I bite them shorter than they could be cut.

Like this: [link]

Ok, that looks kind of painful. Consider my advice revoked!

It took a lot of practice. The woman I was nannying for lo many years ago did her own as well, so she helped & gave me tricks and tips.

China Glaze is great stuff.

This site: [link] makes me want to try Zoya.

Sara- are the nails painted before you put them on. This seems key to me. I have lost a lot of dexterity in my right?dominant hand due to repetitive stress injusy, and I can't really grip the brush well enough to polish my left hand. I think I could put on pre-pained nails, though, although I would want them to be short.

I do the cuticle picking thing horribly. This AM I had to put bandaids over my thumbs so I stopped ripping off skin. I am afraid the acrylics might make the picking easier...

Sara- are the nails painted before you put them on.

Yep.

Once upon a time, you could even get ones that weren't french manicure (reds, browns,) but I quit doing those because...well, I don't know. Guess I just started preferring the french manicure.

You know what? I'd say practice with elmers or something equally undoable that has the same consistency as the gel glue to see if you can manage it. Super glue is really unforgiving.

That's a good idea-- the practicing!

Also, I was just googling "picking cuticles" and had this weird convergance with the "lol" conversation they were having in Bitches today... Someone was talking about compulsive hair pulling and wrote "I have pulled out nearly all my pubic hair lol and then I pick the scabs!"

Someone was talking about compulsive hair pulling and wrote "I have pulled out nearly all my pubic hair lol and then I pick the scabs!"

So much of this sentence disturbs me on so many levels.

I've been giving myself manicures with fake nails from target or wherever for over a decade. Takes about an hour to soak them off in acetone and put on new ones. $5 while I sit watching tv or reading (while soaking.) Cheap and doesn't require the peoples.

my fingernail beds are too large for those kits. feh.

I have paper thin, horrible nails--they crack, peel and have ridges. I also bit them to the quick. My cuticles are mostly chewed, split and ragged. I am a big fan of the manicure.

Once in a great while, I can give myself a nice one--with a clear topcoat. But it takes me two months, minimum of trying to grow them out with out biting them, while pushing the cuticles back to a managable spot. If I treat them with cuticle oil TWICE a day and push them back at night, along with many applications of a quality hand cream and maybe, maybe I can get them looking decent.

For obvious reasons (diaper changes followed by hand washing, dishes, toddler chasing, the chafing, Wisconsin cold, etc.) I had best put my hands in the hands of the professionals.

Alas, I hardly ever have the time to do this.

I also love pedis because my feet are in nearly as bad a shape as my hands.

Someone was talking about compulsive hair pulling and wrote "I have pulled out nearly all my pubic hair lol and then I pick the scabs!"

So much of this sentence disturbs me on so many levels.

It's the 'lol' that's most disturbing.