Indulgences

Kudos to everyone who made it out there for black friday shopping! I was pleased to hear that even with this economic mess overall black friday was on par with past years in terms of consumer spending, if nothing else. Curiously enough, I also heard that there were less people.

With the state of my personal finances I definitely have to rethink little things that I was partaking in on a regular basis that could be construed as unnecessary. When looking over things I did some math and realized that getting my nails done (manicure only) could end up costing me (or my mom) almost $520.00 a year. That's money that could be spent on serious stuff like bills, groceries, etc. with maybe a little left over for a new pair of shoes but, I digress. I figured that manicures can't be all that difficult and have resolved to do my own nails each week! After all, practice makes perfect and to save that kind of money it's definately worth a try.

Here's what I've learned:

• Remove any former polish using a good remover. Don't use anything with gelatin, it makes it harder to rub the polish off.
• When filing you nails, less it more. Work with the natural shape of your nails which for me (and many other women) is square-ish. While filing them, round the edges because when they are too pointy they crack and chip, not to mention scratch.
• If your cuticles are beast then you can try to trim them. Although, I recommend getting a manicure once a month so they can do that for you. In the interim you can use a cuticle moisturizing cream and use an orangewood stick to push them back.
• Now, you can start painting. With any good paint job you need to start with a good base. This is where a general rule comes in. Spending a little more on these products is totally worth it because you will still save tons in the end. Invest in a bottle of my fav base coat! This will make your manicure stay, my nails jobs now last longer than when I went to get them done at the salon.
• You can choose whatever color you like but again I recommend going with higher quality, I like Essie Wicked for the colder months and Starter Wife or similar sheer pinky colors for the warmer months. These will last you a long time. You should paint two coats on your nails. And, you shouldn't lay the first coat on too thick. The second one can be a little thicker to cover up any imperfections. If you go over the line while painting, that being your cuticle, you can dip a q-tip in nail polish remover and touch it up or you can use a nail corrector pen. I picked one up at my local beauty supply shop and it works great, much more precise than a q-tip which is great because I'm not that delicate.
• Lastly you need a good top coat to seal the deal. I like OPI Nail Envy. It was recommended by the owner of the nails salon by my house and is the perfect compliment to Seche Base. My nails are stronger than ever. You can follow up during the week with additional top coats to keep your mani fresh!
• I recommend carrying a nail file in your car or purse so that just in case one of your lovelies breaks you can file it back into shape instead of being tempted to pick at it or bite. What good was all that work if you don't maintain?