Painting nails!

I talked about my hobby making jewellery in a previous post here but one of my other passions, and I suppose you could call it a hobby, is nail polish.  Or all things nail related in general!

I am quite literally obsessed.  I have hundreds of different ones, various effect top coats, nail art pens, glitters, crystals. You name it I probably have it.  My favourite brands are probably Models Own (who do the most amazing glitters as well as every colour possible!) & Ciate, who do amazing kits as well as polish.

Nails without polish for me is like being naked!! I actually bit my nails badly until I was about 25 so think I may be making up for it these days.

Having M.E & lack of energy/concentration can make it difficult to do them. However I find it really relaxing and, like when I make my bracelets, I really enjoy it.  If my hands feel shakey I don't always get the best finish!  But I use cotton buds dipped in remover to clean up the edges so they look as neat as possible.

I am really quick at doing them & people always ask how I do them so neatly. Answer is I'm not sure! I just start with one coat down the middle then at the sides. I do a thin layer first otherwise it gets too gloopy & doesn't dry properly which makes it smudge or come off straight away.

I let it dry & repeat the process.  Usually 2 coats is enough but some polishes need 3.  I always use topcoat unless I have used a glitter over the top as they sometimes act as one.  If you don't have cotton buds you can put a bit of cotton wool around an orange stick (for cuticles) then dip in remover. Or wait until the next day & when you shower/wash hands it should come off from around the edges!  Or you can just use another nail to wipe off the excess ;-)

Some people with M.E have a high intolerance to smell & a lot of polish/remover does smell rather potent.  I have heard the Aldi one smells really fruity so will be getting that to try next.  The nail remover pads are also good & the remover pots where you put your nails in are a good quick way of removing without much effort.  Glitter is a whole different story though as it is a nightmare to remove! Cotton wool pads soaked in remover applied to nail with foil over top does the job...bit of a pain but does work.

I keep most of my nail stuff in a set of mini draws which I have next to my bed.  I feel like a kid in a sweet shop every time I open it!!

My only problem is that I get bored of them very quickly & despite having made my nails look beautiful, usually after a day or so I start picking at them!  As soon as I get a chip in one that's it, I will pick it all off. I went shopping the other day with my carer.  My nails were gorgeous, painted in an amazing sparkly pink.  But I left the shop with nearly all the polish off.  There was no doubt a trail of picked off polish on the floor where I had dropped it from my wheelchair.  I love the thought of leaving a trail of glitter!!

My friend & I send each other pictures of our nails all the time when we've done them, then another picture the following day when they look a disgrace.  It has become a bit of a joke between us!

My daughter also loves me doing her nails, she can't wear it for school but at weekends & school holidays she always wants them doing!  I have been doing Frozen style nails for her & her friends seeing as they are all obsessed!  It is nice being able to chill with her doing nails, a nice low energy activity. And she loves having her nails matched to mine ♡

Is anyone else as obsessed with nails as me??
xx