DIY Nails

I like to have my nails done. There is something about taking 45 minutes to yourself to relax and chat with someone who speaks little english about mundane things. The whole experience is great, and pricy. I spend up to $50 every time I want to get my nails done, which is at least twice a month. Not very thrifty... So I decided to embark on the journey of doing my nails myself. A crazy notion for someone who embodies this little internet pic:

 



So in an effort to avoid nail polish, I opted out for these seemingly easy and convenient "Stick on" nail polish strips.



But first, I had to remove my Shelac manicure. If you don't know, Shelac, or Gel nails, are not your average manicure. They are not fake nails, but they are a super strong "gel" nail polish that is hard to remove. After googling, I discovered the trick was to soak your nails in Acetone for 10 minutes, then scrape the gel off your nail. That got most of it off, but I had to dip a cotton ball into acetone to get the rest off, then I filed down the top of my nail a little to make it smooth again. To prepare for the Stick on nail polish I washed my hands with soap and water.

I followed the directions and applied the nails, but it was way harder than I expected. It took 10 minutes to do two nails, and I was kinda over it. It was hard to line up, and didn't really give a clean line.

After the first two nails, I realized the standard strips weren't going to fit my fingernails. I didn't think I had abnormal sized nails, but apparently I do. So I gave up trying to line them up and I went funky, putting them on at an angle.

It looks pretty cute, but would be cuter if I were 13... Overall I don't love it. And my review for the "Salon Effects" is that they are not as easy as advertised and come in strange sizes making them even more of a PITA. Not worth the $8.95 price tag. I will just go back to the nail salon.