One of my weaknesses is that I'm captivated by beautiful female hands and long nails. This has been the case since I was in my early teens. I really get turned on by seeing nicely proportioned female hands with carefully manicured nails and tasteful jewelry. Personally, I have a definite preference for nails "au natural", or with clear polish, but I also like deeper, strong shades too. 

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Unfortunately, I have larger and "chubbier" fingers than most women, and my natural nails are also broader and flatter. I like to keep my nails as long as possible, but a combination of an active life style and the flatter shape, meant they tended to break relatively easily. (The flat shape means the nail flexed more easily, which weakened it, and eventually the nail would crack or split.) 

So, several years ago, I decided I had to do something about this. The obvious solution, at least obvious to me, was to have a  coating put on my nails to give them additional strength and  help protect them from breaking. The coating I am talking about is clear acrylic. (I wasn't planning on having nail tips applied, my intention was to let my own, natural nails grow out).

As acrylics were something I had absolutely no experience with, I knew I had to have someone else do it for me, at least initially. After finally getting up the courage, I went to a local nail salon and had my nails done there. Since then I have never looked back. I have had acrylic on my nails ever since and have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work.

For a number of reasons, I want my nails to look as natural as possible. I can't wear opaque, coloured polish (much as I'd like to) to hide the flaws in the acrylic that build up with time. So I've figured out what works best for me, and am happy with both the way it looks and the degree of protection afforded by the acrylic. (Finding a good nail technician is also a big plus, and that is purely a matter of trail and error + nerve).

By using the acrylic coating, I could grow my nails as long as I wanted. But unfortunately, keeping them at an 'appropriate' length is necessary in my everyday life - though I definitely push the boundaries of what is appropriate. As I type this (and I love the clackety-clack noise of my nails on the keyboard), my nails are a little over 1/4" long (6-7mm). This is about the longest I let them grow. They do look quite feminine, and I notice people doing a 'double-take' from time to time. But on the whole, people don't say anything - I think here in California they're either too polite or more used to eccentric behaviour than in other parts of the country. (For more information on what works for me with acrylics, follow the link below.)

Toe Nails

Matte Nail Polishes

Acrylic Nails

Buffed Natural Nails

Nail Storage idea