Just clip my nails once a week or so.
My hands are very rough from work, but I don’t mind. Can’t imagine getting a manicure or pedicure.
@GRITS80 , what collagen powder do you use?
I used to polish my own nails, but only for special occasions. Then in January I had a professional manicure for a trip. I didn’t realize manicures were so cheap. Only $10 with a pedicure. So I decided there was no reason not to have regular manicures.
When my technician learned I was going on a two week vacation, she suggested a gel manicure. At first I was opposed to it because I thought she meant gel nails, but then she explained it to me. I did it, and I’m never going back. I don’t have to worry about accidentally bumping something and chipping my nails.
I had acrylic nails for years, like the look. (I’m referring to using it to strengthen the nails for cosmetic purposes, let them grow longer.) The problem was ordinary nail polishes wear off between manicures. At D1’s suggestion, I had the acrylic taken off, replaced by a gel base and gel polish. Holy cow, the top coat lasts between manicures. Except for the new growth at the cuticle, it looks as good 2-3 weeks later as on day one.
It’s an indulgence and I’m in. I have never had any damage removing the gel color. They partially sand down the gel topcoat, add gel to the cuticle area, do their other things, then repaint with gel.
Before all this, I never had nails strong enough to grow longer. Not thin or brittle, just not strong enough to standup to everyday activities without breaking.
I do everything with these nails, lol. Home projects, gardening, you name it.
I never had a manicure until I did for D2’s wedding. Had gel, and I have to say I loved it! Not enough to do it again regularly, but would for a special occasion again.
@maya54 please tell me more about Dazzle Dry? Do you do it at home? Does it need to go under the lamp? How is it different than gel?
@suzyQ7 You can buy a kit and do Dazzle Dry at home but I don’t and most people I know don’t. It is in no way a gel manicure. Doesn’t absolutely never chip. But it holds up much much better than a regular manicure. And it goes on like a regular manicure except it’s dry way ,way faster. No lamp at all. Like 5 min or so. It also comes off like regular polish. It has its own primer base colors and top coat but the colors aren’t super exciting. So many people around here do what’s known as a “ sandwich”. They use a color of their choice from a like like OPI or Essie and then “ sandwich “ that between the Dazzle Dry stuff. Dazzle Dry has become so popular here that two salons have told me that it’s the majority of their business now since they introduced it less than 1 year ago.
Since we are on the topic of manicure for those who do them what are your favorite colors? In Winter mine is OPI’s Black to Reality which is a gorgeous color between red and black. In fall it’s either Essie’s Toned Down or OPI’s Less is Norse which are both bluish grays. The OPI one is a bit darker. In Spring it’s Essie’s Peak Show with OPIs Play the Peonies over it. It makes for a luminescent White/pink. So pretty. Summer color is Fiji by OPI.
Winter color: Dutch Tulips OPI
Summer: Cajun Shrimp OPI
They match everything!!
What general area of the country are you in @thumper1? Here reds like Dutch Tulips haven’t come back in but I see them super in on the coasts.
@maya54 , when you sandwich your favorite regular polis color, I’m assuming the dazzle dry is clear?
Is this similar to the gel nail polish you get at the drugstore (don’t need a lamp). I’ll use that sometimes and it does stay on longer, but after awhile I can tell it’s still ruining my nails.
When I have the real gel nails put on 2vor 3 times in a row, I notice sometimes my nail aches. A friend told me her manicurist told her that’s because it’s causing the nail to pull away. Ouch.
I get pedicures in the summer and always veer towards bright coral/pink/orange colors like OPI toucan or aloha. I just googled some of these colors mentioned above and see that OPI offers a gel product. Anyone tried that?
We don’t have Dazzle Dry anywhere near me- and I’m in a major metropolitan area. There is one salon in a northern suburb.
I’m in the northeast.
@conmama Dazzle Dry is more like regular nail polish and base/ top coat. It’s been a phenomenon here. It went from one salon having to every salon and owners tell me 90 percent or above of their Non Gel manicures are now Dazzke Dry. I live in a suburb of Chicago. Dazzle Dry was everywhere when I was at spas in Arizona 2 years ago. Many people here travel to Arizona on vacation and started asking for DD when they got back home.
@conmama the collagen I use is from Perfect Keto. I put the salted caramel flavor in my coffee.
I wasn’t a fan of manicures and pedicures until about five years ago when I found a salon I liked. Absolutely love the leg massage. I started out with just getting a regular manicure and pedicure. Graduated to gel on the hands for special occasions. I’ve now settled into no polish on the finger nails just a buff. I don’t do color on my toes in winter. I did do a gel a few weeks ago for my D’s wedding. I picked a almost natural light OPI pink. It will grow out nicely without a noticeable line. After I think I’ll go back to my buff. I keep my fingers moderately short. My nails are healthy but they are so hard that if I’m not careful they can cut my skin.
One of my D’s is a nail biter and picker. She fines that the dipped work best for her. Both gel and dipped make her nails harder to bite but she picks at the gel as it grows out. The dipped are harder to pick at. She also is a regular horseback rider and the barn is hard on her nails. She has found the dipped to be pretty barn proof.
I like to bring my own polish to the salon for my toes. I normally like a burgundy red OPI but right now I’m wearing Butter London brand Mother of the bride Aston. It appears to be a discontinued color.
@conmama I use Vital Proteins collagen peptides. I buy the unflavored and put it in a cup of hot tea.
I get regular pedicures, but manicures only if I’m going somewhere like a wedding. I don’t want to spend the time. As least when I am getting a pedi I can read a book.
I can’t read a book during my pedicure, because I have a little pillow over my eyes, the zero gravity style recliner is tipped back and the clean sheet and blanket are pulled up to my shoulders while soothing music plays through the noise cancelling headphones. I have to fight to stay awake to enjoy the leg massage…
I go back and forth between gel manicures, Dazzle Dry, and regular OPI colors. My nails take a beating after a couple of gel applications. My manicurist says that it comes off easily for some and not for others - it takes a lot of scraping for me and takes away a bit of the top of my nail. That process also damages my cuticles, and since it is a non wet process, she cannot really get in there and make them perfect. Dazzle Dry is really great, but after a few weeks I’ve found it’s drying, and same problem since it’s a non soak process, my cuticles never get good attention. My lovely manicurist has tried using Dazzle Dry while still soaking and doing the complete cuticle thing, but then it takes longer to dry and is prone to smudging. The OPI gel is no different than the other gel processes. So, I mix it up and get a gel before a trip and have regular manicures most of the time.