I've rarely painted my nails or went for a manicure unless there was a very specific reason (wedding, vacation, etc). Yet I know many women where it's a weekly ritual, if not more frequently.

Cosmetics in general have always been a minor concern to me. Makeup exists and I use it, but overall I use the minimum to hide dark shadows, highlight one of my best features (blue eyes), and just add a bit of uniformity to my overall look. When I was going through college I learned a basic, subtle look, when to amp it up, and some other options in between although I'm hardly a professional.

As for nails, it coincided with me taking an interest in professional treatments for what they label as beauty regimens. If I use the long lasting (home-applied) gel, I have a chance of having the nails grow beyond their base and try to regenerate what I've broken or chipped over time. I guess that's what I've decided is my personal indulgence after long days, where a single thing can make a difference in how I feel about the day in some ways.

Little things like nail maintenance are an expression. It means that I'm taking the time and attention for myself, and realizing that it is important to look at yourself in the mirror and see the external profile, no matter what is going on inside. Skin and hair also follow the collagen trend; yet the attention to nails are, for me, the sign that strength is building, physically and psychologically, to come back from the latest experience. At least I know what to focus on when there is a question of where I am in terms of improving my self, life, appearance, and attitude.

Small actions can sometimes mean more than major intentions will. They are a real motion, instead of theorized intents, and that is a very important distinction to me.