My First Letter From a Reader… Thanks Shea!

I’m so excited!  I woke up this morning, and saw that I’d received my first letter from a reader.  Her name’s Shea, and she also runs a cool blog called The Prayer Child:

Kendra! I found you via whatiwore and can’t tell you how much I love your blog. I’m “one of those” girls who lacks natural talent in the realm of piecing outfits together, but your blog has helped me to both learn and steal style for my presentation to the world. 1. I would love to thank you for putting outfits together that are affordable, realistic, and chic (all at once!) and 2. if you ever get around to it, what’s your nail regimen? They always look perfect.

Shea

To Shea:

Thanks for following my blog, and I’m so glad that it’s been helpful to you! And thanks so much for the nail compliment.  Here’s are my top 10 nail tips just for you (and anyone else who’s reading):

I try to treat myself to a mani/pedi at least once per month.  But when that’s not possible, I keep things simple.

1. I always follow the shape of my nail beds when I file.
2. I’m keenly aware of my “breaking point.”  If left alone, my nails will grow pretty long (I used to test their max in middle school, which got kinda gross). However, it’s inevitable that one will break the longer they get.  So now I don’t let them grow out more than 2-3 centimeters past my nail bed.
3. Pretty much anything goes with color on my tootsies, but I’m kind of boring with my fingernails.  90% of the time, I stick with a color that closely matches my natural nails.  For me, that’s Essie’s Sugar Daddy.  If I do get a chip, it doesn’t show as easily.
4. I never let anyone cut my cuticles.  This is a big no-no.  A simple pushback and a cream cuticle remover do the job well enough.
5. Two tips to help polish last: 1. Swipe polish remover over the nails right before you apply polish. This will help remove any dirt or oils.  Also make sure no cotton ball residue is left. 2. Allow the nails to dry COMPLETELY!  This can sometimes take up to half an hour, but makes all the difference in the world.  To tell if nails are really dry, tap two of  them together very lightly so as not to smudge.  If there’s any stickiness AT ALL, they are not dry.  I always see girls hop out of the salon after just 5-10 minutes under the nail dryer.  Don’t do it.  Your patience will be rewarded.
6. I’m notorious for nursing a manicure to within an inch of its life, but also slightly OCD when it comes to chipped polish and/or uneven nails.  So I always carry a nail file and a couple of those polish remover packets that look like wetnaps.  This way, if I do have a nail emergency while I’m out, I can always just fix it up and go au naturel.
7. If I’m using a polish other than clear or a neutral color, I always use a base coat to prevent my nails from turning yellow.
8. I know a lot of ladies love them, but I stay away from acrylics, gel manicures and things like that.  They just do way too much damage to my nails.  I got acrylic tips once in high school without doing my research.  And I just about cried when I saw the woman begin to sand my nails with a motorized file.  I wore them for prom, but it took a couple of months to get my nails strong and back into shape afterwards.  Haven’t done it since.
9. To clean up any mistakes while polishing, I wait until my nails are completely dry and touch up with a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover.  Or sometimes, I can just run my hands under hot water and gently remove any excess polish that got on my skin.
10. Lastly, I try my best not to use my nails as tools. Helps cut down on breakage.  This one is the toughest.  For instance, I just broke this rule the other day while trying to pick a price tag sticker off the bottom of my shoes.

I hope that helps.  And thanks again for your note. It really made my day!