Good morning class,

Today I want to chat about nails! You’ll notice I haven’t talked about nails or nail polish very much on my blog and that is because I only stopped biting them near the end of last year. I wasn’t a horrific nail biter who bites right into the nail bed. However I had been biting for as long as I can remember and I have never in my life had nice nails (until now).

I know it’s gross, but I didn’t mean to do it! It was a force of habit and there were two reasons why it happened. #1 I would run my teeth along the underside of my nail (YUCK) and it would eventually weaken and get a crack or something and then I’d have to “fix it up” with my teeth. Or #2 when I was nervous or watching a movie I’d bite them as a way of fiddling or taking my mind off it or something.

I absolutely hated having gross, bitten nails. I really dislike my hands anyway (they’re small, my fingers are double jointed and they look weird) but having bad nails definitely made things worse. I had been trying to stop biting them for a good few months before I succeeded but I always broke or weakened a nail and started from square one again!

I’m one of those people who needs their nails to all be the same. So if one is bitten, the others need to be. If my nail polish has chipped off on one, I pick it off all the others and so forth.

Anyway here is how I stopped biting them!

#1. I started by painting them every few days. It was annoying as hell but it stopped me putting them in my mouth. I used a top coat and a bottom coat (Maybelline do a great one) and I found it lasted a couple of days without chipping. Thick glitter polishes were good too because if I had to pick them off, they usually came off in one piece, rather than chipping away at it and ruining your nail.

#2. I accompanied the polish with filing and buffing my nails regularly. I kept a nail file in my bag so that I usually had one on me if my nail was to break (rather than fixing it up with my teeth!).

#3. If I didn’t want to paint my nails a colour, then I’d just put the top and bottom coat on them so they were a little bit stronger.

#4. I made sure not to grow my nails too long as that also made them break more often.

#5. I was then convinced by my friend Olivia to take the plunge and get a set of gel polish nails done at her salon. However, once I arrived there I was convinced further to splurge and get some acrylic nails.

I was definitely nervous about acrylic nails because you only ever hear the horror stories. I have now had my nails done about 7 times and have not broken one. I think you just have to make sure you’re being careful and as my nail tech says “don’t use them as a tool” (which is a lot harder to do than you think!)

Having acrylic nails helped me grow my nails the longest they’ve ever been. Yes, it does cost around $60 for the initial set and then around $35-$45 for a backfill every three-four weeks. However, they are never chipped, they look cool and I don’t/can’t bite them. I would 110% recommend gel or acrylic nails to anyone. Your nails don’t have to be long or strong (and contrary to popular belief they don’t actually ruin your nails either). No judgement. Just cool nails and lots of compliments.

However, one thing I have learned… Do NOT even bother with those nail places in the malls like Professionail. They are actually just not worth it. I had a pedicure there once and they cut into my skin and gave me an infection. Plus they can’t do super cute art and they don’t really have great banter.

I go to two different nail salons turn about. One is out West (I live out East) but I go with my friend Olivia for a wee friend date every now and then. The other is a parent of an amazing child who I taught last year. She is in Papakura (South Auckland).

The nail salon out west is called Eighty Six Nail Boutique and is run by a gorgeous lady called Chantelle. Chantelle is SO sweet and very good at her job. She can hold a fantastic conversation which is something I would look for in a nail tech as you’re with them for an hour or so in a wee room. Her prices are super affordable and her work is of a very high quality. I would 110% recommend to anyone out West. “Just do it” as Shia would say.

Here are some of the nails I have had done by Chantelle ❤

The nail salon in Papakura that I go to is called Pinkie Polish and it’s in an ideal location. Cool, spacious and always smells delicious. Serena is a lovely nail tech. She’s also newly trained and takes her time on your nails to make them perfect. She has some great banter which as I said above, is definitely important. Her prices are also super affordable and her work is gorgeous. I would also recommend 110% to anyone out South or East.

Here are the nails I have had done by Serena ❤

My nails are no longer fake, they are my natural nails with a thin layer of acrylic or hard gel over them. They’ve finally grown so long that they look amazing in their natural state.

I hope this helped all you nail biters out there and to the non-nail biters I hope I gave you some nail inspo and some great new salons to try. Pop over to my Facebook page and show me a picture of your latest nails! I’d absolutely LOVE to see them! I’m always looking for new ideas.