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.)

How shall I groom thee, eyebrows? Let me count the ways...

I'm sure there are others out there who can sympathize with me--I have the worst combination for eyebrows. They are 1) sparse, and 2) not well shaped. This generally involves me having to 1) fill them in everyday, and 2) pluck.

An old rare picture of me without makeup. Where are my eyebrows??

I hate plucking. It hurts, and it leaves my brow red for at least an hour (sensitive skin much?). Worst of all, it never seems to last very long. I refuse to wax, because um, hot wax near my eyeballs? NO SCHPANK YOU. My other alternative is threading. Not familiar?

It is apparently an ancient Indian technique that involves using thread (as in the kind you sew with) to remove lines or hair or individual hairs from the brow. It looks kind of cool, and far less painful than either waxing or plucking. AND in most salons, it will only run about $10-15.

Source

Concerns? It seems like it removes the hair at the surface of the skin, akin to shaving. Which makes me wonder how often you would have to get your eyebrows threaded...$10 isn't a lot, but it sure could add up. There are also video tutorials demonstrating home threading, but I don't trust myself that much. I'd likely take all my eyelashes out accidentally.

Has anyone tried threading before? Thoughts?