Hand shots. DIYers can’t avoid them if you wish to take photos of your project progress. But our working hands aren’t always in the best of shape, are they?
Do the above photos impress you at all? I mean, check out that thumbnail, baby. You’d think I spend HOURS on keeping all my nails looking nice like that for photo shoots, right?
I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m not exactly the girly girl type. With a reason. I can’t afford the time investment needed to BE one.ย I’m an active DIYer and graphics installer and my hands are always in paint, chemicals or soil. I try and wear gloves but not always. (besides, who has time to find them?!?)
So I’ve come up with a cheat method. I only care for my one thumbnail for the benefit of photoshoots. I’m so busted.
And I have a fabulous new toy I use to keep my one nail looking purdy for photos without the hassles of nail polish that I haven’t even caught on film in a real shoot yet!
They are nail buffers. All you do is rub the reversible buffer against your fingernail and the friction makes your nails shine like they’re wet. Really.
So I planned this amazing writeup showing you my ultra glam thumbnail finally all dolled up!
Until I lifted up my trailer hitch today and this happened.
GREAT! My one and only nail dead in the water.
Well, the show must go on. Here’s what my broken nail looks like all buffed up. I swear it takes moments and you can do it right before you click.
Prefer a fresh natural approach? This one’s for you.
Now, stay tuned for my next exciting segment, “What to do with your trailer hitch when it breaks your one and only awesome nail.”
Run hitch, run…
How do you care for your hands and nails with all this DIY madness going on?
Not easy I tell ya! My fingernails are long,and I forever I have paint and glue under them..I just avoid the camera shots LOL!
Haha figures the nail breaks right as you REALLY intend to photograph it! Thats so me too so don’t feel so bad. I get my toes done but not my hands because of everything I do. Thanks for the tip! ๐
I go to a nail salon for those perfect nails…I gave up on my real nails a long time ago…also have my feet done….awe…life is good…and I enjoy having them done…Mel
Hahahahha you are too funny Donna ….and real…I love that!!
How does a DIY-er keep their nails in shape?
Get someone else to do the “dirty work”! Lol
Just kidding!
Deborah xoxo
You are too funny! I keep my nails much shorter than I used to, but I do like a natural shine. Thanks for the tip on the Revlon product. I’m definitely going to try it.
Like you Donna, my hands are always dirty. Glancing down as I type, I can see paint from my last two projects! A good buffing would get that off, so I’ll give the Revlon Buffer a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
Here’s my secret weapon for sturdy, hard nails:
Biotin. Its a vitamin B/dietary supplement that I purchase at my local health food store.
My once brittle nails are strong enough to stand up to the rigors of refinishing furniture, painting and plastering….but maybe not a trailer hitch!
haha! you always make me laugh…i am loving it. I have had man hands for most of my life…or potatoe pickin hands…so the nail being buffed ain’t gonna help much!
That’s too funny! Every time I take a photo that involves my hands I cringe. I work in healthcare, so I wash my already dry hands a gazillion times a day. And like you, I would love to have nicely manicured nails, but it would last about 1 day. Thanks for solving the mystery as to how you can do all those projects and keep you nails, I mean nail, looking great!!
Oh girl, I feel for ya! Always break what nails I have when there’s something important coming up. I paint my toes pretty but forget about my fingernails. Too much fun to be had building, digging, etc.
Love the sneaky one thumb pictures, LOL, whatever works ๐ good advice
Love it!! My nails, well we won’t talk about them.. my problem is the sun spots, what do you have for them.. look like old lady hands…
Nice post!
Sandy
Fake nails or manicures…forgeddaboutit! I’m lucky to not have paint all over my hands, or hair! On days when I’m not diy-ing I just use a skin tone nail polish that covers a multitude of sins!
I needed that smile today! Love it. I do manicures because my hands are on public display all the time and otherwise they would look AWFUL! xo Diana
My nails grow freakishly fast. I’m always having to cut them because they get in the way. I don’t even care for them. I paint and pamper my toes though. I’m always in flip flops. I do use a great hand cream at night. But that’s about it.
Sorry about the broken nail… but that is all too funny! You know now that your secret’s out, we’re all going to pay extra special attention to any pic you post that has your hand in it! Thanks for keeping it real… ๐
As long as I am a mom to small children, my nails will be short, so I don’t have any worries at this point!
My nails are usually short, and very dirty–especially when I am canning beets.
Thanks for the buffer tip! I thought you were going to tell us you photoshopped in the perfect nail on your hand shots! LOL!
You are totally cracking me up!! That is like me painting just the toenails that will show out of my shoes!! Pretty nails just don’t happen with a creative life ~
So funny! Great idea, though!
“One and only awesome nail”…ha! just figures when you’re doing a post about nails, then what? Murphy’s Law! that’s what.
I don’t think I take too many pictures of my hands. I certainly don’t buff them up…what you see is what you get!
well, at least your’s is shiny. Pat
I get a manicure every three weeks and I have acrylic nails! Ha!! Cheat big time! Plus, I wear gloves most all the time. See…I said “most”!!
Hugs
SueAnn
I would love to have perfectly manicured nails all the time but it just isn’t gonna happen! They always break as soon as they start looking good so I’ll have to keep your tip in mind if I ever have to photograph my hands ๐
I LOVE it! Thanks for the great laugh today.
Hello Donna,
Ha Ha! Now that is just to funny. I am with you; it is not easy to keep ones nails glamorous when you work for a living.
Smiles, Paula
LOL you crack me up with your one poliched nail. I have a similar buffing block, but it never occured to me it was a blogging tool.
I LOVE this……I am not much of a girly girl either, and the nails are lucky to be attached….really…..smiles.
That hilarious. (Sorry.) ๐
You could always pretend to be a righty for the shot! Eat lots of Jell-o. It will grow back in no time! Lol.
Question: if you make money from your blog, can you write-off a manicure? Haha!
Sophisticated Steps
This is very funny! But it should work out well for me because I actually need two thumbnails in longer, sturdy shape for texting. Otherwise my messages get rather jfiblmdled.
I’m here to tell ya, Donna. My nails are terrifically shiny. Thanks to you, they are.
Picked up ‘Crazy Shine’ this morning during grocery shopping.
Now my nails are so GREAT looking. Here, take a photo of them, please ! ! ! !
hugs
Gerry
I actually started getting acrylics. Not only do they always look good, they’re like miniature built-in tweezers!
Cheater, cheater pumpkin eater. I totally love it. I have a buff too but I never thought to do it for photoshots. That is why you are so brilliant my friend.
That is too funny! What a great idea though. I must confess that I hadn’t given a whole lot of thought to what my hands look like in a shot—oops! It does make good sense ๐
Renee @ Rustic Crafts