Hi everyone!
Check out this cool nail tutorial I stumbled upon on Youtube.
It may surprise some of you to learn that I've never ever had my nails professionally done, not even for a special occasion. Growing up, I thought getting manicures and nail jobs were frivolous activities because even though cost was not an issue, I did alot of hard manual labor around the house that would have made long acrylic nails impractical (try mowing the lawn and cutting hedges with the kind of claws seen in that video!). I did not begrudge anyone who had their nails done, but it was not something I could see myself with due to my lifestyle.
I'm older now, and while I have given some thought to the prospect of getting my nails done for like my birthday or something like that, it's a financial expense that's a bit much for me. Being the sort of rugged individualist that I am, I'd try doing acrylic nails by myself. The paint-like quality of the acrylics I've seen in these tutorial videos doesn't appear to be terribly difficult to master and there are no shortage of beauty supply shops in town where tips, powders, and nail art can be purchased. But even that little endeavor is not feasible because not only is the cost of materials and equipment too high, but an expose by the New York Times on sweatshop nail salons described how the children born to nail technicians suffered birth defects as a result of their exposure to the chemicals their mothers worked with in the salons. I'm not done having kids yet, and I'm not gonna risk poisoning them for the sake of vanity.
On second thought, I'll just stick to hennaing my nails. At least I control what goes into the paste and because it stains my nails, I won't have to worry about the baby swallowing something toxic when she sticks my finger in her mouth to chew on.
Again, I don't begrudge anyone who has professionally sculpted nails. For some of us ladies, it's a little luxury that helps make life in these difficult times a bit more bearable. But just like in times past, I don't see myself ever having manicured nails because it doesn't fit into my lifestyle.
Check out this cool nail tutorial I stumbled upon on Youtube.
It may surprise some of you to learn that I've never ever had my nails professionally done, not even for a special occasion. Growing up, I thought getting manicures and nail jobs were frivolous activities because even though cost was not an issue, I did alot of hard manual labor around the house that would have made long acrylic nails impractical (try mowing the lawn and cutting hedges with the kind of claws seen in that video!). I did not begrudge anyone who had their nails done, but it was not something I could see myself with due to my lifestyle.
I'm older now, and while I have given some thought to the prospect of getting my nails done for like my birthday or something like that, it's a financial expense that's a bit much for me. Being the sort of rugged individualist that I am, I'd try doing acrylic nails by myself. The paint-like quality of the acrylics I've seen in these tutorial videos doesn't appear to be terribly difficult to master and there are no shortage of beauty supply shops in town where tips, powders, and nail art can be purchased. But even that little endeavor is not feasible because not only is the cost of materials and equipment too high, but an expose by the New York Times on sweatshop nail salons described how the children born to nail technicians suffered birth defects as a result of their exposure to the chemicals their mothers worked with in the salons. I'm not done having kids yet, and I'm not gonna risk poisoning them for the sake of vanity.
On second thought, I'll just stick to hennaing my nails. At least I control what goes into the paste and because it stains my nails, I won't have to worry about the baby swallowing something toxic when she sticks my finger in her mouth to chew on.
Again, I don't begrudge anyone who has professionally sculpted nails. For some of us ladies, it's a little luxury that helps make life in these difficult times a bit more bearable. But just like in times past, I don't see myself ever having manicured nails because it doesn't fit into my lifestyle.
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