I must say that this Pandemic has undoubtedly tested my commitment to my self-care practices. What once felt enjoyable, luxurious, and only necessary in small intervals now seems crucial to my day-to-day wellbeing, thus making it pertinent and maybe even lifesaving. And since self-care appears to be an essential mechanism to weather this formidable catastrophe known as COVID-19, I’ve decided to write a mini-series on some of my favorite self-care practices and moments.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about how to shirk that humdrum feeling that comes from quarantining (cause that’s STILL a thing in November 2020) is that hour and a half block of quiet time I spend in the nail salon every other week or so. And while every visit to the nail salon is somewhat therapeutic for me, there are those select times when I come away with a little something extra. For instance, last week, I went in with a Pinterest picture of a red-tipped french manicure on an almond-shaped SNS dipped set. Now I know from personal experience that asking a new-to-me nail technical to replicate a design is a real hit-or-miss situation almost every time. However, this time was different.
There was a moment during my appointment when I just knew that my nails are going to be everything I ever hoped for, ever dreamed of (and yes, I have actually dreamed of such a thing). I can count on one hand, without using all my fingers, how many times I’ve gotten my nails done and been totally enamored with the result. So you can imagine my elation when the young woman doing my nails began to file each nail to almond-shaped perfection…and that’s when I knew that I was going to walk out of that nail salon feeling totally fulfilled!
Here’s how they turned out! https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17880631099844660/
Needless to say, I will continue to get my nails shaped and designed, despite having nowhere to go to show them off (except social media). Here’s to looking forward to my next appointment – I am giddy at the thought!
Otis Lily 