Three days, one roller coaster (AM)

When I was in LA I noticed that Mondonna's nails looked really good, painted red and shiny and no chips. 'Gel polish', she told me, 'It's so good, you can do dishes, move house, it doesn't chip and its so cheap here! Come get it with me!'

'Yes!' I said, but it didn't happen. Lodged in my brain though and when we were in NYC I decided to do it! But in the end I chickened out. Did get a regular manicure on the last day though, and it was a great thing to do. I don't usually get manicures, I think they fuck my nails up to much. Also, what a waste of money. But I love them. After a week though they were a little chipped and I thought it was time to take off the polish. And then, on Friday night after work I had some time to kill  before meeting the family for dinner. It was cold and I was bored and my NY nails looked scrappy and I walked past a Tips and Toes and next thing I knew there I was choosing a new polish colour!

So I was a convert. There is something both decadent and soothing about a manicure and as I sat there, with a stranger massaging cream into my hands I could see my future, fortnightly manicures, opportunities to try all the colours I'd ever dreamed of. The future of my nails looked bright and beautiful and I couldn't wait. Chickpea walked past Tips and Toes on the way to dinner too, and while looking longingly at the massage chairs, she noticed me in the back, hand in hand with this small Asian woman. So she came in sat next to me and we talked as if this were the most normal thing in the world. I've seen people talk in beauty parlours in movies a lot, so I brought some of this knowledge to real life and it turns out one can have a normal conversation while a stranger fondles your extremities. This! This is the life.

But you know what the problem is with spending $20 to get a nail colour you don't own applied to your nails? If there are any chips you can't patch it up. And if there are many chips within 48 hours, well you basically just chucked $20 away. I guess a more forward thinking person would have considered if they may do any work on a house renovation in the days after a manicure and then thought better of said manicure. Maybe while working on a house they would have worn gloves or something. They may not have ended up with nails like this less than 48 hours after a manicure.

But even after doing a load of dishes on Saturday I had a small chip, and as soon as that happens the magic is gone.

On the plus side my future definitely looks like I will save $20 a fortnight given i now realise I am not made for regular manicures and there may have been a reason that until a week ago I'd only had 2 manicures in my life. Goodbye,  beautiful dream. Goodbye, beautiful nails.

Or do I just have to go for shellac!?