Okay-ish Pandemic Nails

Taking a picture of your hand is not easy.

I went to the dermatologist yesterday. I am being very selective about where I'll go right now. I decided to go for my annual skin cancer screening and I'll get my mammogram this January, but I'm pushing the dentist off a bit. I'll visit with my parents in the park near their home while we all wear masks, but I'm not going to attempt dining in a restaurant with them. I'm being cautious primarily because the coronavirus pandemic is a real thing and it isn't over yet, but also in an effort to look after my own mental health. I'm sure I could go and sit on a patio and have a coffee and be fine, but I'd feel so anxious before, during, and after doing so that it's just not worth it to me. I'm pacing myself, I'll have coffee on my own patio.

One thing I am definitely not doing is going for a manicure. Hell. No. I love and miss Tom, my nail technician, terribly. Seeing him a few times a month was something I really looked forward to. I loved chatting with him and hearing about his dog and the trips he was planning, he gave me tons of great restaurant recommendations, he made me laugh, I could confide in him, and he really gives the best manicure in Boston. Still, you could not pay me enough to sit that close to another person while they touch my hands after touching the hands of several other people. I'm all set. Hand sanitizer and plexiglass barrier and face shield and mask or not. No thanks.

This necessary disruption in my minimal self-care routine has me looking a bit... rough. I've already started trimming my own hair, so I thought I'd give doing my own nails a shot. A while back, Cup of Jo shared a post about Dior Nail Glow and said it was an easy way to get your nails looking healthy and well-maintained. They were not wrong. You can't really screw it up since it's basically clear. It has a wide brush, so you can just slick it on once and you're done. When it dries, you'll have a pinky glow and the whites of your nails will look a smidge brighter. It just makes you feel a bit more polished. It doesn't put the same spring in my step that a visit to see Tom once did, but until I can safely see him again it'll do.