It’s been 2.5 years since I decided to ditch my nail polish. Yep, that’s right, I’ve gone 2.5 years without a manicure… crazy, right?! Today we’re diving deep into my natural nail journey and whether I’m bringing manicures back into my life in 2021. Keep scrolling as I share how I went 2.5 years without nail polish…now what?!

This nail polish free journey all started in 2019 when reviewing my expenses. I quickly realized just how much money I was spending on bi-weekly manicures… nearly $1000 a year! You can read all about my decision to give up gel manicures in this blog post here.

I’ll admit it was pretty weird at first to adjust to having “naked” nails! I personally never liked the look of “naked” nails, but as weeks turned into months I started to LOVE my natural nails. Not only did I grow fond of how my nails looked unpolished, I also realized how much healthier my nail were without bi-weekly gel manicures. I swear I haven’t broken a nail in 2.5 years, that’s how strong & healthy my nails are!

I attribute some of my nail strength to this marine collagen powder I add into my daily cup of tea, but I didn’t start using this until about a year into my nail polish free journey. That’s to say that the strength of my nails early on wasn’t ameliorated by any supplements, just the lack of polish! I’m still somewhat in awe of how unhealthy my nails were when I was getting bi-weekly gel manicures. I had no idea what healthy nails looked like until experiencing it firsthand after saying buh-bye to nail polish!

Will I ever go back to
getting manicures?

I really don’t think so! At the moment I can’t think of a scenario where I would go back to a nail salon. While I’ve always loved treating myself to a pedicure at the spa, I think I’m probably going to stick to the DIY at-home option instead.

Will I ever go back to
painting my nails?

Yes. It’s funny how I had zero desire to paint my nails over the past 2.5 years. I even gave up painting my toenails this past year since it’s not like I’ve really left my house and seen anyone! Side note: while I’ve come to love the look of natural finger nails, I think there will always be something about natural toe nails that freaks me out!

With that being said… over the past few weeks I’ve started feeling this subtle desire to paint my nails again. Maybe it’s because we’re creeping towards summer and the weather is getting warmer?? I really don’t know! What I do know is that I won’t be going back to my old ways.

In addition to saving $$, I also gave up nail polish as a step towards living a “cleaner” lifestyle with fewer chemicals. I’m going to be doing my research going forward and only buying clean, chemical-free nail polish. If you have any favorite brands to recommend, please send them my way!!

Where to go from here…?

It feels like I’m embarking on a new & exciting adventure and I’m kind of loving it! Since I still don’t really leave my house that much these days, this is a HUGE development. Ha!

Perhaps what I’m most excited about is discovering clean brands of nail polish that I can share with you to help anyone else navigating this journey!

Have you ever given up nail polish or manicures? I’d love to know in the comments below!