Something Old, Something New and Something....well, Chipped

Ack, I have so many things to tell you all!!!

First, an exciting bit of information that falls into the "something old" category.  I got glasses!!!  I had laser eye surgery about 9 years ago and it literally changed my life.  I went from seeing nothing without my glasses/contacts on to waking up and seeing the alarm clock in the middle of the night. However, I've been getting really bad headaches and since I work on a computer all day for my job, I thought it time to get my eyes checked.  And now, I have the cutest pair of glasses for reading and operating heavy machinery (aka the computer...ha).  What do you think?

Secondly, the "something new" piece of the puzzle.  I finally bought myself a name necklace.  I don't know about you but after I saw Carrie Bradshaw (aka Sarah Jessica Parker) take Manhattan by storm while wearing hers, I knew I needed one for myself. And I love it!  It even has a little ruby birthstone in it.  It's so cute.

A private bungalow we're staying at in Ubud

The second part of the "something new" category is that Allan and I booked our honeymoon to Bali last night!!!  Never have I ever been this excited about anything before in my life.  It's been such a long time since we've traveled anywhere fabulous and it's definitely time to for us to see the world.  Plus, Bali is extremely inexpensive.  We're going there for 18 days and the hotels are not going to be more than $1000 total.  It's amazing.  Here are some of the places we're staying at...

A resort in Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali

Same resort as above but showing one of the pools

A fantastic resort in Seminyak, the swanky beach town

And, lastly, the "something chipped" category.  So, as it turns out, the nail polish from yesterday's  blog post chipped after only half a day.  Now I know exactly what happened and it's because I didn't use a top coat.  So I am asking for some advice from all the nail ladies, what is the best top coat and why?  I have no idea what brand or type to buy so any help is greatly appreciated.

Has anything interesting happened to you lately?

XO Christina

Say Ciao to Chipping

I polished my nails this pretty taupe-y nude color last night about 40 minutes prior to going to bed, like usual.

I woke up this morning and PURPOSELY didn't wash my hair because of my awesome nail color. I did everything like I usually do, which consists of eating breakfast, getting ready, getting dressed, and then, as soon as I got into the car, I noticed that one of my nails had a huge chip in it. As I was driving to work, I realized that I missed a very important step in my home-manicure line-up....buffing. Because of my oddly chipped nails (and as a reminder to myself), here's how to prevent your nail polish from flaking away.....

1. Clean your nails and hands. Wash hands and dry thoroughly BEFORE removing old nail polish. Even if you are painting non-colored nails, wipe them with polish remover anyway. It removes all the yucky grime that builds during the day and gives you a clean canvas to paint.

2. Buff your nails. Buffing smoothes the nail and makes it easier for polish to adhere to. (Missing this step will give you more chips as well know now!)

3. Base Coat. Some people aren't as fussy about this step BUT the last thing you want to have is stained nails. (Trust me, dark colors will stain.) Plus, a base coat makes it easier to remove the polish at a later date.

4. Pick a high quality nail polish. I am really bad for this. Personally, I like cheap nail polish because constantly change my mind and nail color. I will say that higher-end polish contains superior ingredients and are less likely to chip.

5. Thin coats. Paint the nails with thinner coats and ensure that each coat dries fully before adding another one. Only add a max of three coats per nail. (I only do two.) If you add any more color, it makes it too difficult to dry.

6. Add a top coat. This is the bonding coat so pick a good stengthening polish. Make sure the nails are completely dry before doing any activities that involve your hands.

Following these salon tips will definitely help prevent flaking and chipping. Of course, it doesn't help me now as I'm already at work and forgot to bring my nail poilish. So much for my new nail polish...Oh by the way, this whole chipped nail polish is supposedly a trend. Either I'm old, or completely ignorant, but I don't get it....at all.

Are there any polish tips that you absolutely swear by? Let me know.....