I live on a budget, but I don’t want to look like I’m living on a budget. Whether we like it or not, those who have a tidy appearance tend to make a better impression... and good impressions can sometimes give you the benefit of the doubt when you need it, give you leverage when negotiating, or even make people trust you more at work. I read an article in the NY Times last year that said something as superficial as makeup can actually make others see you as more competent! Bizarre and annoying, but there you go. Regardless, I do think there’s something to be said for the confidence level you project when you aren’t embarrassed by your appearance – and confidence is key!
So what’s a budget savvy gal to do? I tend to think there are 5 main areas to concentrate on when it comes to appearance (beyond good basic hygiene, which should go without saying):
1. Hair
2. Skin
3. Nails
4. Teeth
5. Wardrobe
Rather than spending a fortune and driving myself crazy trying to look like I stepped out of a magazine (which is frankly never going to happen anyway), my personal philosophy is to target my time and money by investing in the 5 things above, which helps me feel pulled together and confident. I use money-saving techniques in each of these areas, but today I’d like to start in the middle and talk nails.
Everybody loves a mani-pedi, but they’re costly and don’t last nearly long enough to justify the expense very often for most of us. If you absolutely must go to the nail salon, I recommend squeezing every possible ounce of enjoyment out of it and considering it entertainment. Bring coffee with you, put on your earbuds with your favorite relaxing playlist, make sure you have plenty of time, and just revel in it!
Even splurging on salon nails, you still can save a few pennies:
1. Buy a bottle of good OPI nail polish, write your initials on it and bring it to the salon for your technician to use on your nails. Besides being more hygienic, this way as your nails grow out you can fill in the growth above your cuticles, as well as any chips in the polish. Lots of people bring their own polish for their own reasons, so don't be embarassed - your tech has seen it before, guaranteed. (Just don't forget to bring your polish home with you!)
2. If you get a French manicure, ask your tech to make the tips fairly wide. As your nails grow between mani's, you can file them down yourself without filing off the pretty white tips, and you won't see the line where your nailbed ends.
3. Add a coat of clear polish periodically. Nail polish dulls the longer it’s on; clear polish adds shine so your manicure always looks fresh, and it’ll help protect any weak spots in your polish that might be ready to chip.
To get the best bang for your buck, though, I have to recommend SensatioNail. (There are other similar products to use at home, but I wasn't thrilled with them so I wouldn't feel right recommending.)
While the cost of a shellac manicure at the salon is at least $30 (plus gratuity), you can buy the SensatioNail starter kit at Target for less than $50, including the LED lamp, and enough product for at least 10 manicures (and I've done more than 10 with mine). Even with the initial expense of the kit, you're paying less than $5 per use. Extra product kits, minus the lamp, are less than $20, and nail colors are about $10-12 each depending where you buy them. Yes, they are slightly more than OPI, but each bottle goes further and you spend a lot less time doing maintenance on your nails - our time is worth something too...
Gel nails are surprisingly easy to do, and handily last 1-2 weeks without chipping... plus it is so strong and smooth that it really helps keep your nails from breaking or snagging. The best part for me is that as soon as I'm done and have set the polish under the LED lamp, my nails are totally dry. I’ve folded laundry seconds after giving myself a manicure without a single smudge!
You can even do your own French manicure using SensatioNail - they have a white polish to use for the tips sold separately from the kit. I try to do exactly as they do in the salon – I paint my tips white without worrying much about the shape, then I use a small brush dipped in acetone/remover to clean up the tips instead of trying to get it perfect when painting. The polish does not dry until you set it under the light, so you have plenty of time to work with it. (I do 1 base coat, 2 coats of the white, 1 clear coat over the whole nail, and then the top coat.) Where the salon would charge an extra $5 for a French Manicure, you can do it at home for just the cost of the polish, which is much, much less expensive per use. It takes a little practice, but don’t lose heart!
My imperfect, yet perfectly fine, French Manicure
For me, I think a somewhat imperfect manicure is still better for my confidence than my natural snarly nails (and snarly they would be, from working on the farm) so I find this to be one area worth a little investment.
No comments:
Post a Comment