Tag Archives: nails

Money-Saving Manicure Tips

manicure tips

In light of my recent credit card statement causing me to be uncharacteristically frugal, I’ve started channelling my elite sense of creativity into ways to save money.  Having a fresh manicure 24/7 is a socialite essential.  One that I admittedly often fall short on due to my overly busy life.  But, I’m working on it.

Seeing that I may be faced with the task of doing my own nails at home, I’ve come up with a few tips to the make the most out of the home spa experience.  Perhaps, saving money can be glamorous.  CNBC’s personal finance expert, Suze Orman, will be so proud.  She spells “Suzie” without an “I” and that’s how she saves money.  Not a lot of people think to leave out the “I,” but in this economy you have the make significant cuts.

Here’s how you can save money on manicures:

  • Wear the same color for an entire season: Choose one color for fall and another for spring.  Get your nails professionally done once a season and use the same color to effortlessly fill in the cracks as your nails chip.  This saves tons of time and money.  Not to mention, this strategy will guarantee you a fresh manicure 100% of the time.
  • Practice, Practice, Practice: When it comes to art, practice and dedication always makes perfect.  Practice keeping a steady hand and once you’ve perfected a simple paint job, you can move on to nail art.  Nail polish remover is cheap so no worries if you mess up.
  • Do your nails during your favorite show: Half of doing your own nails is getting yourself to sit in one place long enough to concentrate on doing them.  Make plans for a quick mani during your favorite show or movie.  When your nails are finished, sit tight and enjoy the rest of the show as you wait for them to dry.
  • Throw a DIY mani/pedi party: DIY is all the craze right now.  Spread the trend of the money-saving mani to your friends by throwing a girls’ night in with movies, drinks, and “Do It Yourself” mani/pedis.  Just try to keep the cocktails to a minimum until everyone’s nails are painted.

Make Your Nails Snap, Crackle, & Pop

OPI calls it “Shatter” while Sally Hansen calls it “Crackle” I call it “Awesome.” Thanks to crazy nail technology, you can give your nails a stylish textured effect with these alluring overcoats that you apply directly over two coats of a coordinating solid nail color.  Great for one-of-a-kind do it yourself nail art.  The best part about this new fad is that it glorifies imperfection and chaos as an art form.  Therefore, should you be an Aspiring Socialite with major budget constraints who must do her own nails, there is still the chance of achieving a professional look even if you don’t have a steady hand.

In spite of my aspirations to be the perfect socialite, I understand that we live in an imperfect world.  It is time we started embracing our imperfections like they do on Glee.  So snap, crackle, and pop your nails for a look that is very Katy Perry.