Gel Manicures vs. Traditional Ones

Okay, so gel manicures are the major rage right now, with at home kits and mini LEDs to set them, they're popping up everywhere. Now, I know, as a woman who works, that a manicure that can last more than two weeks without chipping, one that keeps going until it's grown out before it needs to be re-done (not unlike acrylics, but without the havoc they wreak on your nails), is too amazing to be questioned... but what happens when you should question it for health reasons?

I have more than a "normal" nail polish collection... okay, it is now bordering on obsession, addiction and needing intervention, so I have a pretty serious investment in going with a traditional manicure (and doing it yourself! Or at least bringing your own polish). All of that aside, gel manicures sound like the best thing since... sliced bread? Or those little toasters that cook a sunnyside up egg while they make your toast... However, I have discovered a couple serious flaws in the gel manicure camp.

One: if you don't go back to the nail salon to have them removed (and then put back on), they can destroy your nails, similar to the way acrylics did back in high school. Here's the thing: you have to soak your hands in pure acetone (not normal nail polish remover) to soften the cured gel enough to actually remove it from your nails. The acetone does soften the gel, but it also softens the nails. Then you have to use a metal cuticle pusher to scrape off the gel and if you're not careful (or over-zealous, like I was), you'll actually end up scraping/peeling off part of the nail itself. The whole thing leaves your nails weak, just like acrylics did. And, if you have any kind of ADD, you'll get bored of the manicure/color you got. By day 5, I was itching to paint my nails, I love me a nice French manicure, but not that much. Long story short: gels are no better than acrylics--they ruin your nails, you're stuck with one manicure for weeks, and you look ridiculous when you "need a fill" and spend $40 to get the whole manicure re-done. At least, that's my opinion.

Two: you can get skin cancer from gel manicures. Yes, skin cancer. Since the lights used to cure the polish are UV lights, you're almost tanning your hands... like putting your hands only in a tanning bed. Since your hands are one of the most forgotten/overlooked parts of your body, they're at a huge risk for skin cancer. Think about it. Driving in the car: what's exposed? Your arms and hands. I have a girlfriend who literally drives with a coat or sweater at all times because she has such fragile, pale skin. Personally, I burn, then freckle, then tan. Any tanning whatsoever is terrible for you, but the concentrated UV rays are the worst. Further, how many of us can actually that we put sunscreen on our hands every single day? I sure as hell can't. And I always put sunscreen everywhere else. Women with darker skin tones are even more at risk, since spotting skin discoloration on a mole is made even more difficult because the differentiation between mole and actual skin tone are similar. Derms say women with darker skin need to be extra vigilant in checking between fingers and under the finger nails for small spots of discoloration, moles with irregular edges, yaddah yaddah yaddah. If states are banning or regulating the use of tanning beds, why are we still putting ourselves at risk by getting gel manicures???

The perks of gel manicures are clear: shiny, chip free manicures that last [sometimes] upwards of three weeks, they're your real nails, no added length or crazy tips, what's not to love, ladies? But there are alternatives that are really just as good, but don't leave your nails open to be ravaged by acetone and scraping off the polish (and possibly some of the first layer of nail), and don't put us at risk of skin cancer.... and they won't run your bank account into negative balance territory. My favorite, by far, is the Sally Hansen Nail Strips. They literally last just about as long as gels, and similarly to gels, you really only need to re-do them when they start to grow out and your nails look like they need a fill. They can be removed with normal nail polish remover, not pure acetone, and don't strip the top layer of your nail off. Plus they're cheaper.

And then there's just good ol' plain doing your own nails at home. With all the nail art trends around, and all the nail art blogs running up and down your internet pathways, not to mention the amazing nail tutorials that can be found on Youtube. This is where my obscenely large nail polish collection (and the guilt whenever I get a manicure without bringing my own polish, or doing gel) comes into play. How to justify going to a salon to have your nails painted by someone else and paying anywhere from $10-$70+ a pop (gels, regular manis, pedis, etc) is beyond me. Not to mention, I'll never get through my collection and have to throw them all away. (Probably have to do that someday any way, but hey!) Plus, there's the budget factor. Add up all the mani/pedis you've gotten in the last year, including gels. Pretty hefty chunk of change. In comparison, buying the right tools and your own nail polish, and doing it all yourself doesn't seem so bad. Plus, you can change it whenever you want, all it costs is 30+ minutes a day.

It all just makes you think. And it's an age-old debate: are the lengths we go to for beauty too far fetched? Are they just plain dangerous? Think about it the next time you're getting your nails done... [or doing them yourself].

China Glaze Nail Polish Review

I am perhaps the last beauty nut to jump on the China Glaze band wagon, but I made it! I finally went into a Sally's Beauty Supply here in town and picked up a bunch of polishes, several of which will be making the jump across the pond to my best friend in London Town!!! (It was her birthday last week.) So I'll start out with the ones I got for her. First there was Summer Rain, a lovely sheer, pearlescent pink... (None of these pictures are of my own nails, all have been found on Google Image Search)

Then Coral Star, a shimmery coral...pinks and corals are her favorites to wear on her hands...

And finally, China Rouge, a true red, which is her favorite for her toes... usually...

Then I ended up picking up a few for myself. I got some really good brights and neons and a couple really nice pastels. And I already have a favorite (duh!) and a wishlist (double duh!)!! The first one is Turned Up Turquoise, a neon with small shimmers... turquoise is my favorite color, but I don't have anything this bright for nail polish... (the only turquoise/teal color I have is Ski Teal We Drop by OPI, which I love!)

Then I saw Four Leaf Clover, a bright blue-ish green-ish turquoise color, which I couldn't pass up for obvious reasons... (hello, the name!) Love it.

And now we move on to the pastels. I'm obsessed with all light, minty green nail polishes, but have been disappointed with the way some of them come out looking against my skin. Maybe they'll look better when I'm tan again? But I couldn't resist so I picked up a bottle of Re-fresh Mint, which is really lovely and surprisingly, looks pretty good on me...

I also picked up For Audrey, which has been insanely hyped on youtube and beauty blogs everywhere as the perfect dupe for the Tiffany & Co. blue. The truth and fact of the matter is, the Tiffany & Co. blue is trademarked and it is therefore illegal to reproduce it on anything exactly unless you have express permission from Tiffany & Co. Further, it's not an exact dupe, something I will be talking about in another blog post, in the bottle it is very close but when it dries it is actually much more of a sky blue or robin's egg blue than the Tiffany & Co. blue... but here it is anyway...

And finally I picked up Flip Flop Fantasy, which is literally my favorite polish, maybe ever!!! I am not normally a neon kind of girl, but this one is too fabulous to pass up. It is literally the perfect summer-beach-on-my-toes-with-a-tan-and-a-margarita-in-my-hand color. (that rhymed!) I've painted it on my nails twice in a row now, and I have gotten more compliments on this color than on any other nail polish I have ever worn, with the exception of Cajun Shrimp by OPI, but that had more to do with the fact that my natural nails looked like acrylics, which was something the girls in my seventh grade class could not fathom.

Now, onto the wishlist. So far, it's pretty small, but I definitely intend on grabbing these as soon as I can. I am overall in love with China Glaze polishes. They are pretty much entirely opaque in two coats, and the base and top coats are fab. (So far, we'll see if the base coat turns my nails yellow.) First on the wishlist is Secret Peri-Winkle, a really nice powdery/pastel blue... also my ex boyfriend's favorite color...

I also am craving Peachy Keen, it looks similar to Essie's Haute Hello but in a more orange-y and less pink way...

And finally, Lemon Fizz, a really pretty pastel yellow... I'm really feeling the pastels this month, which is unusual. I don't go for neons and I don't really go for pastels, I like me some true to color, standard brights, I suppose. These, though, are too good to pass up! I am thoroughly impressed with China Glaze, to me they seem to be more or less on par with Essie or OPI, but more affordably priced.

So, that's my two cents on China Glaze. As I said, I am going to do a post on For Audrey, the real Tiffany blue and another polish by Essie which is also remarkably close. I was getting really annoyed with all these people who keep saying that For Audrey is a dupe for the Tiffany & Co. blue, so I decided to just see for myself. Stay tuned for that one, kids!