Moving on from our discussion of magic, the next art on the docket is

22 Manicure

To soften hands spoiled by work or age, or products.

And who couldn’t use one of those every now and then? Let’s go with now.

Even though I try to stay brand neutral on most things, the fastest way to soft hands that I’ve ever encountered is the Mary Kay Satin Hands Pampering Set. It’s quick, it’s easy and it does wonders to rough hands and feet (elbows and knees, too!). I’ve even found the Extra Emolient Night Cream to be a great quick fix for heels that look less than sandal-worthy when you’re heading out the door and don’t have time to put on more than a lotion. And since you use so little of the Night Cream for the manicures (a little goes a long way), ways to use up any extra are always nice.

(Want to win a sampler-size Satin Hands kit? Stay tuned as I’ll be giving one away later in the very near future!)

The other fast track to soft hands is regular stop-ins at your local nail place or spa. There’s ups and downs to this method.

Pros:  No need to purchase your own supplies.

You get pampered while stimulating the economy a little bit.

Some of those nail techs have fabulous massage techniques, working any kinks out of your tired hands in minutes–that’s hard to diy! (But not impossible.)

Cons:  Cost. $20 seems to be a pretty average price, including tip, for a basic drop-in manicure.

Only available on someone else’s schedule, and that can be a drag.

It’s just as easy to get a bad tech as it is a good one.

Of course, to do it yourself at home you need just a few simple items:

Nail clippers, cuticle oil, hand lotion, bath salts, orange sticks and a 4-step buffer; all of which can also be used to make the very clever–if I do say so myself, and I do–manicure gift card I created while I was writing for eHow.

Next week we’ll talk about my favorite perk of the spa manicure–make sure to come back for tips on making your own paraffin dip!