Hi, my name is Adri Talavera, self proclaimed Beauty Boss. I’m devoted to all things nails, makeup, hair and fashion. Here I’ll be writing about my real world expericences, as well as tips, product reviews and guidance to looking and feeling more beautiful.

I’ve always loved the look of long, manicured nails but as a former nail biter, I struggled with growing mine out. I avoided painting or doing anything that called attention to my nails in embarrassment of my teeny tiny canvases. I tried every trick in the book to stop biting, but to no avail my habit continued.

I heard about acrylic nails and how they could transform my stubby, embarrassing nails in just one trip to the salon. I jumped on the opportunity and artificial nails were fantastic. While they lasted, that is. In approximately two short weeks, I began noticing a gap between my acrylic and natural nail. I decided it was time to take them off, and bought a bottle of acetone to begin the removal process. It ended up taking way longer than expected, nearly three hours. Not only was the process time consuming, it was painful too. My cuticles burned and my nail beds hurt like crazy. When I finally did manage to get them off, my nails were left flimsy, thin and more damaged than ever.

So a word of advice: ladies, weigh your options wisely.