My Crazy Finger Nails (Acrylic)

When I was younger I HAD to have long painted nails ~ Always ! It was one of my 'signature' things LOL Then when I got my first job and made my own $$ I got acrylic nails and LOVED them so much, Long and Brightly colored - Every two weeks was a different color! THEN something happened when I was about 25ish, I HATED long nails (on me) and HATED even more to have them painted - would only use clear. I like them on other people and think they look fantastic but on me NO WAY. So strange how things change. Now a days they're short and once in a great while I will put clear polish on them, but rarely. my toes on the other hand MUST be painted all the time LOL

For a good long while I had acrylics that I kept fairly short, but then it just got too expensive for me to not feel horribly guilty. I took them all off & spent the same amount I would have on a fill on drug store items to have them naturally pretty. I bought Sally Hansen Hard as Nail Wrap which looks like clear gloss but makes them much tougher to break. Then every 2 weeks when I got paid instead of going for a fill I would go buy a new nail polish for a few bucks (not the pricey ones). It's been a good year & a half that I've been doing them myself & I've finally gotten pretty decent at doing designs on my daughter's nails, I can do my own french manicures even! I change the polish 1-2 times a week, whenever I feel like it because I've got all the stuff right at my house. I've found it's worth spending the extra money on the Sally Hansen top coat & the better polish removers to keep them nice & it does make me happy for them to look pretty, but it makes me even happier to know I didn't have to spend a fortune to get them like that!

It's definitely a personal thing. My natural nails aren't so "pretty". I have pretty strong square hands. HOWEVER, I finally gave up on keeping them pretty. Acrylics were too expensive and too much work. My short natural nails are much easier, and feel "cleaner" to me. Maybe it's just laziness. You need to do what you like and makes you feel good : ).

I cannot wear acrylics. They just feel unnatural to me and I cannot seem to get past it. I usually keep my nails fairly short, I will grow them out when I know I have something like a wedding to go to. I keep mine filed and although I prefer to keep them polished, when I am working ( I clean houses) it is hard to keep my nails looking nice ( I cannot stand chipped polish) I will put on a neutral color or just use a clear top coat.
I do my own toe nails and they usually sport a bright or wild fun color = ) I do my toe nails a lot more frequently in the summer with flip flop weather than I do in the winter= )
I will occasionally do nail art or decals, but it is time consuming and I do not get a lot of me time.

I have acrylics on and when I get them done I get them short (they are long right now and I so need to get in and get them done), but I always do a french. With the french it looks really good with my ring (diamond center with ruby sides).

I have gel nails pink and white.. With a more square edge and thicker white.. I have had them for 4 years.. Love love them. I really like gel. And I think having a thicker white on the French makes them look longer.. So I keep them medium length. Although I have shellac pedicure.. And it has lasted 3 weeks no chips! I always chip polish wheather it be on my hands or toes.. So I am kind of thinking shellac manicure.. But I am so comfortable with my gels :)