At Home Manicures: Luxury Gift or……Thing of Lies?

Alright peoples, it's getting to be that time of year, and if you haven't already begun Christmas shopping...you might wanna start. And I thought, what a great time to tell you about some good, non super expensive stocking stuffers!  I've got one right here for ya.

Whaaaaat is it?  You may or may not have seen these around at the People's Republic of Walton, but they're also at major drug stores and places like that.  Basically these are supposed to duplicate the treatment one could get at a nail salon at home, for a fraction of the cost.

First of all, if you wonder why this might be necessary, let me help you out.  For me, I don't work in an overly physical job, but for some reason, my job is super hard on my fingernails.  Like they break all the time.  I could sneeze wrong and I break a nail. And you know if you break one the wrong way, that can really hurt.   So when your girl goes to the manicurist place, they put stuff on their nails to make them pretty, but also to make them hard.  So they don't break or snap or chip. And usually, if you stretch it, you can keep them on for about a month or so before they start to get wonky.

But what if your girl doesn't want to spend eighty bucks a pop on these things, or if you're not sure you want to spend that much on a gift? Or that much each month here on out?

Well, you might have an option. I bought one of those kits, we'll try it, and see what we think, so you don't have to.

So, is this a good gift?  For the right person, yes.  If you have a busy lady in your life who is a bit 'no-nonsense' but likes to feel girly every now and then, these are perfect.  If you have a teen girl who wants to get her nails done but changes her mind a lot, this is also a great gift for her.

Here are the pros:

Inexpensive.  The kit costs about fifteen bucks, refills cost about ten.  That's super affordable compared to a professional session (which can cost between forty and a hundred dollars, or more).

Easy to Apply.   The first time I did this, I took my time, and it still didn't take me a half an hour.  Going to to the salon will easily take an hour.  I mean the whole thing, getting there, waiting, having your appointment, etc.

Painless. I mean physically...and mentally.  Sometimes (admittedly, rarely) the pros can get a bit rough with you - I've bled once.

But really, it's a lot less bother, and that's worth it to me.  Every nail salon I've been to in Sedalia and Warrensburg (and I KNOW I haven't been to them all so I'm not saying everyone) made me feel like they did not want me there.  I would ask for something, and they would ignore me.  I had one place where I asked the girl to do a certain type of nail, and she literally laughed and said no (Ladies, I didn't ask for the world. I asked for a fresh dip set, and she did laugh at me and said, "You can just get a fill").  Another place would laugh about my choices with other customers.  Or I would try to book an appointment, they tell me to reach out again later, and I never get an appointment.  If I do it at home, I can do it when I want to, at my own pace.  And nobody will kick my bag or make strange comments about my weight.  And I won't have to tip an excessively large amount to try to make them feel bad about treating me badly.

Cons:

Wearability.  They don't last two weeks.  At least, with me they don't.  After about a week they start to catch on my hair, and they chip a little.  With a pro, that didn't happen for at least three weeks.

Limited Options:  The colors are a little limited. You won't have the personal touch of creativity that can come with a professional if you're needing actual nail art done.  But they're easy to find online, and I'm sure if anybody asked the local retailers they'd stock different kinds if you asked.

Overall though, this is a great stocking stuffer.  This would totally be cool for most ladies that actually want to do their nails, but don't have the time or the money for a pro.  Or ladies that don't want to spend "that kind of money" on themselves.  And dudes, if you hear your lady have any of the same problems I've had? Try 'em.

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If nothing else, you're out thirty bucks tops. Which is less than an average gel set.

Giftingly yours,
Behka