Shellac

A review of Shellac:

I first heard about Shellac a few weeks ago. A friend of mine said that she went to get a manicure and was telling the manicurist that polish never stays more than a few days. She said they had a new product that would keep her manicure looking nice for two weeks. Well, the manicure ended up lasting her for 3 weeks an I was very impressed.

Shellac is actually a colored gel that is painted onto the nails just like nail polish. After each layer the hand is placed under the UV light to cure. No damage is done to the nail bed. Only a soft buffing is required before the Shellac is applied. The result is a nice, glossy finish that will last for at least two weeks WITHOUT CHIPPING!!! It's even dry as soon as the last UV cycle is completed, just wash and go. No more waiting for nails to dry and possibly nicking one.

It is more expensive than a regular manicure. I paid $30 for my first one and $35 for my second. I have heard of some places that are as little as $15 and some that are as expensive as $75, so ask first. And make sure the salon is experienced in applying Shellac. It took four different applications the first time I had it because the salon I went to had not used it much and they kept applying it incorrectly. My only other complaint is that if you get a color, in about a weeks time there will be a line of regrowth at the bottom. I could have lasted until 14 days but the separation of color was driving me nuts. That's why I opted for a shellac french manicure the second time.

Day 1

Day 5

Day 10

Shellac french. I couldn't take the new growth so I went back to get French. I had a much more enjoyable experience the second time because I went to a more experinced salon. It is encouraged to have the polish removed in the salon and not at home because a short soaking is required to get the gel off without damaging the nail.

Green Juice

I have enjoyed juicing since 2009, but until the last few months I always steered clear of vegetable juice. I thought that it would taste bad, and even though I knew the health benefits I refused to try it. After doing some research a months ago, I found that I could mask the taste of the vegetables by adding one or two pieces of fruit. I tried it and have been juicing almost every day since. I prefer a juice blend using leafy greens also known as "green juice". My typical juice includes one bunch of kale, one bunch of spinach, one bunch of kale, one small carrot, one apple and one peeled lemon. I sometimes spice it up by adding rainbow chard or dandelion leaves.

Why juice you may ask? Juicing allows you to get tons of nutrients from plants without having to weigh down your GI tract with the bulk of that amount of fiber. There is no way that for breakfast everyday I could eat all of that produce, but by juicing, I get all of those nutrients in before I even get to work. I still enjoy raw vegetables and salads but it's nice to not have to try to eat a certain amount. I know that in one glass of green juice I've gotten a nice start on my daily intake of fruit and vegetables.

If you google 'green juice recipe' several recipes will pop up. Adjust to your taste and experiment. If it taste a little too "green" add some more fruit. There is a green juice for everyone!

Step 1: Gather fruit and vegetables. (This amount will make a little over 32 ounces. I split it up and drink it all day. Fresh juice is best immediately after juicing but if it's kept in an air tight container it's fine to drink throughout the day. I split the greens in half if I just want one serving).

Step 2: Tear up greens into smaller pieces (I just rip mine in half) and wash.

Step 3: Bag (I prepare my produce at night so that it is ready for me when I wake up in the morning).

Step 4: Cut and peel.

Step 5: Begin to juice. I use a Jack LaLanne juicer.

Step 5: You can rejuice the pulp to get a little more juice out. I only use organic produce for juicing and it can get expensive so getting every last bit of juice is important.

Step 6: Enjoy

Step 7: Store in an airtight container if you have any leftover.