by Joey | Mar 28, 2014 | Throwback
To be candid and honest? Sometimes I wish I wanted to do something, anything else other than writing. I look at those people who wake up every single day–they put on their clothes. They sip their coffee. They head to their offices and they know exactly what they’re doing.
Someone hired them for that job. Someone looked at them and said “yup. You’re good enough. You have what it takes.”
I envy that.
There are days that I think I’ve got this. I sit my happy ass in front of my computer and the world just dissolves. It’s me and my words, and it’s working.
But then there are days like today.
As a writer, it’s important to also be a reader. And sometimes I read and I think Oh, gosh. I can totally do this. I’m so on par with these people. And then there are times that I read something, look up with tear filled eyes and fling my arms in the air. Like, what the hell am I even doing this for? That pressure for greatness? It both motivates and paralyzes me.
I know in a creative world it is important to learn and grow from others. But it is also imperative not to compare yourself to others. Balancing that is something I struggle with so much. I think we all do, really. No matter what field we run in.
So, just in case you thought this whole writer’s life thing was so glamorous–I’m here to tell you that sometimes it’s just plain ugly.
Like today. It’s eleven AM. I’m still in my pajamas, but I’ve been up and working since 6:30. And for the last hour I’ve been having a breakdown because what if it’s just not good enough.
Yesterday? Yesterday, I had it all in the bag. I was cool, calm and collected.
And today, I’m a mess.
Welcome to my life.
by Joey | Mar 28, 2014 | beauty, Loves
Essie: Muchi, Muchi
Sinful Colors: glass pink over ring finger
I can’t lie, I don’t love it.
I’ve tried this polish a few times. And every single time I end up taking it off almost immediately. The formula just isn’t right. When you’re working with light colors, the formula has to be spot on. But most light colors end up just being streaky. And that’s what I’ve found with this one. This is two coats. I should probably have done three. But like some other Essie polishes I have, the formula is both streaky and goopy–so 3 coats would have been a disaster. It’s a shame, too. Because I really like the color.
After last week’s post,
Jayda requested I share some tips on making a manicure last longer. Now, I may not be
the best person to ask this because I have polish ADD and often change it every couple of days. But I have learned a thing or two about making polish last–especially if I don’t feel like packing up my supplies when we take trips!
- Buff your nails. You know those fancy little cube things? You can snatch one up at Sally’s for practically nothing. Buff your nail out just slightly. This will prep your nail as well as get rid of any imperfections.
- CLEAN YOUR NAILS. What? Yes. Whether you have polish on already or not, always use nail polish remover over your nails just before you paint them. This will remove the natural oils from your nails and allow the polish to really “stick”
- Base coat base coat base coat. I know it is tempting to skip this step completely, but don’t. Not only will it protect your nails from staining, it gives a nice base for your color to stick to. Orly Bonder is the best (I’ve found) for long lasting manis. I don’t use it regularly because it’s pricey, and I’m not usually going for long lasting. My day-to-day base coat is Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener.
- Cap your nails. Basically, drag the nail polish brush over the free edge of your nail (think: the part that you would “tap” on a desk). Do this with both the color AND your top coat. It’ll help prevent chipping.
- TOP COAT. Now, I think this one is kind of a no brainer. And there are hundreds out there. I like Seche Vite. But many others work just as well.
- Moisturize. Keep your hands moisturized. I’m talking, slather those babies up multiple times a day. Luckily for me, I have almost an addiction to hand lotion–but it really saves the life of your manicure.
A lot of times, the length of your manicure will simply depend on the brand. And don’t be fooled–just because you spent a lot of money on a polish doesn’t mean it’s long lasting.
- Essie polish, while it’ll cost you a pretty penny, almost always chips on me within a day or so.
- Old OPI polishes will stay on forever and ever (pre 2011).
- Newer formula OPI (2011 on) doesn’t last as long for some reason.
- W&W Mega Last polishes will only cost you about $2. And those suckers will stay put for up to a week.
- Sinful Shine with Gel Tech will also only run you about $2 or $3 but will last for a good 7 days or longer.
