Cheryl Shops

I am a big weirdo, because I don't like to get my nails done. There are a few exceptions—Ten Over Ten in NYC being one of them—but I tend to feel incredibly awkward, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to make conversation, and I am really OCD about the disinfection of tools (here's a story that will scare the crap out of you). Most importantly, I think I do a better job on my own nails—I file them in the exact shape I want, and if I get a chip, I can fix it easily myself. And, to point out the obvious, it saves a lot of money! But because I do my nails myself, I've never had a gel manicure (and also, to be honest, they seem a little scary and potentially toxic to me). I know there are at-home kits you can invest in, but still, that seems like too much work. But one day I decided to buy a bottle of Essie Gel Couture polish and my nails have never been the same since.





Giving yourself a manicure with Gel Couture is kind of amazing, because you don't use a base coat—just two coats of color, then the special topcoat, which dries quicker than average, if you ask me. The first time I used it, I was a little worried, because my color seemed kind of thick and stripey going on, but the topcoat smoothed it to perfectly lacquered finish. The brush is wide and flat, too, which makes application a breeze. I would have been happy with the manicure if it had stayed that way for a couple days—I type pretty much all day long at my job, and eventually my tips start to chip—but it stayed miraculously chip-free for 10 days. That's right, 10 DAYS. And when it did chip, it did so delicately and subtly that I barely noticed. I took these pictures the day of my manicure and as of this posting, the top edges of my nails are just starting to wear away, but still, no chips whatsoever.



The one drawback, of course, is that Essie, like most nail polish, is not totally clean and while it's three free (no formaldehyde, toulene, or dibutyl phthalate), it does have some polymers and plasticizers, which may or may not be harmless. There's also a theory that gel polishes weaken the nails over time because they limit your oxygen exposure. But I say pick your battles. I've found my holy grail.