February seems to be the popular month for birthdays, as I find myself celebrating one every other day!

This time, instead of at-home-baking, we went out to Hurricane's for dinner and a stroll.

Straight from work, waitin' for a mate... 

(If you're Australian and do not understand this reference, please reevaluate your life.)

...which involved the brilliance of onions, pickles, sprouts, avocado, tomato and a generous chicken portion.

I had actually asked for baked potato instead of fries, but the waitress seemed to have forgotten that. I'm not really one to complain at restaurants, so obv I had to eat them.

And the rest of the guests shared ribs - beef and pork. We also ordered a Mediterranean salad to share. 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

It also happens to be two of my most favourite peoples' birthdays today, so after a celebratory dinner, I made some Slutty Brownies. Need I say more? 

Shellac nails are becoming increasingly popular in the nail world - however consequently, also increasingly expensive. I did a little searchin' on the best at-home shellac system, and to my dismay apparently they're all winners! My indecisive nature was struck. However, the one that stuck with me the most was the Red Carpet Manicure kit.

I would recommend the Pro Kit because you only need to stick your hand under the LED light for 45 seconds as opposed to the 2 minutes in the Starter Kit. That's the only difference between the two sets. The entire process can be lengthy but nothing arduous. Including cut and filing, the entire process takes me about 30-40 minutes (or two episodes of Full House.) The longest I have gone with this on at a time is a week and half, and at that - no chips, all shine! Just a little growth between (my horrid) cuticles and polish. The brush is so easy to work with and allows for clean edges around the bottom of your nail. Makes you look pro!

The only downside to this is the removal which can take 15-20 minutes in itself - however I like to do three coats of polish, which means I can peel it off instead of removing.. which is probably unhealthy, but more fun and less time-consuming. Oops!

As for damage, before application you must buff your nail for extra adhesion. As long as you don't buff too hard it shouldn't implement too much damage. About the same as continuous and repetitive nail polish remover use. I know some people are concerned with the LED lamp, but some have suggested to use sunscreen to minimise harm. As for me, I've yet to see any damage after multiple uses with this system. 

There are three steps that are often skipped or overlooked in the belief that they are a waste of time, but I think it's best not to skip them to maximise your length of wear.

- Buff your nail beforehand. The shellac sticks better to a rough surface. (I forgot to buff once. The nail polish peeled only a few short days after.)

- Seal the deal. Paint the tip of your nail to 'wrap the free edge'. This reduces tipwear by a mile!

- If you get any polish at all on your cuticles or skin, use an orange stick to clean it up before you stick your hand under the lamp. It'll be uncomfortable afterwards, and while you can peel it off afterwards, you may risk peeling off some of your perfect manicure as well.

TL;DR? Get it.