Tag Archives: beauty

Dec11

Pedi Party

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Pedi Party

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! So yesterday I had myself a little Pedi Party with one of my favorite high school teachers and it was such fun. I had never gotten a pedicure before and was treated to it as a college graduation present. And guess what?! I didn’t even let my ticklishness get the best of me – which I unfortunately can’t say for the one and only massage that I have ever gotten!

As you guys know, I am a devout fan of my acrylic nails so you would think that I would have gotten a pedicure by now. Not the case, guys. Not the case. I guess I really just have never cared about my toes enough to pamper them. 1) They’re not pretty to look at. 2) I barely have nails worthy of painting on my tootsies. And 3) My pinkie corn chip toe is an embarrassment to mankind!

Despite the litany of ugliness that I just described, my nail tech did an amazing job of salvaging some dignity out of my toesies and left them looking so pretty! Take a look, and if you have a foot phobia: SORRY but if you have a foot fetish: YOU’RE WELCOME!

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Obviously, I went with black to match my talons! :*)

All in all, the pedicure was fabulous and I had a great time spending the afternoon with my dear friend. However, I do feel like kind of an asshole because my legs were SO. HAIRY. I guess I didn’t really think to myself “Hey, Sarah – your legs are hairier than most guys right now. Maybe you should clean yourself up”. I mean obviously I didn’t because when the poor nail tech was scrubbing up my legs he was fighting against a forest of prickles! What can I say, WINTER IS MY HIBERNATION TIME and don’t think for one minute that I didn’t apologize profusely for him having to rub on woolly mammoth fur. 😉

With my tail hung between my (hairy) legs, I tamed the beast last night and now have legs as smooth and pretty as my little black seashell toenails. GREAT SUCCESS! Thank you to my wonderful friend for such a treat of an afternoon yesterday and thank you to my nail tech for putting up with me! 🙂

I hope everyone is having a fabulous day and my final questions for you are:

  • Would you rather not shave your legs for a year or not wear makeup for six months?
  • Would you rather get a hot stone massage or a mani/pedi combo?

I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec9

Confessions Of A Shopaholic

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Confessions Of A Shopaholic

Heyy everyone and TGIF!! So, if you have been reading my blog for a while or just take a look at the plethora of posts under the “Fashion” category, you might be able to guess that I love to shop. Honestly, the word love is an understatement because I am lightweight obsessed with purchasing all things fashion, beauty, and accessories. There’s just something about the act of going to your favorite store or getting comfy on your couch to shop online that’s moderately addicting to me.

Why is that? I guess because it feels good, damnit. Sometimes I have a really hard time feeling good. Long story short, things at home are basically a shit show seven times out of ten so when I can just go and surround myself with things that are pretty, it feels like a much needed vacation. Even if I don’t end up buying a single thing, I could spend an hour filling up a cart on ModCloth and wind up feeling infinitely better.

Is this a bad thing? Sometimes! My bank account definitely doesn’t love me for it! In fact, just last night I had a splurging sesh on TJMaxx’s website but it was a graduation gift to myself so I thought that it was okay (the voice of an addict!). BUT sometimes I think that my shopaholic nature is a blessing.

1) I have the most phenomenal wardrobe that I know of.

2) I am never spending money that I don’t have.

3) I rarely turn to getting sloppy drunk or self harming methods anymore when I feel like shit.

As I mentally rearranged new homes in my closet and shoe wall last night after my TJMaxx graduation shopping spree, I had to stop and think if some of the purchases that I have made in the past have been worth it. And honestly? I answered with “yes” to every single one of them. If it takes treating myself to something new and pretty when I’m feeling blah every so often, then I say go girl!

I feel as though some people have a hard time with treating themselves but hey, they don’t call retail therapy “therapy” for nothing! If you get happy or have something to look forward to with a purchase, then do the damn thing! Buy the heels, get the pedicure, take yourself out to dinner. At the end of the day, you have to take care of yourself and if a little splurge here and there helps ease the ache that life can throw at you, then I will be with you there at the checkout line.

Here’s to shopping (In moderation!). Here’s to making yourself feel good. Here’s to treating yourself like the amazing person you are!

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How do you treat yoself when you’re feeling blah? What is your favorite way to splurge on yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec5

Pampering Party (Wahhh!)

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Pampering Party (Wahhh!)

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This past week has been not the best at Chez Red because I have literally been sick for seven days straight. I have had an absolutely miserable cold complete with cough, body aches, headaches, sore throat, the chills, and night sweats. On top of feeling like DEATH, it is now finals week at school which is super stressful which seems to just make me sicker!

I am feeling very bitter about this bug because it completely ruined the pampering that happened last week which I was so looking forward to. I was scheduled to dye my hair, get my nails filled, and get a haircut. These are all things that I freaking love to do and unfortunately, I felt miserable to the point that I couldn’t enjoy any of it during each pampering activity.

My hair dying sesh resulted in a bloody nose and massive chills. Thanks to frequent nose blowing and an accidental stab from my talon acrylics, I was left with a bloody nose worthy of sticking a tampon in. Then, the cold water shower which was a necessity to washing out the dye and maintaining a lustrous shade of red left me in shivers in my skivvies for days. In hindsight, dying my hair and doing a cold water hair wash while sick was just plain asinine but damnit, my hair needed it real bad!!!

Later on in the week, I needed to get my nails filled so that they could be perfect for my graduation ceremony next week. Probably not the best idea either. The strong nail polish smells at the salon went straight to my head and not even my beloved nail tech, Vinny, could help me feel better. The worst, though, was when my nails were put in front of a fan to start the drying process. I instantly began to sweat and get clammy and I like to think of myself as a not sweaty person. I left the salon a big blubbering ball of phlegm and damp clothing but my nails looked fabulous, darling.

And finally, this weekend it was time for a haircut. I was so looking forward to getting my hair styled for my big day and wanted nothing more than to sit comfortably in the chair and let my stylist work her magic. Naturally, this didn’t happen. My week long nightmare left me feeling so achy and irritable that everything made me want to scream, or cry, or BOTH. So best believe when those little bitty microscopic hairs got snipped from my head and wound up down my shirt I was about to have an emotional breakdown. I’m telling you guys, it’s hard out there for a pimp.

Now that I am feeling about eighty percent better, I can finally fully admire the work that was done on me. My hair looks gorgeous and my nails are fierce. But at the time, nothing made me feel happy or attractive which is surprising considering I tried to surround myself with all things pretty! A Pampering Party did happen but it was not fun or relaxing in the slightest. I can only hope that the next time I need to throw some paint on the old barn that I am feeling in tip top physical condition!

Who is suffering from a winter cold or flu right now? What are your go to remedies for easing the yucks and aches? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov30

Forgotten November Empty

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Forgotten November Empty

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! So after going through my finished products to recycle after yesterday’s November Finishes post, I realized that I had forgotten one of my empties! I am actually really surprised that I did because I was so excited to finally be done with the product after working on it for about a year and a half. What beauty product lasts that long, you may ask? YOU’RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Dickinson’s witch hazel: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Witch hazel: As I mentioned above, I have been working on this bottle of witch hazel for a long time. This stuff has been my go to for keeping my five nose piercings clean for years. With two piercings on each nostril and my septum done, it is easy to see why infections might be common so every morning I give my little nosie a good cleaning with the product. Thanks to my witch hazel regimen, I rarely get unsightly bumps or redness around my piercings and it has also helped eliminate some of the blackheads that gather on my nostrils, too!

I did not use the Dickinson’s brand prior to finishing this bottle but I have been using witch hazel on my piercings for the better part of three years and would never use anything different. If you are looking for a cheap and effective way to keep your favorite piercings looking and feeling clean than I cannot recommend starting a witch hazel regimen enough!

Special sorry shout out to Dickinson’s for forgetting about you in yesterday’s post but no hard feelings because I already cracked open a new bottle last week! 🙂

So there you have it, my Forgotten November Empty! What do you use to keep your piercings clean? Is anyone planning on getting a new body mod soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov29

November Finishes

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November Finishes

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! The month of November has been a really busy one but it has brought me beaucoup bottles of finished beauty products to discuss with you. I am actually so happy about all of these empties because they were the ones that were legitimately taking forever to finish. Thanks to these completed products seen below I can now break out goodies that I have been waiting an eternity to use, like my cocoa butter from The Body Shop and my pink grapefruit St. Ives cleanser. Happy day! So now, without further ado, take a look at my November Finishes and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Pure & Basic Creme Brulee lotion: YES!
  • Bath & Body Works Mango Mandarin spray: YES
  • St. Ives Indulgent Coconut Milk body wash: YES
  • St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask: YES
  • Jergens BB Hand cream: YES
  • The Body Shop Aloe night cream: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin E moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

Pure & Basic lotion: This Creme Brulee scented lotion smells freaking AMAZING! It literally smells like you are rubbing yourself down with vanilla cake batter and I can definitely get down with that. I got this huge bottle of Pure & Basic lotion at TJMaxx for a whole six dollars and it has lasted me well over three months. This lotion absorbs quickly but is highly moisturizing and I would totally recommend and use it again.

My mom actually taught me a fun trick after I was done with the bottle of Pure & Basic this week and was lamenting over the extra product that gets stuck in the bottle. She told me that when this happens, she puts some water in the bottle and then shakes it up to use as a body milk in the shower the next day. So clever!

B&BW spray: Normally I’m a Country Apple girl when it comes to my Bath & Body Works perfume sprays but I love the Mango Mandarin! I got myself six bottles during their throwback sale in the summer at three dollars a bottle and I am so pleased with that purchase! My favorite thing to do is to layer this spray with my Satsuma spray from TBS for a longer lasting fragrance. It took me about six months to finish this perfume.

St. Ives body wash: The Indulgent Coconut Milk body wash by St. Ives is so delicious. I really enjoy their products and this is probably my favorite body wash by them. It smells completely delectable – even better than The Body Shop’s coconut fragrance, which is really saying something! It also lathers like a dream which provides you with a shower or bubble bath that is purely pampering and relaxing. It took me about three months to finish this product.

St. Ives scrub: Like I just said, I really really like St. Ives products so of course I loved my oatmeal scrub! This product is a really gentle exfoliater so it won’t dry out your skin which is great during the chilly winter months. It smells great and it left my skin looking perfectly peaches and cream afterwards. My scrub lasted me about a month and a half and now I am on to using their pink grapefruit scrub which I am sure will be discussed soon! Spoiler Alert! It smells AMAZING.

Jergens hand cream: I blogged about this wonder cream before so for the full article please check out the link provided! If not, I will say that this is hands down the best hand cream that I have ever used. As a hardcore germophobe and hand washer, it is not hard for my hands to become extremely red and raw within a few days. This cream has provided me with relief as well as a formula that is non greasy and fast absorbing so that I can use it again and again with no lingering residue. I have used this product off and on since February and cannot recommend it enough.

TBS night cream: I really liked the Aloe night cream! I got it for free with an online purchase a few months ago and it made my skin feel so lush before bedtime. I had never used anything from the Aloe line before and I would use it again but I still prefer Vitamin E over it. What I did like was that the cream was a heavier texture but it still absorbed well which is exactly what I look for in a night cream. It took me about a month and a half to finish this product.

TBS moisturizer: I have been an avid lover of The Body Shop’s Vitamin E line for quite some time now. I think that this moisturizer is simply the best and am so happy that I have another jar of it in back stock so that I can continue using it daily. If you are looking for a moisturizer that is light, nourishing, and sits well under makeup than look no further. The Vitamin E moisturizer will leave your skin looking and feeling like a million bucks. It took me about a month and a half to finish this product.

I am SO happy with all of my empties this month, 1) because they were all effective and fabulous and 2) I am looking forward to using more new products! Most of my finishes from this month have been with me for a long time now so I am happy to retire these bottles and move onto some new bath and body and skin care goodies in December!

So there you have it, my November Finishes! What beauty products have you used up this month? What beauty product can you not live without during the winter? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov22

Taking Steps To Improve Your Self Confidence

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Taking Steps To Improve Your Self Confidence

Self-confidence is such an important thing to have in life. It has a significant impact on your happiness and also determines how much you are able achieve. Having the mindset of ‘I can’t’ due to confidence issues means that you’ve failed before you’ve even tried. It can be a tricky thing to build but if you know that yours isn’t the best, it’s something that’s always worth addressing. Here are some of the steps you can take to build up your self-confidence.

Address Your Physical Issues: Learning to love and accept ourselves as we are is fantastic in theory but not as easily done in practice. So if there’s something you can do about whatever is bothering you, it could be worth taking steps to change it. For example, if your weight is something that makes you feel self-conscious, you could aim to lose a few pounds (if you’re overweight) and tone up. If your teeth have always bothered you, you could see a cosmetic dentist. It could be a whitening treatment to correct the color, Invisalign treatment to correct any crookedness, or veneers to make everything look nice and even. There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘actually, I’m not happy about this part of myself and I’d like to change it’. Providing you’re not striving for perfection (since this doesn’t exist) or are going about things in an unhealthy way. If these changes can boost your self-confidence and make you feel great, why wouldn’t you?

Take Up a Hobby: Have you got a talent or skill? Even if you’ve not had any hobbies for many years, think back to what you were good at when you were younger. Were you always top of the class in art lessons? Or did you have a knack for sports? Whatever it is, trying your hand at it again is a great way to go. When you’re good at something, it really helps to build your confidence. Plus having hobbies is great for your mental health and could lead to meeting new friends. Even if it’s just people who share the same interests on Twitter and Facebook, the social aspect is very positive too. Having a hobby means you’re investing time in yourself. You’re showing yourself that you do matter, and it’s enjoyable, too.

Push Yourself Out Of Your Comfort Zone: As they say, a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. It’s only when you push yourself beyond the limits of what you know and is ‘safe’ to you that you grow and develop as a person. Nervous about meeting new people? Sign up for an evening class! Scared of failing? Set yourself a new challenge! Even if you don’t succeed, you’ll have learned a valuable lesson – that there’s no shame in failure and you can always pick yourself up and try again.

Speak To Your Doctor: If your self-confidence is so low that it affects your daily life, it’s worth talking to your GP. It could be a sign that something else isn’t quite right and point to things like anxiety or depression. Getting to the root of this will allow you to access the right treatment and will put you on a path to feeling better.

What do you do to boost your self confidence? What is something that makes you feel confident? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov21

Banish Dry Winter Skin

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Banish Dry Winter Skin

Every season presents challenges when it comes to keeping our skin healthy, but winter has to be the worst. Cold weather and winds topped off with drying central heating can lead to painful chapped lips and dry, uncomfortable skin. Thankfully there are some things we can do to protect against this and keep our skin healthy and in good condition throughout the colder months. Here’s how to go about it.

Physically Protect Your Skin: No one wants to stand outside in horrible weather but when you have no choice try to physically protect your skin. This means wearing gloves to stop hands from becoming sore and dry. Wear a scarf and pull this up over your lower face and lips. Shield yourself from the wind whenever it’s possible. This could mean standing with your back to the wind while you wait for the bus or finding shelter in a coffee shop or bookstore when the rain or snow begins to come down heavily.

Switch Up Your Skincare Routine: Fall and winter require heavier, richer products that are intensely hydrating. These provide much-needed nourishment to stripped skin and also help to protect it. Your day cream can be a little lighter as it still needs to sit well under makeup but your night cream should be rich and buttery. Choose a product that states that it’s highly nourishing and hydrating. Another essential product in anyone’s skincare routine but particularly in winter should be a good eye cream. This will keep the delicate eye area hydrated and also protect from damage and premature aging. There are more skin care tips on sites like Thank Your Beauty.

Pamper Your Skin: Along with your regular skincare routine, once or twice a week you should really pamper your skin, too. Using oils as a pampering treat is an excellent way to improve dry winter skin. These will deliver on moisture but will not leave the skin feeling greasy or clog up your pores. You could also treat your skin to face masks. Different masks are targeted to different skin concerns so do your research to find out what will work best for you. You could use a lip scrub to gently remove any loose and flaky skin and then follow up with a high-quality lip protector. Our lips lose more moisture than everywhere else on the face which is why they are the first to become dry and sore.

Use SPF: The sun’s rays aren’t just damaging in the summer. They can harm skin all year round and premature aging is just one of the adverse effects. You can prevent this by using an SPF all year round. Since this can be a tricky step to remember (especially when there is no sunshine in sight and everywhere is gray and drizzly!) choose products with SPF included. It could be in your day cream or your foundation. Either way, you kill two birds with one stone and can be safe in the knowledge that you are doing what you can to protect your skin.

What do you do to protect your skin in the winter? What are your favorite moisturizing beauty products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov21

Love The Skin You’re In With This Guide

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Love The Skin You’re In With This Guide

Loving the skin you’re in isn’t as difficult as you probably think. Nobody is perfect but that doesn’t mean you should focus on your flaws and insecurities. By loving the skin you’re in, you’ll feel so much better and improve your life to no end. These points will help you to start loving the skin you’re in right away:

Focus On The Things You Like: Don’t even pay any attention to the things that bother you right now. Whether it’s a bump on your nose or that extra weight you might be carrying, accept them and focus on the things you like instead. This can be anything. Make a long list! The more you focus on things you like, the more things you’ll find that outweigh seemingly “negative” aspects of yourself. You’ll develop far more self confidence this way.

Pay More Attention To Compliments: People tend to pay more attention to negative things than positive things. It’s usually why we remember nasty things people have said, rather than the nice ones. Try to remember nice compliments people have given you. Pay more attention when they do in the future. When people give compliments, they tend to really mean them!

Read Self Help Books: There are so many self help books out there full of valuable tips to help you love yourself. Get reading, underlining, and changing the way you think.

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others: ** Easier said than done, but comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disaster. Somebody else’s beauty does not take away from yours. We are all beautiful and unique in our own way. Be happy with your quirks and your uniqueness. There’s only one you. Chances are, somebody has compared themselves to you in the past!

Treat and Pamper Yourself: You’re totally worth treating yourself to some new clothes or a fun new hairstyle. Although you shouldn’t use shopping or beauty treatments in the hope that they’ll fix your body image issues, you should do it when you feel like you need a pick me up or a treat. You can go to an aesthetic clinic to cater to all your wellness needs, for instance.

Exercise And Eat Right: Exercising and eating right will change you from the inside out. Remember the goal is NOT to lose weight, get the ‘perfect’ body, or look like somebody else. It’s to feel good about yourself, increase your confidence, and give you more energy. Health should come first, looks second!

Develop Yourself Spiritually: Developing yourself spiritually will help you feel more connected to yourself and others. You’ll realize that there’s absolutely nothing to fret about. By doing yoga, meditating, living mindfully, and doing other spiritual practices, you will change your life and feel awesome.

Start using these tips straight away to love the skin you’re in. You can get into the habit of doing one at a time and take it really slow, if you need to. The key is to making long-term changes that you can be consistent with to get the best results. The more you love yourself, the better your life will be!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Nov11

They’re Baaaack

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They’re Baaaack

Hi everyone and TGIF! Okay, so this week’s Monday Update involved me freaking out because I broke one of my natural nails that I have been trying so freaking hard to grow out in lieu of getting acrylics. Well, two days after that, another nail broke so I said “fuck it” and went to get my claw babies back on Thursday. After about a year of being talon-free, it felt so good being back in the trusted and true hands of my beloved nail tech, Vinny.

As I mentioned before, asides from dying my hair, getting my nails done is my absolute favorite way to pamper myself. I love being able to sit back, relax, and let Vinny work his magic and make my nails look pretty. One of the things that I love the most about long nails is how they make my hands look. Naturally, my hands are quite small and stumpy but lengthy nails make my hands look elongated and beautiful. When I had to cut my natural nails after two of them broke, I was so sad to see my hands shrink down to their bitty size right before my eyes. But now, everything is as it should be and having janky nails is one less thing for me to worry about. Take a look:

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The other main reason that I wanted to get my nails done was for my graduation which is coming up on December 15th. I told myself that if I can’t get my natural nails how I like them, then I would treat myself to my acrylics and I am so glad that I did! I do wish that they were a little bit longer but they will do for now and Vinny said he’ll take care of it when I get them filled – he’s such a gem! :*)

Now my graduation ceremony beauty check list for looking fab as I strut across the stage looks something like this:

  • Get nails filled.
  • Dye hair.
  • Get a hair cut.
  • Put together a graduation ceremony worthy outfit!

I am so happy to have my nails back but it has been a doozey of a twenty-four hours while I get used to living my life with talons again! So far, everything is going just fine minus a small scare with my car door. Other than that things are A-okay – especially now that I can put my babies to work on my laptop keyboard again! LOVE IT! ❤

I hope everyone has a super fun and relaxing weekend! What kind of outfit do you think I should wear for graduation? Who else has a passion for long nails? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov7

Monday Update: NAIL HELP!!!

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Monday Update: NAIL HELP!!!

Hey everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fab weekend. So as you guys know, I was beyond obsessed with my stiletto style claws back when I was wearing acrylic nails. But, because I am ballin on a budget as a college kid, I decided to cut back on my favorite way to pamper myself besides from dying my hair. I haven’t been wearing acrylics for about a year but in the past four months I have been attempting to grow my nails out because I’ve been missing them badly.

So far, my nails have been doing pretty good. I began a regimen of taking Biotin and Calcium vitamins and I really think that they have been helping. I have also started soaking them in olive and coconut oil as a moisturizing treat. My nails are now quite strong as opposed to the brittle, flimsy mess that they were before. I am a little less than halfway to the length that I would like them to be at but then…the unspeakable happened. The nail on my thumb broke clean off yesterday. 😦

I am genuinely at a loss of what to do. There was no salvaging the nail and now I have nine long and beautiful nails and a mere stump on my right hand thumb. What do you guys do in a situation like this? Do you cut the rest of your nails and let everything start fresh? Or do you just wait it out and let the broken nail grow again? I suppose it’s a matter of preference but I have no clue what to do and I feel like I would benefit greatly from hearing what all of the amazing beauty gurus out here have to say.

As a reminder, this is where I last left my nails in acrylic land and I am a little less than halfway to that length now. Ironically enough, I’m wearing those exact same colors right now! All I need are my middle finger crosses and I’ll be all set! #thosewerethedays

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I am in desperate need of advice and also some comfort because I am so upset about this nail breaking. The worst thing, though? About an hour before the nail broke I literally told my mom “wow, it sure would suck if one of my nails broke now”. FML!!!

As of now, I’m leaning towards letting my little thumb stump grow out because it is not as noticeable as say, if the break happened on a pointer or middle finger. However, this is subject to change! So what do you do when a beloved nail breaks? Let it grow or hack off (so violent!) the rest? I want to hear from all of you, so PLEASE leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

^^^ Acrylic nail jams! 😉