hard to maintain a reasonable level of grooming. We all know what we have to do to look and feel good ourselves. My tip; never, never, never drive your car in your good shoes. It ruins the heals. Keep a pair of old flat shoes to drive in.
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i really need these tips!
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I couldn't handle the high maintenance of being constantly polished to perfection
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I wish that I had enough time to do all of these things! I am definitely due for a pedicure :/
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added to favourites!
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I'm guilty of having chipped nail polish now and then because I mean to take it off but never get around to doing it!
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My lips always seem to be chapped and I do look like I stole my shoes from my Mum (I prefer sneakers...) I always make sure to remove my nail polish once it starts to chip though.
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Always striving to pull off the 'polished girl' look. I like these guidelines.
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im a mum of 3, i take care of myself and make sure im looking respectable when i leave the house, but i havnt got time for polishing, and i was busted by my sister in law wearing socks and thong last week, wich she found quite funny, but hay, it was cold and my shoes had disappeared!
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I have a polished simple easy going look that does not require me to consistently look in the mirror or carry extra pair of shoes.i just keep it simple.if Iam going to have a long day on my feet.i wear cute flares.i wear primer,that it does not require me to keep checking if my makeup is still on.i keep a simple hair do depending on the outfit or occasion,my nails are always in prestige condition i don't keep then too long,maybe half an inch because Iam afraid of scratching my baby.idk,I just manage to have everything in place without all the extra work lol.hv
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The chipped nails are the worst put-off, it always looks shabby. If my nails are chipped, I take them off straight away, before anyone can notice.
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I either wear Shellac or clear nail polish. That way I don't have to risk chips too much. I always have polish on my toenails though, it's permanent for me lol. Toes look weird without polish. I think I look tidy without looking TOO polished.
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Finishing touches to a look are so important to me... they make all the difference. Highlighting, contouring. I always feel so polished when my nails are done.
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ahh already chewing my nailpolish off as I read! Oops!
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Amazing isn't it, that when we look back to our single or dating days ... our hair, nails always looked great before we walked out that front door. But as most mums know although we all try hard its hard to get that time to your self to do your nails and pamper yourself. Luckily my daughter has grown up, and as a teenager its hey mum- we need time out to get our nails done have facial... even if we do this for each other its the time we spend together! By the way those mums with boys who are into competitive cycling will understand when I say ... we have to hide our shavers or shaving cream as it disapears quickly, haha but then my 18yr son can have a conversation with us and laugh with us too about the trials and tribulations of shaving and looking after yourself over a latte, and spend that time together too.
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Could not agree more about the fingernails. Nothing looks worse than scratty nail polish. I'm very casual but as soon as I get the tiniest chip the polish all comes off. Same with cutting them - they're always all the same length.
Very important when always paired with jeans, a t shirt and sneakers! :D
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I'm not perfectly polished. But I don't like leaving the house without everything being in the right place
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I'm a polished girl..at work anyway..I like to try to look nice and keep my hair/nails/makeup looking tidy and 'groomed', although it doesn't always work out! I have good days and not so great days..when I feel I've got everything looking fab..great hair and the makeup and outfit is spot on..and then there are the days when I try..but it just doesn't happen..the hair doesn't work or I just end up feeling a lot less groomed than I want to! that's natural and I think its too much to try and look perfect all the time. It's not about being vain or trying to impress anyone..I just like to look good and present the best side of me as possible, coz when I look great, I feel great!
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I'd say I fit the bill - however for the most part I can't stand heels. That dull ache that escalates to severe back pain. Ouch.
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I think polished girls sometimes look abit too high maintenance. I dont mind polished nails and hair. But doesnt mean that i have to wear high heels all the time to look polished. After all, choosing to wear heels everyday tends to affect your back after awhile
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