Miscellany | bare nails are a trend
Y'all! I have seen several articles recently about how the latest trend is to have bare fingernails.
The good news here is that for once in my life, I am up on a trend! I have basically always had short, bare fingernails.
Part of the reason: I've been playing the piano since I was six. Long nails are terrible for piano playing.
Another reason: my painted fingernails start looking grown-out so fast (like within 24-48 hours, I can see a line!) Because of this, a manicure feels like a waste of effort and money.
Furthermore: I chip regular polish in about 0.2 seconds, and if I go the gel route (which lasts longer), my nails underneath are trashed. No matter how carefully I remove the gel, my nails underneath are weak and flaky for months afterward.
And one more recent reason: nursing. Long nails would be so annoying (imagine putting gloves on!), and besides, they are an infection risk, so we are only technically allowed to wear regular nail polish at work.
I am largely in favor of this bare nails movement, although I do take issue with the idea that there are products we need in order to have bare nails:
I personally have been rocking this look by simply clipping my nails every so often, and I am very skeptical about the necessity of a $75 nail kit.
On the other hand, I suppose that, in place of salon visits, even the $70+ products would be less expensive. I will not be buying any bare nail products myself, though. 😉
I got an assignment for someone kind
I just want to tell you this because it made me so happy:
Recently, a night nurse told the charge nurse her patient needed someone really gentle and kind to help her through a rough day ahead, and the charge nurse picked me for the job.
That made me smile so big because that is honestly such a lovely compliment, and it warmed my heart that the charge nurse thought of me for the task. I'm not the best nurse to handle a rowdy patient, but if you need gentle and kind? Yup, I can totally do that. 🙂
Blue Nerds gummy clusters are better
After performing months of intensive research, I can tell you that blue Nerds gummy clusters are superior to the ones in the pink bag.
The pink bag Nerds are not bad, but they do lack a slight punch of sourness as compared to the blue ones. This relegates them to the Slightly Bland category.
I still will happily eat them, but given a choice, I will go with the blue ones every time.
I think I should decorate my locker
Since I was homeschooled as a child and then self-employed as an adult, this is the first time in my life that I have had a locker.
So, I was thinking that I should decorate it. Maybe a Snoopy magnet. Maybe some pictures.
And I also had an idea, which is probably possible. I'd love to get a magnet made of my graduation cap; the "I did it anyway!" would be a nice little addition to the front of my locker. 🙂
If you guys have any recommendations about the best site to order from, let me know.
Can you keep baby's breath fresh and white?
Someone suggested that I buy some fresh baby's breath to go with my Buy Nothing flowers, and funny enough, I hadn't even noticed until then how brown mine is.
But then I thought....isn't the new baby's breath also going to turn brown? Is there a way to keep it white?
Inform me!
I work with my hands and have actually found the bare nails kit to be a lifesaver. Without a fair amount of effort on my part my cuticles will crack and my hands get calloused and painfully dry. One kit lasts you forever and I think the price is really worth it. I keep the oil in my studio, in my car, next to my bed and in the bathroom, and have entirely given up any salon treatments, which makes me so happy.
This is probably another one of those cases where my oily-skin genetics are showing up. Dry skin has rarely been an issue for me, even on my hands, even while working in a hospital!
But it's good to know the kit is useful for people who are less greasy than me. Ha.
I agree, bare nails are not necessarily no-maintenance. My cuticles will develop painful cracks if I don't tend to them regularly. Still, I don't think you need to spend a ton of money to maintain them. I have some basic nail tools and bought an empty nail polish bottle with a brush to put oil in. I find that's the easiest way to apply it and I buy a relatively inexpensive jojoba oil. In the fall and winter I also use Aquaphor or Cerave ointment and cotton gloves while I sleep. I do my own manicures at home so even if the supplies cost up to $100 for the whole year, that's still far less than shelling out minimum $30 a week for a manicure in a salon.
Babies breath is technically a weed. LOL.
Before seeing the flowers I thought this was going to be advice on keeping a human baby's breath fresh and I was very confused!
I never paint my nails, mostly because I'm not interested in upkeep. Whenever I visit my friend back home she likes giving me a manicure, and occasionally we go to manicures together, but those are the only times I get my nails done. I had no idea 'bare nails' is a trend, but then I'm usually out of the loop on these things!
I definitely think you should decorate your lockers! Snoopy stickers could be fun and I also love your idea of the graduation magnet! Maybe a mix of both? I have a collection of magnets from places I've visited on my fridge (it's a good way to remember where I've been without buying souvenirs I'll never look at) - maybe you could add those to your locker, if you have any magnets? In either case, the more Snoopy the better! And definitely a graduation magnet!
I thought the same thing about the baby’s breath! Ha ha!!!
I, too have most always had short, bare nails. Mostly for the same reasons as Kristen plus add in typing.
Snoopy’s my vote! Although the graduation cap would be good too.
Ha! @Sophie in Denmark, I also always get a little magnet when I travel - I have them on a metal board in my kitchen! Its a cheap souvenir and a fun "memory jogger" of all the places I have been!
I got the idea from my sister, who does the same thing! Most of my magnets have cats on, to no one's surprise.
My first thought was a Snoopy magnet! Can Snoopy wear a cap "I did it anyway"?
I am very much team bare hands and I love that for once (and possibly only for one season) I am on trend.
Much as I admire other people's pretty fingernails, I feel decidely not myself when I paint my own. I cannot keep my nails unchipped, like you, and I dislike the time I have to spend in eternal upkeep. Apart from that, I dislike the feel of the nails, like I cannot keep them clean.
It is not for me, and after repeatedly buying bottles that I used only once, I've decided to stop buying them altogether.
(I did colour the key to the back door, to distinguish it from a lookalike key to the garage. Amazingly, the nail polish is still on the key, unchipped, several years later. Not fair).
Lol. That is exactly what I use my Dollar Store bottles of nail polish for, marking things. And it does last forever unlike the 8 hours that would ever last on my nails. I am also a perpetual bare nails person.
I've never had a gummy nerd, so I can't weigh in there.
They totally picked the right "kind" nurse. And I love the magnet idea as part of locker decorating! 🙂
Bare nails are my lifelong standard (short, unpainted). It's low maintenance and frugal as well as my preference for comfort, volleyball, work (gloves), hygiene, and occasional violin playing. The ironic part is that I currently have some clear shimmer polish on my short nails, and this bare nail trend (which I hadn't heard of before) feels very representative of how well I track fashion in general; when I finally come around to trying something, the world has already moved on to the next trend, lol!
Giggling with you about that shimmer polish! Quite illustrative of my own "fashion" choices as well 😜
Snoopy all the way for the locker!!! There has to be a Snoopy in a graduation gown somewhere in the world.
I'm fortunate to have strong natural nails, so I typically wear them bare, with the white part measuring 1/8" to 1/4" of an inch. I'm VERY particular about keeping the edges well-manicured ($6 manicure kit) and have lotion in the car, my office, the bedroom, etc. I wear gloves for doing dishes, yard work, and any DIY projects. I put my hands through hell for work and life and prefer that they don't look the part. ;P
When I saw the title, "bare nails are a trend" I breathed a sigh and thought, "oh good!" Count me in the group to also be excited to finally be on trend. I do way too much with my hands to keep nail polish looking nice for any amount of time. I got inspired by a friend's cute nails earlier this past year and painted mine for the first time in years... they looked nice for about a day. Back to bare!
I appreciate knowing the Nerds Gummy Cluster research results!
Very nice that you were chosen for the gentle care assignment. Congrats & I hope you and your patient had a good experience.
Love that bare nails are in (who woulda thought it?). I've been sporting my bare nails almost my whole life. I have really short nail beds so even growing them out means that my nails are still shorter than my fingertips. As for the care kit, I just use Lubriderm or Cerave, and if I'm feeling really luxurious I'll use a 4-sided nail block to file, smooth, buff & whatever the third side does. It works well; nails look good; and it's only about $3 and lasts a LONG time.
I'm a fan of gummi candy, and Gummi Bears and good licorice (no high fructose syrup) are my favorites.
Looking forward to blueberry muffins with eggs this morning.
Have a great day everyone!
Glad to know that bare nails are finally fashionable. My few attempts at wearing nail polish in my younger years were dismal failures, for many of the reasons Kristen describes. (I also still occasionally trim my nails with my teeth--economical but unattractive. 😛 I'm getting better with age at not doing this so much, however.)
Not a fan of gummy candies (with or without THC) or of dried flower arrangements. But I applaud the night nurse's wise choice of a "gentle and kind" nurse to help the patient in need!
Yes, that was a perfect fit wasn't it!
I sometimes get rid of hangnails with my teeth.
A sweet vote of confidence for your character, Kristen. Also love to hear of good teamwork and staff communication for patient care.
I'm so here for this bare nail trend! As others have said, this will be the one summer that I'm up to date. Though I could do a better job with moisturizing, especially in the winter. My cuticles can get cranky.
It looks like the other lockers aren't decorated either, so that would be fun if you start a trend! Are you meaning to decorate the inside, like us public school kids used to do, or magnet up the outside? Love your ideas and I'm sure it will turn out very Kristeny!
I don't think I decorated mine but I remember one girl (possibly a few) who made hers a shrine to her favourite boy band lol!
Haha yes, some students went all out! I would just post photos with magnets mostly, or sometimes a quote or image from a magazine, maybe a card from a friend, stuff like that. Like a teenage version of the refrigerator for posting personal mementos. And then during spirit weeks, the cheerleaders would decorate lockers of the football players, the outsides, if I remember correctly. But I wasn't athletic, popular, or interested enough to do any of that!
I decorated my school folders instead! Mostly with animal pictures or pictures of TV shows I liked, which I printed from the internet and stuck on.
I’ve been wearing acrylic nails for years. Slightly more frugal since the pandemic because I do them myself. Nobody really understands the time and money I put into it but my partner’s supportive because my nails have always been terrible and with acrylics I feel professional and put together.
I would prefer to have stronger, better nails in the first place of course, but not something I was blessed with. I use hand cream constantly throughout the day which is probably a combo of dry skin and spectrum-based sensitivity. I’m very picky about hand cream because it has to feel just right, but there are cherish brands that do, like Nivea.
*cheapish
My nail strength has varied based on nutritional status and supplement choices in different phases of life, and there may be treatments or solutions for your regular nails(?). However, those supplements and treatments can get costly quickly too. It sounds like you have a system that works for you and makes you feel confident for your life, which is the only thing that matters in the end! Any naysayers may be just jealous of your always-cute nails 😉
I'm bare nail 90% of the time but I then bite my nails. I've had 2 manicures with gel in 6 weeks (my nails grow fast) which my budget can't handle. Once the color is gone, I'll be bare nails.
Decorate your locker.
Awesome that your charge nurse recognizes your strengths.
Given how much I do with my hands, I have bare fingernails, but I love to see other ladies' pretty nails. I especially like the ones with little pictures on them, like our special ed. director's bunnies around Easter. And I always have my toenails painted a pretty bright red in the summer when I'm wearing sandals. That's the only kind of nail polish that stays for very long, since I'm not gardening or doing dishes with my toes. 🙂
My aged father gets pictures on his thumbs, as part of his usual (no polish) manicure. His manicurist is quite clever implementing his wacky ideas; for example, for a trip to Kenya she hand-painted an elephant.
This is great! I'd love to see a picture of his thumbnails.
I wear nail polish bc they give me a jolt of joy every time I look down at my hands so its totally worth it. I also have a bad tendency to bite my nails and the polish helps a lot with that. The secret to long-lasting polish is base coat and a good instant dry top coat. Makes all the difference and as someone who cooks and gardens daily I do use my hands a lot.
I usually don’t do much with my nails, but then chemo really wrecked them. They were stained a hideous reddish brown, and began to separate from the nail bed. Some of them even got infected and they looked so gross and made me feel bad about myself during a vulnerable time, so I started painting them every weekend. I would remove the old polish, inspect the nail growth, and happily clip off a tiny bit more of the damaged nail. I still have to keep them very short and I can’t yet use them the way I normally would, but keeping them painted really helped me feel better. They are about halfway grown out, so by the time they are healthy enough to not make me shudder looking at them, I reckon the bare nails trend will be over and I’ll be back to beating my own drum. 😉
I’m glad you found a way to feel better about your nails! Congratulations on fighting the fight.
Becca,
I was very taken with your story. I’m glad you found a way that works for you to continue on your healing journey.
I second this. Go Becca!
I vote for snoopy and your cap on your locker. When I was working, I had a manicure every week. I went on Weds evening with a co-worker and then we stopped at Roy Rodgers. But since I retired, I saw no need to get manicures with polish because I wash so many dishes (don't have a dishwasher). But I go to the salon as filing my own nails does not work with my hand tremor. I hated when the polish looked scruffy. I see a lot of people with super long nails, polished and claw like. It seems pretty awful to me.
It's funny, I have had short nails all my life, and maybe two manicures (one when I got married, and one after my hands felt wrecked after a day of removing cassettes from the plastic security holders while working at a record store). My boys may have adopted a particular aesthetic from observing me, because my oldest said once that long nails gave him the creeps. His brothers chimed in and said, "Yeah, they're GROSS!" Ha.
We had a home health care nurse come for DS#1 and she had long acrylic nails and even then, before going into nurse aide training or anything, I was thinking, "Aren't those against the dress code?" DS#1 fired her after she let our cat out but also said "Her long nails were gross...all kinds of germs could be under there, how was she going to do safe wound care on me?"
I could probably take better care of my nails--sometimes they split and my cuticles, close up, are kind of icky. If anybody here has good budget-friendly ideas, I'm all for it!
Hm, I once read a soak in lukewarm vegetable oil (any kind) was good? I just use handcream summer and winter. Ordinary (sensitive skin) cream in summer and in winter a thick cream that is sold as "night moisturizing hand mask". No cuticle problems but painful little tears around the thumb nails that translate into "housewife's thumbs". Only the thickest handcream will keep that under control, although I change kitchen linens a lot.
If you do get those little splits around your nails, you can put Super glue on them to keep them protected. The Super glue lasts just long enough for them to start healing.
When I was young, I ended up with 5 stitches in my knee (after they dug out the gravel). Come time to get the stitches out, the nurse had long fingernails. While I wasn't worried about infection, I was worried about her stabbing my still healing wound.
I would caution you against the baby’s breath. Every floral arrangement I get, my cats devour the baby’s breath. Since it’s mildly toxic for cats, they then vomit it up. 😖
I used to use Shutterfly all the time to make photo magnets, waiting till they had a promo or free shipping (they have sales going on ending today* if you want to look; * no doubt the sales will start right back up again later : )
I can't believe I'm on trend 2 days in a row! I have no budget (we track extensively and have general buckets of money, but that's it) and bare fingernails ! cue my Snoopy happy dance
Well you've given me a few things to think about. Baby's breath, I'd love to know how to keep it white. Mine turns beige as well. Even the professionally dried is an off-white.
Being a gardener makes it tough to have good looking nails on my hands and feet, since I'm in a hot climate and I seem to always run outside with my flip-flops on. However, I live in rather a posh area and if I go out to eat I feel lacking with no polish on hands or toes, especially toes! I've given myself a break this year because basically I don't really care. Nobody else seems to care and at my age maybe nobody even looks. Also I find nail polish not good for your nails' health. Probably the main reason I stopped using polish. I did find a product for my cuticles at the Dollar Tree oddly, it's called b-pure cuticle oil balm. Looks like a large lipstick and is rather pink. I have a hard time because my hands are allergic to everything to the point of peeling with fragrances, but this particular product does not bother me at all. So I stocked up and use it nightly and sometimes if I just happen to walk past it. Maybe I'll start thinking about a nail regimen in the fall.
When I was taking prenatal classes at the hospital before DH's birth 36 years ago, the nurse doing the classes had the longest scarlet fingernails. It creeped us mamas-to-be out. We inquired discreetly and it turned out she worked only in patient education, not with laboring women. Thank heavens!
I have a mild case of psoriasis that affects my finger nails and have never been able to grow them out or polish them nicely. It's a good day if they're all looking relatively normal. Nail polish does come in handy for sealing the little chips in the 75-year-old ceramic tile in our bathroom, though.
That would be "my son's birth 36 years ago." Autocorrect is a weirdo today.
I'm so delighted that bare nails are a trend! (It's news to me!) When I was working (office environment) I felt obligated to sometimes get manicures, because everyone around me did it, but it was always a pain. Extra work, didn't last, felt like I couldn't do anything with my hands. It was like being hobbled! Now that I'm older I have to keep them short because they're brittle. I could be better at paying attention to moisturizing.
The locker -- go for it! It sounds to me like you know exactly what to do!
Baby's breath does get brown and dry. I don't know if there is any way to counter that. Is there such a thing as artificial baby's breath?
Being considered gentle and kind is like winning an Oscar as far as I'm concerned. What could be more important? Bask in it, you deserve it!
I would spray paint the baby’s breath. It is occasionally done to achieve a certain colour for flower bouquets.
I'm glad to hear that bare nails are trendy!! Years ago when I worked in a bank, I enjoyed painting my nails, but then gardening and dairy farming took over my life, and it just wasn't worth it! I chip nails about as quickly as you! 😀
And congrats on being chosen as the kind nurse! That's who I would hope for if I were in the hospital, and it's a huge compliment for sure!
I've always admired nicely manicured, not crazy long, nails. But like my mom, I've never had great nails. My mom's nails were thin and would break off. I remember her drinking Knox gelatin in an attempt to strengthen her nails. I guess that was the grandaddy of today's hair, skin and nails vitamins. I have found that if I drink more water and take my vitamins, my nails improve. But I kinda look at them and think, if they aren't perfect, I'm not wearing polish that brings attention to them. I have sfiubd that putting Vitamin E oil on my cuticles does vastly improve my nails. It seems healthy cuticles =healthy nails, at least for me. So I've never had a manicure. I will sometimes put a clear or light pinkish color on them, but if they're all looking pretty good. But since I spent all of my career at a desk and a computer typing, long nails never worked for me anyway. If they were neat and clean, I was happy.
I'm so excited you want to decorate your locker! I was the team leader for an annual get fit program in my office for several years and handed out magnets that I made since we had no budget for this. I researched motivational fitness phrases. I stole them, printed them out in cute fonts on my office printer, laminated them with a machine I had to make ID cards, then added a peel and stick magnet (from sheets I had) to the back. I handed them out to our team members and they loved them. A few of the ones I made were "I can. I will. End of story." and "Good things come to those who SWEAT." I still have these 2 on my fridge. Since you are such a positive person, you could find, or make, uplifting magnets and decorate your locker. You might even make someone's day better when they look at your locker! I'm sure you know "nurse phrases" which would be fun.
Cute idea with your magnets! Very clever!
As a fellow Snoopy-holic, I would search Etsy for vinyl decals (for laptops, car windows) for decorating your locker, and on Pinterest for all manner of Snoopy wisdom that you could print and attach as an extremely frugal option.
Yay for bare nails! I gave up fingernail polish many years ago and never looked back. Toes get polish only in summer. Regular doses of cuticle cream/oil and hand lotion help with dryness. It helps that my nails are strong & grow quickly.
How does cuticle cream differ from other creams?
I love the look of my nails painted and I will paint them before special events but for my day to day bare is my go to. I don't have the patience for the upkeep and as soon as one chip shows up I am ready to take all the polish off.
I received almost the same compliment twice last week from two different people: I met my friend and her husband at park close to my house to watch their daughter's soccer game. When we were saying good-bye he gave me a hug and said how nice it was to hear my voice because he finds it so calming. Such a kind, specific compliment. A couple days later a coworker came to work recovering from a migraine and said she would like me come over next time she has a headache just to talk with her because my voice was soothing. I've been riding the high of those compliments for days!
I recently read an article about how the new bare nails look includes getting rid of cuticles as well. Sounds like a bad idea to me.
My plan for voting got trashed by Life Happens but I managed to do my research and vote anyway. Phew! My streak of never knowingly missing a vote continues.
Big Insurance has been running ads to the effect of they're the little guy, helping us against the true evil ones - big pharma and hospital monopolies. I'd love to know who thought this might be a fruitful ad campaign. The truism in marketing is that half your spend is wasted but you never know which half. In this case? All of it.
Speaking of life happens, if insurance refuses to cover something big and needed, is that a Life Happens event or an Emergency Fund event? (This question brought to you by Insurance Sucks, Inc.)
William B ,
That is a write a detailed letter to your state insurance commissioner event.
YES!
Thanks. That’s what I’ll do if the review is unsuccessful. Appreciate the idea.
YMMV based on your state. Some states have strong DOI (as in do a good job investigating your complaint), others not so much.
I’ve been sporting bare nails for years, but I do get monthly professional manicures to tend to my cuticles and then she buffs them to give that shine like polish that lasts me for a month. Just something to consider if you want to enhance your bare nail look. My nails always look kept, groomed and shiny lol
What's wrong with ecru baby's breath? Dried flowers are dried flowers. Who (1) noticed that in the photo, and (2) thought to mention that to you. I know this comment is a little spicy, but gee willikers, cant we enjoy anything without looking for internet "perfection"?
Last weekend, several of the kids were playing a game of show me your rapper name. Kirsten would be Notorious K (ind) G (entle) K (risten)! What a sincere compliment.
Never been a manicure girl. My mom, in the head winds of dementia still loves to get a manicure. I, too am a piano player, violinist, farmer, gardener, quilter and painter. Currently rocking some serious berry stained cuticles.
I have had custom magnets made from an Etsy shop and they turned out well and were reasonably priced
Some ladies I see have acrylic nails so long that they look like brightly colored claws. Not only are their fake fingernails disgusting and ugly, but I have no idea how those gals can hold a pen, write, or pick up anything. Others have decorated fingernails with tiny rhinestones and painted designs. It makes their nails look like jewelry. Better than the long claws but rather impractical IMHO. Personally, I can't see spending that much money on fancy manicures when there are so many other things I need. That is a ridiculous extravagance! I'm in the plain nails club, right along with you, Kristen.
I can’t even handle wearing nail polish myself, so I keep my nails short and bare. But I love seeing other people’s extremely elaborate nails. I’m so impressed both by the artistry and their ability to function with those very long often curved and sharp nails. I love the gem stones, too! When my sister was a teenager, my dad used to cut tiny stencils out of painters tape with an exacto knife and use them to paint tiny pictures on her nails. I used to love watching this process.
I love it when I’m out somewhere and I can compliment someone on their nails, it’s a great conversation starter.
I’m also so interested in people’s workarounds for super long nails. My husband’s coworker has a silicone keyboard extender that makes it possible to type in long nails. I had the genius idea of conductive nail polish- you know how you can get those touch screen gloves for the winter? Why can’t they make nail polish that allows you to use a touch screen? Anyhow, free idea if anyone wants it!
Looks like I'm in the minority here, but I definitely keep my nails manicured and polished. They are short and nothing crazy, but always painted. I was paying for salon manicures but decided that was ridiculous so I've been using press on nails with great success! They have improved greatly since the Lee Press ons of my youth and, with some practice, I can generally make them last for 2 weeks. For 8.99 vs $60, that's a change I'm willing to make! I will say that I do love short, manicured nails with clear polish. Just something so classy about them!
Yes! Same!!
I have recently discovered press on nails, which are so much cheaper than my previous salon trips. I am a cuticle picker and acrylic nails were the only thing that keep my nails from looking like they went through the garbage disposal! Press ons have come a long way from my grade school days. They look so natural and are so easy to apply! Current set (OPI) was $12 from Ulta plus $9 in nail glue that will last several months. At that price I can change sets twice a month and still pay less than half what I did for one trip to the nail salon.
Your post came at the perfect time. I am currently sporting chipped nail polish and need to go into the office today and wasn't sure I had enough time to repaint. Your post took care of my dilemma. I do like having what I consider long (apparently they're shorties or medium, according to youtube) but don't like spending money on manicures that just chip - I don't like gel for the same reasons Kristen mentions. I also notice way more hangnails when I get manicures so if I do go to the nail salon, I just get a polish change. They still shape the nails and they do a much smoother job than I could on my own. When I see how much time and money people spend on their nails, it makes me feel free to buy whatever tools I need to do my nails at home. I'm probably showing my age but I seldom find the super long, over the top nail art appealing.
Here's what the Internet says about the best dried white flowers:
Best Natural White Dried Flowers
* Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila): Features tiny, cloud-like clusters. It is an excellent filler that dries to a creamy ivory or white.
* Ammobium (Winged Everlasting): A paper-like daisy that is highly prized for keeping a clean, crisp white.
* German Statice: Has tiny, dense white blooms that look very similar to Baby’s Breath but have a slightly more branched, sturdy stem.
* Strawflowers: Stiff, daisy-like flowers that retain their paper-like petals and bright white center very well.
Also, hydrangeas dry beautifully. There are some white varieties, but I would guess that they dry to the off-white/creamy color your Baby's Breath did. I have three different hydrangeas and have used the dried blooms indoors for a couple years. They eventually get more dust than I want to clean & I will toss them at that point. But they dry in attractive, rather faded colors. Think smokey lavender, or grayish blue and green shades.
Make a friend with hydrangeas in their garden. 🙂
I twice read the part of today's post, Kristen, about how you were chosen to be the Gentle and Kind Nurse because it made me smile. How terrific that people are recognizing how wonderful you are, and that they are using your strengths to help patients.
Definitely put a Snoopy magnet or two on your locker to bring cheer to both you and your co-workers.
Lengthy manicure/pedicure comments next. Stop reading now if not interested!
As for manicures, I can count on one hand (pun intended) the number of gel treatments I've had. I love how they look. I continually look at my nails too when I get them done, but they do too much damage to be more than a once every few years kind of treat. Salons say that if you get all the gel polish off, there won't be damage, but for me there was. I've also used a nail polish remover that was recommended to me by a nail tech. Whew, that was some strong stuff.
I wash my hands a lot with the various hobbies and jobs I do. A regular nail polish wouldn't last, and I can't stand the look of chipped polish anyway. My nails are pretty strong and healthy so natural they'll stay.
Saying that tho, I used my pedicure gift card last week. The pedicure will last a long time, and the woman who does mine helped me last summer with a split nail. In brief, I had split my big toe nail down super far. The nail tech spotted potential danger in it getting infected, and she trimmed it so it wasn't fully connected to the rest of the nail. I never lost the nail nor did it get infected which I credit her for. Toenails can take one year to grown out, mine did. In addition, I had painful ingrown toenail issues on that big toe for months. Never had that before so wasn't sure what it was at first. Over the counter treatment didn't help so I went to a doctor several times for it. I've since been nervous about trimming my toenails so going to the salon took care of that for me, for now.
I know a woman who has Type 1 diabetes. Her insurance covers the cost of frequent pedicures because regular footcare is vital for her.
I've been on the bare nails bandwagon for about 15 years, I decided the money I spent every few weeks getting my nails done would better serve me being put towards my retirement goals! I do occasionally treat myself to a pedicure, but mostly paint my own toes and just keep my nails filed and on the short side.
I have no opinion on Nerds, as I don't eat "gummy" candy/food --I have enough dental anxiety just going for a cleaning - have no need to "feed" it (see what I did there 😉 with foods my brain thinks will pull a tooth/filling out LOL...
I have no doubt there is someone on Etsy that could make that Magnet! I have ordered from CarleyDoodleDoo, she does great work! https://www.etsy.com/shop/Carlydoodleydoo
Google or Amazon magnetic sheets or magnetic backing. I place the picture or sticker, whatever I want magnetized on the sticky side of the product. Then with a sharp scissors cut around it. Presto. Stickers are cheaper than magnets so this method works well when I buy my souvenir when traveling. I bought the magnetic backing years ago and have not run out yet.
I’ve only done my nails once, my wedding. I am 62. No thank you. Feel so bad for young women today who feel the need to do this regularly. I actually have no excuse for naked nails, ha!
I’ve always preferred bare nails as well. I had horses for twenty years and found that one trip to the barn would instantly ruin any polish on my fingernails. I like to use a buffing square to make them smooth and shiny instead! I do love a pedicure with polish tho. 😉
I love that the charge nurse paid you that great compliment! Those are the best.
Every time you post about Nerds gummy clusters I wonder - do you know they tested very high for arsenic (along with other common candies)? If you did know that, no judgement! Just wanted to make sure you have the info you need to make a decision
Bare nails all my life! I can't grow them long even if I try. They crack and break. But I can't tolerate the smell of nail polish and never had a manicure in my life.
My mom had long, beautiful nails--she spent many hours with a wall telephone that had a long cord (remember those?) in the crook of her neck, gossiping with her girlfriends and doing her nails. They were her pride and joy--she was a medical secretary and managed to maintain them even on manual and early electric typewriters, but she always dialed (rotary dial!) the phone with a pencil until someone gave her a fancy stick with a tip meant specifically for dialing the phone. She had certain hand "postures" that protected or showed her nails--e.g. when she smoked cigarettes (yuck!). She probably could have been a hand model. I'm plain Jane in comparison.
At the hospital i worked at. No nail polish was allowed when working with patients
I worked in a medical supply factory one summer. No nail polish allowed there either. Smocks (most were one size fits all) and hair nets mandatory.
I worked in a medical supply factory for one summer too. Plastic test tubes, pipettes, other things I didn't recognize...lol. Two things I remember was being told by my co-workers I would have a constant sore throat while working there (true) and my hair, long at the time, would have a coating on it hard to remove even with shampoo (also true). The real deal breaker was the machine that spit out a product into a bin we had to empty frequently. Every time you touched that bin you would get a terrible electric shock! And management knew about it. Needless to say, I got the hell out of Dodge. Looking back, I wish I called OSHA.
I use emery boards instead of clippers for my bare nails. And for your locker? You have to have a Chiquita photo!
Instead of baby's breath, buy statice. It has subdued color and dries well. Eucaplytpis also dries nicely and stays nice, complements flowers.
I enjoy your posts!
Yay for bare nails! I see my oldest granddaughter about six times a year. We always do our toenails together and sometimes she does her fingernails. Since I pick at nail polish and I’m super active, I don’t love having painted fingernails. Thanks for posting this. I guess I’m not as weird as I thought
You know how soft a baby's nails are...so soft the white part can be peeled off instead of risking mistakenly hurting the baby by using nail clippers? That's how soft and pliable my nails have always been. My parents had normal nails so I'm not sure how this happened. As a teen and young woman I was so envious of my friends with hard beautiful nails while mine would bend backwards if I let them grow out just a little. I am very happy about the natural look nails because I've never been able to have anything but short, natural nails. I've always been very trendy! Lol. BTW the only silver lining is my toenails are ultra thin and soft too so it makes for easy trimming.
I've never had a manicure or pedicure. Way back in the day, I applied my own nail polish to my fingernails and toenails, which went along with all the makeup I used to wear. Then I simplified my look and upkeep. My foot doctor says pedicures and gel nails are both no-nos, and I figure he would know better than anyone. I keep my hands and feet well-moisturized so they stay attractive that way.
I'm with you on nail polish- it looks good for five minutes and then I chip it. Although I will say I like the rectangle block to file/buff/shine every so often (usually an event). It looks so polished and takes very minimal effort.
What a lovely compliment from the charge nurse! I love that the night nurse knew the patient needed special care and advocated for that, too. I've visited folks in hospitals quite a bit and the right nurse can make a huge difference. What a blessing for that patient that you were exactly what they needed!
StickerMule has a sample magnet opportunity — https://www.stickermule.com/products/magnet-samples
I have had great products every time with that company.
"I'm not the best nurse to handle a rowdy patient, but if you need gentle and kind? Yup"
This made me chuckle, as it is the opposite for me. And I am knowned to be the one in my team that is at ease working with difficult patients. I am not easily intimidated, which helps a lot (And I've been doing it for almost 20 years, which also helps). I can do "gentle and nice" too, but I feel like handling the difficult ones takes more of a strong personality, which I have, so I'm putting it to work. I almost pride myself at being able to turn a grouch into a tolerable human being, aha!
We need all sorts of people on the team! That's what makes a team great. 🙂
I'm a passionate gardener and an amateur potter, and neither of these hobbies are compatible with fancy nails. I wear my nails really short (for pottery making, the shorter the better). However, I do want decent-looking nails despite my hobbies, and I wear clear nail polish to keep them from getting stained by soil or clay. I'm also someone who used to bite her nails, and polished, smoother nails are less tempting to nibble on. Clear polish also doesn't show chips the same as colored polishes. I do my own nails, and I probably spend $10 per year on supplies.
I would check out Walgreen's for photo magnet deals. They almost always have a sale going in their photo gift lab. (I think the lab is owned/managed by Snapfish or Shutterfly now) You can also find dried baby's breath as well as other dried flowers at Hobby Lobby or Michaels, and sales there are pretty common. Dried eucalyptus smells amazing and is very pretty in a pitcher. At our hospital, we are not allowed to have fake nails, acrylic overlays, chipped nail polish, or nails longer than 1/4 inch. So I am chic as well with my bare clean nails, ha ha.
hospital chic!
I had not heard of the bare nails trend but I've rarely done anything with my nails. I'm in the garden too much to keep mine looking nice.
I think we need a bare face trend too...my skin is so much healthier with little to no make up.