Nail polish, manicures and pedicures

[Maggie12]

So do you have plain nails or do you often have colour?
Do you have acrylics or gel nails? How do you find them? Do they ruin your normal nails?

I don't have nice elegant hands and so the most I usually do is file them, buff them, and on the train in the morning I use cutical cream or cutical oil into them. But las Thursday night I had a french manicure and it was really nice. I met a lady there who gets acrylics. She says they don't ruin your nails if you soak them off and don't rip them off, and she gets them redone every 3-4 weeks and it costs about $30. He nails were really beauitful and they look really natural too.

I don't have manicures often
Wondering if you do. Do you get pedicures as well?

I was also wondering, what is a good quality nail polish brand and where do I get it from? Its awful to go all that trouble and do your own nails, only for the polish to flake and beak and crack so easily. what about the best way to have hard dry nails and secure the colour and polish for as long as possible - a finishing polish?

I fee like playing with my nails, so I'd like to get good quality stuff if you have any recommendations for me.

[Cherie]

I have had Acryllic nails a couple of times. Don't think I will do it again, my nails were so weakened last time. It took ages for them to recover.

[Naomi]

I used to have great nails, I polished them myself in a range of colours depending on how I felt at the time but they are so bad now :( Brittle and break easily (or maybe it's just that I have more opportunities to break them with the kids around). I do love having a pedicure, but I feel sorry for the beautician having to do the nasty skin scraping. It's been forever since I had one.

I think I'd probably go for a pale or nude colour now, nice polish would be chipped within minutes :crying:

Oh, have never had acrylics ... again, don't think they'd last long enough to make it worth it.

[SocialGirl]

i have regular mani and pedi's - mainly go for clear nail varnish... least when it chips its not that visible. Used to have the overlays, but given it a break for a month or two... my nails are a nice manageable length.. guess it does cause some degree of damage hey. Go and experiement... have fun with the colours, lengths........ :D

[Heather]

Love both....but haven't done anything for over a year now.
Actually was just looking at my nails this morning and thinking that I must start looking after them.
Will be watching for ideas as to nail varnishes.....even professional manicures don't last more than a day before they either peel off or chip.

[Bubblez]

My nails grow out looking just like a French tip (I think that's what it's called). Everyone always thinks my nails are fake. When I paint them white on the tips, then people REALLY think they're fake :P

I've never been into getting fake nails but on. The one time I did it, it hurt to take them off. I didn't enjoy that too much.

[Alexa]

I have acrylics, had them for over 10 years - normally french style (though only a thin white line) and in square shape, my nails underneath are crap as I used to be a terrible nail bitter. I am lucky in that there is a nail salon near where I live and work and I chop and change between the two.

I pay $25 for an infill once every 16 to 18 days.

[jess11]

yes, i love trying different colours!!

[JenniM]

So do you have plain nails or do you often have colour?
Do you have acrylics or gel nails? How do you find them? Do they ruin your normal nails?

I met a lady there who gets acrylics. She says they don't ruin your nails if you soak them off and don't rip them off



I'm sorry, but yes they do! I used to be a Nail Technician so I do know that they do damage your natural nails. When they do the 'roughening up' before applying the nail, they are actually filing off layers of your nail, which weakens your own nail.

Worse still, if you are unlucky enough to get an inexperienced technician who doesn't go through the proper sterilisation and preparation process, you may end up with cut bloodied quicks around your nails and even fungal infections.

Your friend is right though, in saying that you need to soak them off {in 100% acetone}, rather than pull them off.

Once you have had acrylic nails on, it actually takes a good 12 months for your natural nails to return to the healthy state as they were pre acrylics.

[JadeAngel]

but I feel sorry for the beautician having to do the nasty skin scraping. It's been forever since I had one.

I'm the same, I went and had one in Thailand and it was beautiful, but when I got up and saw the great mass of dead skin on the floor that they had scraped off my feet I was so humilated that I left them a big tip, scarpered and never went back.

I love having pedis, manicures not so much because I wreck them, but a good pedi will last at least a couple of weeks.

[lucyloo]

I get my nails done every 2-3 weeks.

I have had acrylic nails for over 3 years now.

I usually get a french manicure, but sometimes go for a pale pinkish colour....:)

[Melinda]

i have pedicures love them......have pinkish toe nails ATM

[lucyloo]

I have never had a pedicure....I don't think I can stand the thought of anyone near my feet *shudder*

[jess11]

pale pinkish my fav too

[Melinda]

I have never had a pedicure....I don't think I can stand the thought of anyone near my feet *shudder*

thats the only part of me that i dont mind people (strangers) touching for some reason...

[old woman]

I usually only have mani & pedis when I'm going on holiday :)

Paint my toe nails,esp in summer,can't have colour on my fingernails due to work :( my nails are shocking :( mostly due to dipping them in & out of water containg bleach six or seven times a day :( I also have horrible,wrinkly,old mans' hands :(

[Melinda]

OW you should wear gloves

[old woman]

I do when I'm washing up, but sometimes when you spill something you just grab.....

[Frannie]

Never had a pedicure and it has been over 20yrs since I have had a manicure but thinking of getting both done for my niece's beach wedding in May..... :D

[Binx]

Frannie the shop in Boronia Mall do a good mani/pedi @ a fair price - just book in advance. Like, weeks in advance.

[jess11]

have been using quick dry nail polish lately, much much faster drying time!

[SmallNads]

I like to file and paint my own nails, when I have the time that is! I purchased a rich chocolate brown colour and painted my nails with that this afternoon.

I'm booked to get gel nails next Thursday. I've never had gel nails before. I heard they're not as damaging as acrylics.

[Gin please!]

I was a nail tech too many years ago and the things I've seen girls do to thier nails from biters to ripping of the fake nail and the nail infections!

I don't have fake nails and never will again either as they just ruin your natural nails and one really bad infection under the nail can cause you to lose the nail..completely!

My nails are long, thin but they grow with a white tip on the ends of them so I just keep them at a nice length and use a nail hardener and a clear polish on them..

[jess11]

there are some fantastic colours around now!!

[mel76]

My daughter does my pedis she loves doing them to people (she's 11 maybe that's what she'll do when she get's older)
you should see her nail polish collection any woman would love her collection!

[alexa001]

Hello all...

I like to long nails very much.... but when i try to increase the nails length of my hands, it converts in double layers nails... Can you let me know it is type of disease or a some other reason for this... And if you know the treatment for removing the double layers nail... please share with us....

[Melinda]

Hello all...

I like to long nails very much.... but when i try to increase the nails length of my hands, it converts in double layers nails... Can you let me know it is type of disease or a some other reason for this... And if you know the treatment for removing the double layers nail... please share with us....

can you show us a photo of what you mean.

[RedCarpetDresses]

My nails grow very quickly and are strong so i never need acrylics. I always have painted toe nails, i love hot pink. But bold colours dont look good on my hands, so i either dont paint my finger nails or i paint it a light colour like baby pink