nail 911!

I began a lifelong love affair with nail polish at an early age: I believe I was about 6 years old. I vividly remember hanging out at my then best friend's house, and her teenage sister agreed to paint our nails. We both chose a bright red. After my dad picked me up and we went home, he told me I would have to take it off; he didn't think it was "appropriate" for girls my age to wear nail polish. What?! That was the end of me wearing nail polish..until I turned 10.

I remember my 10th birthday party, where my mom bought several bottles of Wet'N Wild nail polish to put in goodie bags. I was allowed to keep one for myself, and I never looked back. Around the same time, my dentist was giving away little prizes for every time we went in and didn't have new cavities. Naturally, I chose the nail polish.

Oh, and my dad never said anything about me not being allowed to wear nail polish again- although he did laugh at some of my color choices, particularly the blacks and blues I favored in middle and high school. (I still do, to this day.)

Anyways, moving on from the back story...it could be a combination of factors, ranging from diet to overdoing my nails, but I've noticed that lately, my nails are in less than top shape and they split pretty easily.

Au naturel- is there any wonder why I like to keep them polished 24/7?

I'm placing a portion of the blame on my base/top coat: I'm currently using the Base/Top Coat Pro by Rimmel. I like that Rimmel is a brand that doesn't conduct animal testing, but the quality of this product is something to be desired. I've seen a fair amount of reviews on MUA that it causes nails to split/peel. Not to mention that I can do my nails hours before bed and STILL end up with creases the next morning.

I'm also thinking I might be encouraging damage by redoing my nails every week. When I was in high school (and even college), I would go for weeks between paint jobs. But now that I'm attending job interviews/meeting new people as part of my volunteer job, I feel I should look more put-together - no more three-weeks-in chipped nail polish! I suppose I could go au naturel every once in awhile, but I've become so accustomed to having my nails painted that I can't go more than a couple days with naked nails. Is it even realistic to have your nails polished almost 24/7 and still healthy? Or am I gonna have to suck it up and...*gulp* go bare?

What are your favorite base/top coats? Do you prefer multitasking products (base/top coat, 4-in-1's, etc), or stick to separate products? How often do you do your nails? Let me know in the comments- I'd love to hear what other nail fanatics have to say!

happy feet (new shoes!)

I currently work in women's shoes, so I spend a lot of time trying not to give into the temptation of buying every sneaker, boot and sandal I lay eyes on. Still, there are times when I can't resist. Here's my latest deal, a pair of oxfords by Rachel Roy. They feel like butaahhh! I haven't worn them yet, but they're so soft on the inside, I'm pretty sure I could work an entire shift in these babies. At $34.50 (originally $89), these were a bargain. Can't wait to wear 'em out!