Happy Birthday to Me

Sometimes when you are spending the summer taking a very intensive Latin class, it's hard to feel like you're celebrating your birthday right. So this year I decided to get myself a mani/pedi and a massage at a salon in downtown Milwaukee. (Also I baked a cake.)

I chose good colors for both my hands and my feet: a shiny gray for my hands and a slightly more cherry than classic red for my feet. (Unfortunately I did not think to record brand and color names.) 

There is not much not to like about getting a pedicure: eucalyptus foot bath, massage chair, gentle exfoliation, ahhhh. 

Unfortunately I think I am too picky about my fingernails to like anything but a really expert manicure. I can be more precise about the shape of my nails with a nail clipper than this woman (who was very nice) could with a file. Also the manicure chipped, like, instantly. So I have already redone it with two Color Club colors, Status Update and Reign in Spain. 

You can see that, due to my slightly obsessive evening of the nail shape, the lengths of my nails are more uneven than I am usually okay with. Live and learn, I guess. Good lesson for a birthday. 

On the topic of learning, one of the best things about the whole experience was the manicurist telling me she really thinks it's worth it to get a base coat by Essie or OPI, especially considering how often I do my nails and how strong they are naturally. Professional advice has finally convinced me to put it on the list for my next Walgreens trip. 

Do you guys have any nail-related birthday routines? Any stories about disappointing professional manis? Dish!