Buy of the week: Carly

I had been toying with posting this since Christmas, but the last few months in quarantine have made really brought it to the forefront for me. So much so, I likely will never be going back to my old ways pre Covid-19 crazy. I am talking about possibly the best present ever given to me (whom I constantly make fun about giving me terrible presents) by my husband Michael.

I REALLY like doing my nails. In 7th grade, it became a bit of an obsession for me. Each morning at school my classmates would gather round me to see what I had done to my nails the previous night. Toothpick rainbows and flowers reigned supreme, way before it was cool to do nail art. I continued my love affair with my nails throughout high school and college, FINALLY stopped chewing my nails at 21 (gasp!) for a better outcome, and continued on painting through my teaching days in Boston. It was there, that I fell in deep for the $35 mani/pedi specials at Fejia Nails on Newbury street and never looked back. I liked doing my nails, but these talented artists were amazing, and I began a 2 week habit of getting my nails done. I kept this up until I had John, when I started paying up for a gel manicure once every three weeks. I hated worrying about chipped nails and found gel just worked better for me and my otherwise brittle nails. So began my habit of every three weeks going to the nail salon and way too many complaints/worries about it. It sounds ridiculous, but I spent a lot of mind space planning out when I would go, worrying if my favorite nail tech would be in, and tears if she wasn't and my nails only lasted a few days. It was silly, but I think at the root of it, it was one of my only things about myself pre-mom that I still had. Then came Christmas time when Michael gifted me my very own LED/UV Gel light and nail polish.

Initially I recoiled at the idea...it would be so much work to get off the polish/one more thing I had to do myself. I said thank you and vowed to just do my toes, as I have always been too cheap to get my toes done with gel. It was easy. It stayed on an ENTIRE month, and I simply peeled it off at the end of the month. Viola! Then I started doing my finger nails...and it was easy! They definitely did not last as long as my beloved Lisa could do at my local nail salon, but I consistently got 8-14 days out of them without fail. I know they always say not to peel off gel nail polish, but I have been doing it (don't judge) while in a bath the past six months and my normal brittle nails are strong and healthy as ever. I LOVE being able to play with the colors (I was always so nervous in the salon to make a wrong choice or ask for something funky) and never feel buyers remorse if it doesn't work out. I just wipe it off! With summer here, I recently also added in this collection of blues and bright colors to my mix. Since I have a good basic base now, I also intend to start purchasing Pear Nova gel polishes that I keep reading about (and are from a black owned business) as soon as I need a new color. They have a stunning range of both gel and normal nail colors that all just feel so fresh and are vegan!

Please tell me I'm not the only person in the world who feels this way about her nails?

xo

Carly

P.S. My making fun of presents from Michael began with #buniongate2015. He got me a bunion guard as part of a Christmas present and was SO proud of himself. I still give him crap for this on a bi-weekly basis.