h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, I did major battle with the Captcha this morning and was ready to throw in the towel. But finally, the Front Page feature tabs are all fixed up and sparkly.
Do you like the image of Sean Connery? Please don't say no, I had great fun making it. Painting stuff for the Artists has been a bit of a sideline recently, it's my sort of relaxation instead of Pet Rescue Saga or Papa Pear. I mean, I still do play those games, but when there are no more levels, it's a bit boring. Oh and I hate the timed levels on Words of Wonder. So, painting, or rather digital painting is much less frustrating.

The other thing I painted today was my fingernails. Or should this sentence be 'the other thing[s] I painted [were] my fingernails. Bit of pedantry here, I'm sure I'd not speak that last sentence out loud. However, I could say a great deal about nail polish and nail salons. The short version is that due to being in a great hurry I arrived at Manchester airport with a broken nail and rather that cutting the other nine to match, decided to trust to the manicurist in the departure lounge, to mend the nail (she did) and polish my nails.

Promises, promises, lies and promises. I tell you, never believe a manicurist who is not
a) displaying a training certificate
b) who you're not likely to meet again

If you've ever heard of shellac, then you may have some inkling that not all polishes are the same. Lying to me that what she was putting onto my nails was in fact shellac is now impossible to disprove. My nails are in a much worse state than they have been for years and will require a lot of TLC to recover. I should know better, as I've fallen foul of disreputable manicurists before. Luckily I've got bottles of nail rescue stuff. It's really not the end of the world.

But until my nails recover, I need to wear polish to protect the surfaces. Poor ickel fingers.

That Captcha needs exterminating.

<agwitch was on the warpath about that captcha, as well. Where's the Doctor when you need him?

Poor fingers indeed

I'm not sure I'd trust my fingernails to a manicurist myself... My dad used to cut my nails for me, and he would just cut them straight, and go across the nerve endings but now I do it myself, I cut my nails more pointy so that I avoid the nerve endings

I didn't realise there was that much difference between nail polishes, though - on occasion I paint my nails Freddie Mercury-esque black but just use cheap stuff... I guess it's not so bad, as I only paint my nails for about a week and then they have a rest for several months.

"...never believe a manicurist who is not
a) displaying a training certificate
b) who you're not likely to meet again"

I'll try to keep that in mind

Is that like the business about picking the barber with the bad haricut?

Always glad to oblige We wouldn't want you to look shabby

And Ouch! Sasha, the thought of having my nails clipped that short really stings! I can remember it being a weekly occurrence too until I was old enough to manage scissors myself.

Maybe it is similar Dmitri, although to be fair to these girls, they usually have really clean, short nails themselves, without polish. It is their clients who've got all the bling glued to their nails. Sort of miniature artwork in some cases.

Wow. Do they use those prosthetic nails over there? I know they sell them here. I forget what they're called, 'press-on nails' or some such?

I guess it could become an art form.

The new front page is lovely, Lanza.

Sure, various systems. Full acrylics, or just nail tips.
And 'Gel' polish as opposed to normal old fashioned stuff you could use at home, something called 'gelish' which is half and half. This Gel is the killer as it wrecks your nails if you try to remove it. It's often applied on top of the acrylic nail, which itself is applied to your own nail with superglue.

Shellac is okay though, as it adheres nicely and your nails can breathe through it, being natural in origin. You can take it off yourself with acetone, or if you have a lovely salon like my local one here, they wrap your nails up in little parcels, and put your whole hand into a heated mitt. Then the shellac just slides off.

I should write an Entry really. You can pay for transfers with amazing designs which are applied to your own nail as well as all the other stuff, including tiny jewels and sparkling glazes to go over the polish.

There's worse things to spend your money on.

And thank you Gnomon

That would make a good Guide Entry. You could illustrate it, too.

I never thought about nails needing to breathe.

And yes - the FP looks great.

Don't talk to me about Captcha, it ruins a perfrctly acceptable Monday afternoon. Every week

A friend of mine is a nail artist, some of her work looks absolutely stunning, not a bad 'mate rate' either, but I can't really work an Xbox controller with long nails

[Amy P]

You painted that Sean Connery? It looks fab!

My hands are too stubby so I think proper manicured nails just look odd on me. I do sometimes give the nails a couple of coats of something neutral but usually don't bother. But I do love my toenails to be painted bright colours - even though my feet are even stubbier than my hands. They're for my eyes only so I don't care!

Deb

Thanks deb

My toes are so far away these days and my eyes too wonky to focus at such a length I'm glad I've got socks on.

Ooo... definatly please please do the entry about nails! especially about how to care for em proper... stop em being brittle, always only filing down 'sharp', and how to shape em properly.... plus what on earth all these various bottles of things for nails, actually are/do I keep trying to look after mine, but they always end up a right mess and uneven, overly shapr and prone to catch on things, hence tear/split etc... Plus I need to know how to apply nail polish properly, not worn any in years I feel far too self-conscious of how aweful my nails/hands are (rough as sandpaper the skin, despite constant moisturising, due to washing them so many times a day, plus burning/cooking etc, taking a toll on them), to ever dare go for a proper* manacur

My nails used to be awful when I swam a lot. The water makes them split easily. I try to keep my hands out of the washing up water, at the very least, and dry them properly when I wash them.

Buy some nail strengthener, 2legs, which is clear polish and put that on a few times per week. I find it's always better to have short nails that are the same length than long scary ones.

I've given up using hand lotion as I am allergic to so many ingredients ( and washing up liquid which destroys my hands) but have found that a tiny drop of virgin olive oil works far better than anything else at all. It soaks into my skin much better and is not greasy afterwards. If I put on too much, by accident, then I just wash most of it off.

I useually end up with my hands in the washing up water, two or more times a day (and I can't stand to wear washing up gloves/marigolds)... I've tried* to use surgical gloves, for when doing housework cleaning; bleach/cleaner sprays etc... but I find that just about impossible to do, too, wearing them... so my hands end up with washing up liquid, hand soap, bar soap, shower gel, shampoo, bleach, 'household cleaners' etc., on them, virtually all the time... and they get washed a good many times a day too, as one does but I do always try* to dry them afterwards I must buy some of that nail strengthener stuff, any brands that are good?
I'm useually allright with moisturisers, only ever found a couple that didn't agree with my skin but I'm a bit lazy at remembering to put it on; when I do, at least my skin on my hands can be not totally* aweful which reminds me... I should probably put some on tonight