Oh, being a twentysomething.
I'm about to cross the line of just mid-twenties to upper mid-twenties and I'm kind of freaking out, man because this whole growing up this is bologna. Seriously. Who invented this shit? I've got bills on top of bills on top of some cellulite and a handful of wrinkles and WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? I'm about 90 per cent sure that I spotted a grey hair last week, but my eyesight's so bad I couldn't quite manage to find it to rip it out. There was a time - perhaps not so very long ago - when I thought being a twentysomething was the most glamorous thing in the world. Pfft.
I'm drinking tea, writing this blog with Nair all over my legs and a facemask on. This is so not what I expected the fabulosity of twentysomethighood to be.
A kid YOUNG LADY I used to babysit turned 18 today. WHAT THE WHAT? Is that even possible? Someone stop the world, I need to get off for a minute. I can remember packing up my old Barbie dolls and Polly Pockets - the ones that actually fit in your pocket - to give to this girl when she was preschool-aged. I remember giving her boy advice when I was post-highschool-grad and she was getting ready to enter junior high school. She tweeted a goodbye to her 17th year last night. She has no idea how gone it is.
Because, my gorgeous, young friend... there comes a time in your early adult life when you will find yourself sitting on your bathroom floor attempting an at-home bikini wax (which, FYI, is the dumbest thing you will ever try to do at home, by yourself) and you will also find yourself eating dinner in the bathtub sometimes because you actually don't have enough time to eat and bathe. You will put on a great show of being a grownup, only to call your Mom later because you just totally effed something up and nobody knows how to fix things like a Mom does. And you will undoubtedly sacrifice food that is actually real food with taste so you can buy that fabulous pair of boots and then try to lie to your mother by saying they were on sale. She'll know better.
I think it's a generational thing, this idea that your twenties will be this golden time in your life when everything is roses and everything will just play out magically. It doesn't, and it's not.
But it's amazing and it's worth it. And when all else fails, there is nail polish.
Hello, my name is Ashley and I am addicted to nail polish.
Yes, it's a thing. I can't pinpoint when my addiction to having colourful nails first began, probably when I was in my first year of university. Today, my nail polish collection is actually pretty impressive. I have a shoe box filled - actually, it's overflowing - with a variety of colours, as well as a handful (read: 5-10) thrown into the bedside table in my room. There are times when walking from bed to the bathroom to get a nail polish colour is too much work.
My pretty nails obsession has taken a real toll on the state of my natural nails. Last summer, I went on a "UV Gel Nail" bender, having three sets put on over the course of 4 months. My nails grow so fast, they were grown out to the point that they didn't look good by the third week. When there wasn't French tips on, I got Shellac manicures. The end result: thin, peel-y nails that wouldn't grow.
After a few months of keeping them super short and brightly coloured, they began to slowly come back to life. There's probably only been about 8 weeks since this time last year that my nails have not been covered in one form of pretty or another. In January I bought the OPI Gelshine Kit (a review on this is coming!), but in June I made the fatal mistake to have another set of UV gels on. Then, after peeling those suckers off and damaging my nails, I decided to put a professional Shellac mani on my digits. My nails are once again thin, peel-y and breaking when I breathe on them. Not cute, you guys.
So, after hearing rave reviews on the product, I caved and bought myself a bottle of Nail Envy by OPI. I got it on sale at Chatters Hair Salon in Bayers Lake, Halifax - in a package with an OPI quick-drying top coat. I've been using Nail Envy for about a month, and I LOVE IT. I followed the instructions to a T the first couple of times I used it. Now I follow my own set, either using it alone (it stays nice and shiny, like a top coat) or as a base coat for colour.
First, let me just say this stuff dries crazy fast. Your first hand is dry by the time that you finish painting your second hand, which is especially handy if you're doing a second coat or covering it with a coloured polish. Ain't nobody got time for slow-drying polishes, you guys. NOBODY.
Second, you can see a difference in the state of your nails almost immediately. They're less bendy, and you can see their strength as they get a nice curve to them instead of the flatness you see in a thin nail.
Finally, as already mentioned, I love that Nail Envy keeps a shiny finish without putting a top coat on. It's great for a week or two of natural nails, and if you're diligent about using Nail Envy you will see a monumental difference within a week or two, depending on the state of your nails.
I haven't experienced a change in the speed of nail growth, but that's a good thing for me. My nails grow stupidly fast, but they are chipping and peeling significantly less. Since I put my hands through absolute Hell from day-to-day (cleaning, typing, baths, washing dishes), I can honestly say that this nail fortifier is the one you want if you're hard on your nails.
How to Use Nail Envy:
File nails to desired shape, buffing to remove any ridges. Wash hands and dry thoroughly. Apply two coats of Nail Envy to clean, dry nails.
Every other day, apply a single coat of Nail Envy to nails for a week. At the end of the week, remove all lacquer and start the process over.
If you'd prefer to use Nail Envy as a base coat, apply one coat before painting on your desired polish.
