Why Bare Nails Are My Go To

Aka – Bare nails are perfect for my lazy butt and perfect for on the go…

I have mentioned it before, but my biggest beauty pet hate is painting my nails. For me, it is the most laborious and tedious job out there and don’t even get me started on having to aimlessly wait for them to dry. I hate it, but that hasn’t stopped me from over the years creating a massive collection of nail polishes.

We have all gone through that stage where we collect all the colours of nail polish out there. I still have the majority of mine, and every time I go to pick up the box, there is that worry it will burst from the sheer weight of them. Honestly I have owned hundreds of nails polishes, half of which I probably haven’t even touched. Madness. Even when I have a good clear out of my collection I keep a load. But will I ever use them?? Most likely not. I don’t even want to think about how many shades of pink I probably have, lets be real though its not like I will be painting my nails pink everyday…

So heres the tea. Because of my pure laziness and inability to actually paint my nails neatly, it is rare that I bother too. It is not one of those activities I find relaxing, instead I am looking at my watch thinking have I got time for this crap? This has slightly changed though as I did purchase a shellac kit with a load of Amazon vouchers I had. This has revitalised my love of having quality nails, because it is so damn easy and quick. However I will save that for another post…

When I got my nails done for my holiday last year, I felt like a new women (with talons). Even though I loved how they looked and I also got them done all prim and proper at Christmas, I can’t afford it every 4 weeks. It also does NOT do my nails any favours. I find they are so brittle and weak afterwards, then I take months trying to strengthen them again. I also work behind a bar. And having nicely done nails or lenthy-ass nails just isn’t suitable. Imagine lifting barrels and getting grime under them. EW. They wouldn’t last five mins!!

So my solution is the bare life. And if I am honest I love it. I don’t have to spend hours painting my nails and waiting for them to dry, just to chip a couple days later. The ease of bare nails is that caring for them takes minutes out of your weekly routine. MINUTES I SAY. If they chip?? Who cares you won’t be able to tell with a bit of clear polish! You also won’t have that ‘will they go with my outfit’ panic. Because bare nails in my eyes give that natural vibe which I dig. My routine works in three steps…

The prep.

Before having my 5 mins nail TLC I wash my hands. You don’t know what germs are on your hands and you just want to remove any residue. I then just file my nails down. Filing my nails is one of my least fave parts about having my nails done. Its one of those things like nails going down a chalk board… uughhhhh gives me shivers. But it has to be done. I always give them a buff to get rid of any bumps too!

The polish.

This is the main and easiest bit. Grab yourself a decent clear nail polish. I reach for my ol’ bottle of Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Clear polish. I bought this after my last set of acrylics because my nails were so thin and flakey they realllyyy needed that bit of strength to them. Also, I top this up every other day, in case of any chips and to make my nails extra strong.

The skin.

Finally, even though your nails are done your hands are just as important. I really can’t say much because I am rubbish at caring for my hands. I can get eczema on my hands through stress, or from the alcohol at work. This means I *should* keep my hands moisturised 24/7. I can confirm I don’t but I am trying to turn a corner. I have a super old Zoella Beauty Gingerbread handcream on the go at the moment because I adore the scent. Then I treat myself to a hand mask… WHAT?? A hand mask??? YEP! Like a face mask but for your hands. This I only do if I have spare time where I don’t need to do/touch anything. But my hands do love the TLC afterwards.

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