I very very rarely will go out for a manicure...
I find them more of a nuisance! I hate the waiting, I hate the panic of smudging
and I hate being uncomfortable in that damn chair!
I do however indulge in pedicures, which obvs. I enjoy much much more!
Hell, even a microderm is relaxing for me.
But my manis are my favorite "me activitiy".
I find so much joy in heading to the drug store or beauty supply for a good ol' haul!
I take my time picking out new products and the essentials...
Those always include a new :
A file, mani sticks (the wood ones), my fave ORLY products & a top coat if I'm running low
AND of course, 2 -3 new polishes!
Each manicure haul happens roughly, every other month and costs under $20 dollars!
Now this isn't a matter of being cheap, because yes I can very easily go get a manicure for the same amount but I get so much more out of a mani when I do it myself...
*plus the polish is mine to keep!
Like I mentioned, it is my favorite way to indulge in "me"...
A little like, MEditating ;-)
I need a solid 30 minutes of drying time once polished, so what do I do?
I catch up with the DVR, maybe the many books just sitting unfinished on my Kindle,
or flip through a magazine that is stacked waiting for me!
So while there is not much rocket science behind painting your nails,
yes we have all seen the pins and been practicing for years
my TOP secret is this...
Start with a light scrub to exfoliate the skin I love soft hands,
especially as it gets colder!
A good soak will go a long way and get off the stains from a darker hue of mani past!
I use aquaphor (like a lotion) all over my hands (sometimes I keep it on awhile)
and around my nail on the cuticles. I trim and push my cuticles back,
each and every time I do my nails.
It's great for treating them and keeping them soft
and also in case I get a little sloppy while painting!
The dried polish will wipe right off - you can try the same with vaseline!
So here are my mani-ecessities, ya know like the bare necessities!
.PNG)
