Pretty Nails: Save $500 A Yearby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 29 Apr 2007 07:52 AM If you learn how to do your own acrylic Nails, you can save $500 a year or more. Thanks to the advice of a woman who does nails professionally, you can have pretty nails at home. Last night, my husband and I decided to put in our wedding video. We hadn't viewed it in ages, and our kids had never seen it. "Mom, you look different," my five-year-old said. "Well, Kid," I thought to myself, "Three children will do that to you!" But he was right in a sense. In the video, I had been pampered, something I have been neglecting to do for myself for a while. One of the things I myself noticed about the video is that I has beautiful nails. They were actually my own nails, something that would be nearly impossible today with taking care of three small children and a household. But I have been thinking about acrylic nails. A relative I know always has beautiful nails. She also has two young children and cleans houses part time, so I am always impressed with her hands. It turns out that she wears acrylic nails in a pretty french manicure style. Until recently, I never knew that they weren't completely real nails! What is more, she does them herself at home. "I could never justify spending all of that money for the nails and once-a-week or once-every-two-weeks trips for fill ins," she told me. By her calculation, professional nails would cost her somewhere between $500 and $1,000, depending on how often she would get the fills done. My relative introduced me to a friend of hers who does nails in a professional nail shop. This friend was kind enough to offer the following tips on getting a professional acrylic nail result at home.
Do you have any frugal nail beauty tips to share? Related Articles: Frugal Beauty: Witch Hazel Makes a Great Toner Frugal Solutions for Dry Skin at Home Frugal Solutions for Dry Skin in The Bath Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments jonesx6 (1606) 01 May 2007 05:24 AMSorry I have no tips on keeping nails looking nice. I have tried so many times to keep my nails painted and nice but it never works out. The polish always chips off after washing one load of dishes. lol I figure when my children are grown and the nest is empty I will have lovely nails. lol Laura  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 01 May 2007 06:23 AMI always grew my nails out during the middle part of pregnancy. Not only were they easier to grow, but they were an outward sign that I needed to slow down and take care of myself. Elsbeth1540 (61) 12 Apr 2008 11:05 AMI've been through every stage of beauty and concern about beauty, early motherhood to grandmotherhood, early marriage to mature marriage to the same man. Here's what I've learned about nail, hair, and skin care: It all starts with nutrition, but, sad to say, we get busy and don't feed ourselves all those nutrients that make us beautiful. What to do? Take vitamin supplements! Don't just take ordinary vitamin dosages, take double vitamins, especially when you're under stress. How do we know we're under stress that is affecting us the most profoundly? Your nails and hair will tell you. So, "feed" your nails, hair, and skin with extra nutrients in pill form. Be careful not to overdo some of the vitamins, e.g. oil solubles such as A and E, or others that accumulate. But, generally, you'd have to take truly mega-doses of these to harm yourself. I took prenatal vitamins for years after my pregnancy, and, at 66 (!!), I look like I'm in my 40s!! For those of you considering acrylic nails, my advice is: Don't! They'll ruin your own nails, and they'll be a constant bother. Just get your own nails in great shape (eat a lot of Jello, sugar-free, and take the double vitamins... you can get them in candy form, just like calcium in candy form), and then use baby oil for gloss. I know, it's fun to have shiny, polished nails, but oil doesn't chip, and you can tint it with ordinary food coloring. Believe me, well-shaped, manicured, healthy nails lightly glossed with oil will last long after the special dinner date. And, you'll have more time for what you'd rather be doing, like reading a good book or playing with your babies. God bless all you young, at-home mothers. The world may not give you the credit you're due, but your children will someday rise up and call you blessed, and your husbands will love and bless you, too. Elsbeth Mary Ann Romans (26876) 12 Apr 2008 03:56 PMWhat great advice about the vitamins. I confess that I have let my prenatal vitamins slip (I take them while nursing, too), so thank for the extra push. I recently heard that sugar is bad for your skin. Is that true? Community Tags beauty, frugal, manicure, nails Discuss this article
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