To Paint or Not to Paint?

I made a big(ish) decision this summer. No, it wasn’t to cut refined sugar from my diet. Or to meditate every day. Or to train for a marathon (hahahahahahahaha!) No, the big decision was, well…ready? For the first time in ten years, I told myself that I would not paint my toenails for the entire summer. (As I write this grand statement, I imagine a congratulatory fanfare of horns, streamers, and balloons). No? Okay then.

I do realize that this seems like a ridiculously lame “achievement”, especially to you cool gals who haven't surrendered to the pressure for years. I, too, had succeeded in getting through my teens and college without worrying about my nails. However, it all changed in my early 20s and I still remember the exact day. After being dumped and trying to get back into the dating game, my friend, Leah, offered to do my nails in preparation for a date with a new cute boy. She had lovely nails herself, I had to admit. She looked confident and sexy as she talked and waved her glossy, red, "I'm Not a Waitress" nails around. And when she filed, buffed, primed, and painted mine, I felt pretty sexy, too. During the summer that followed, I also began to notice that even if they ignored their fingernails, most women my age painted their toenails. It was like getting your hair trimmed. It was just a part of regular maintenance and I soon followed the trend. (Sigh).

Then last summer (my first in NYC), I got a little crazy with the maintenance. Next to the ridiculously put-together moms on the playground, I felt like I had no excuse for the chipped mess that had become my toenails.

But here’s the thing about it all:
1) Painting ones nails is a huge waste of time.
2) Most nail products are unnatural and therefore, bad for animals as well as for the environment. (Manicurists wearing masks?? Hello?!)
3) I’m not doing any favors for the feminist movement by succumbing to the pressure.

Now don’t me wrong. I’m no saint. I shave my legs religiously, have a penchant for pink streaked hair (not so eco-friendly, I confess) and rarely leave the house without wearing at least a bit of eyeliner. As much as I would like to, I am far too insecure to go au natural. However, I feel like any movement toward a more natural existence is in the best interests of my planet and my self-confidence. Therefore, I have bid auf wiedersehen to all of my nail polish (even my favorite green and blue!) and am quite enjoying my maintenance free summer.

I do understand, though, the desire for pretty toes. If you just can't give up the addiction, try to buy eco-friendly polish at Peacekeepers Causemetics (how can you not love that name?). Not only do they awesomely provide you with upfront information about the ingredients in their products, they donate proceeds from your purchases to various women centered charities. Check them out...they list all sorts of other great eco-minded sites, including one of my faves, www.cosmeticsdatabase.com which rates the hazard level of numerous beauty and cleansing products. Quite frightening to see the checked box next to "ingredients in this product are linked to cancer" but when it comes to my health, there is no such thing as too much information. Am I right?