No chip manicure

Way back in February, before MM and I departed on our two week long snowboarding adventure, I decided I needed a sturdy manicure to endure 14 days of what would otherwise be a nail-polish suicide mission. I had a Groupon for a No Chip Manicure at a local salon, so I gave it a whirl.

I loved it as soon as I left the salon! All in all, the process took about 45 minutes. A total of 5 coats of polish were applied + one clear coat, with a round of setting under a UV lamp after each coat. With the final clear gel coat, my nails were rock hard, and I didn't have to worry about immediately chipping the polish by reaching into my purse or holding my keys (that has happened one too many times *shakes fist*).

True to its name, my manicure remained chip-free for about 14 days. This was by no means an easy 14 days either. Lots of lacing up snowboarding boots, grabbing snowboards, and not once did I think twice about messing up my mani. LOVED IT.

This is what it looked like after about 3 weeks:

Definitely grown out, but still mostly chip free, with a couple of dings on a few fingers. Being too lazy/cheap to go back to the salon to remove it, I decided to try to do my polish change at home. BAD NEWS BEARS AHEAD.

At first I tried just scrubbing away with an acetone soaked cottonball. No go. Did not even touch the surface. Then I realized that the polish was starting to peel at the edges, so stupid me thinks 'oh, what a GREAT way to take off polish!' (On a side note, does anybody remember back in the day the kiddie nail polishes that actually were supposed to be peeled off? Oh so satisfying.)

This is what my nails looked like after THAT brilliant idea:

*shudder* Frightening, I know. In a panic, I just cut them, buffed them all down, and covered them with a quick coat of my new favorite cheapy nail polish Wet n Wild Grays Anatomy. It's a pretty opalescent gray with hints of green and purple with the light.

I believe it's pretty similar to the color "Mash Up" from the Sephora by Opi GLEE limited edition line.

Anyhow, it's been two months after my terrible polish removal decision, and my nails are still growing out. The part that had been under the polish is incredibly thin, and brittle, and to prevent daily broken nails, I've been having to keep my nails super short, which makes me sad.

So take heed: if you should decide to get a no-chip, I am 1000% supportive, and I think they're fab. But do NOT attempt to remove them by yourself, lest you want sad, thin nails for a couple months.

(On a funny, semi-related note, I keep joking to MM that I need to start taking pre-natal vitamins so my nails will start growing strong again. He does not find that very amusing.)