I had been biting my nails since I was 6 (or less). This habit carried into adulthood and can be crippling, especially since nails are used daily without us even knowing about it. I couldn’t even open a can of Coke without seeking a spoon. Peeling double sided tapes could take a while. Peeling a price tag could end up being a messy (and sticky) affair. And above all, they were butt ugly.

What is the point of taking good care of oneself - spending ages in front of the mirror primping and war painting when the hands themselves are an atrocious sight?

Don’t get me wrong. I tried so many things to stop - when I was little, my mom would even, as a last resort, tape around my fingers for a week! When the tape finally came off, my skin was all wrinkly and pruny. When I first fell in love with Jee, I didn’t have time to bite my nails so I was surprised when one day, out of the blue I examined my nails and there they were! Longer than I have ever had them! Of course it was short-lived and one exciting movie later, my nails were back to ragged mess.

3 weeks ago I decided enough was enough. I think vanity got the better of me… well, that and I just watched this YouTube video of xteeener to learn how to improve my makeup skills and she has one video of her doing a french manicure with black tips. And boy, were they gorgeous!

I know my nails break and peel really easily (all that nail biting!) so I looked for nail strengtheners. On makeupalley.com, the one with a lot of positive reviews is Nailtiques Formula 2. Unfortunately it’s not available here and ebay can be tricky, since U.S. Postal doesn’t really allow nail polishes. So I hit Nail Me Good in RH Plaza (yes, it’s the one Kenny Sia made fun of a while back) and it turns out, the owner is the sister of my friend in high school, Adrienne! Her sister Fiona is from Green Road too. What a small world. :) So, I hit there to look for nail strengtheners and Fiona recommended OPI Nail Envy. I got the Original formula and started taking photos of my nails to keep track of their progress.

And now, onto the photos! Sorry for such a lengthy introduction, I have to talk about history first. ;D

OPI Nail Envy Original Formula - RM130 (Nail Me Good). There’s also a matte version for guys or those who don’t want shininess.

Day 1

OMG!! Can you see how short they were?! I tell you, the longest nail on average was about 0.7cm. Yes, that’s less than a 1cm!

Week 1

Refraining myself to not bite the first few days wasn’t very hard. In retrospect, it was kinda breezy because my will to grow them out was still strong, and Nail Envy has a distinctive nail polish smell. That serves as a jarring reminder NOT TO BITE NAILS!

Week 2

Ah, they were longer! I couldn’t stop stroking and playing with them at this point. Normally, all the playing and usage would cause it to break already. But Nail Envy kept them freakishly strong. I couldn’t even bend them.

Week 2 Painted

Couldn’t resist giving myself a little treat by painting them with Maybelline Salon Secret in Bordeaux Red. They no longer look weird and ugly short.

Week 3

Tadah!! That’s how my nails look like today. They’re incredibly strong, and I haven’t had a nail break since Day 1. So I’ll say OPI Nail Envy is a resounding success!!

During these 3 weeks, I’ve been pushing the cuticles back with either my nail or an orange stick. Probably this encourages growth? And if you decide to try OPI Nail Envy, do keep to their instructions - two coats the first time, one coat every other day, and begin all over again in one week.

Now I can open my own can of Coke. :)

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