P & L Special Edition - Look Good Feel Good - Link Up!

(First I want to send out prayers for all those affected in Japan by the horrible devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.  I am so saddened watching the devastation.  Next, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the congratulatory comments and sweet words yesterday.  I am growing more excited every day and feel so at peace with my decision.  Thank you for all of your support throughout the last few months.)

One of my favorite ways to take care of myself through the Look Good, Feel Good principal, is by painting my nails.  It can be the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to give yourself a little boost.  

My routine is to start off with a great professional manicure.  As I mentioned here, it's my one guilty pleasure.  I've been going to my gal for over 12 years and love the relationship we have developed over the course of those years.  Much the way a woman gets attached to her hair stylist is the way I feel about my manicurist.   While initially she seems expensive, she is really only $15 more for a mani/pedi than a regular run of the mill nail place, and the quality is vastly beyond that of a standard nail salon.  Her pedicures last me at least 4-6 weeks, which is why I only feel the need to indulge every 6 weeks.

She could paint my finger nails with gold though and the polish would still only last 3 days, so to keep up the look at home for a fraction of the cost, this is what I do.

Christi taught me about Rejuvacote a couple of months after having Syd.  My nails were in terrible shape, cracked and peeling constantly, and it has been a nail saver.  Instead of a standard top coat, I start off with a coat of this.

I then paint on 2 coats of polish.  Pictured above is one of my favorite all time colors, Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI.  I only keep a few colors on hand, I am not a nail polish hoarder by any means.  A nice dark color for fall, a standard red you can wear all year round, a nice basic pink/flesh tone, and a couple of fun colors for spring and summer are all you really need.  That's 4-6 bottles of polish max.  More than that and they just go to waste.  Some of my other favorite colors are Dulce de Leche and Dinner for Two, both from OPI for a standard light pink tone, Quarter of a Cent Cherry also by OPI for a nice blue-red (pictured on my nails), and I just started becoming a fan of Essie nail polish because of their great spring/summer color palette.  I picked up Boat House and Mod Squad in January. For a budget conscious polish, I also love the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line (found at Target).  The brush is great and the color offering is pretty.  It has a weird tendency to peel off in chunks though as opposed to chipping, but other than that is a pretty good option for less than $5.

Now how to get around smudges and nicks?  I always top off each DIY manicure with a coat of Out The Door super fast drying top coat.  It is the best one out there and will indeed dry your nails within minutes.  They will still nick if banged hard enough, but for the most part it does the trick.  I tend to paint my nails at night after I have PJ's on and have done my nightly routine of brush teeth, wash face, etc.  With enough practice, you can get a nail polish change done in 10 minutes while watching TV, and then just hang out for a bit to let them dry.  My other trick for a day time polish change is to paint them right as I'm about to head out the door and then let them dry in the car, being careful of keys and seat belts ;). 

And that's it!  I don't always even paint my nails with a color.  Sometimes if I'm really pressed for time I will just use the Rejuvacote polish, but even just having a clear coat of polish on my nails makes me feel good.  Also, if I can remember to, I paint on a coat of the Rejuvacote every other day over my colored nail polish to prolong the paint job and delay chipping.  It does work, but I often forget to do it.  Every few days I take off my chipped polish and let my nails breathe for a couple of days, and then start over.  I don't really worry too much about cuticle trimming.  If I notice they're looking a little shoddy, I use some conditioner in the shower and just push them down with my nails.  Less trimming equals less hang nails.  Also, I put on hand lotion like a maniac, at least 20 times a day.  It keeps the cuticles nice and moisturized. 

Now it's your turn.  What's your favorite way to care of yourself and give yourself a little extra boost?