I got my nails done today; a rich glossy aubergine shellac.  I’m in love!  My hands now match my purple Amethyst rings (of which I have several).

It’s interesting how such a small thing can make you feel so good.  As I’ve mentioned in my previous daily scribbles, I’m a pretty low-maintenance girl; I prefer spending my money on travel/books/coffee so manicures, facials and visits to the hair salon are minimal.

But today I realized that the little act of making my nails pretty can be a way of reminding myself that I matter, that I’m a person of value.  That, to quote the overused L’Oreal tagline, ‘I’m worth it’.  I deserve to feel beautiful.

Of course we must take it all with a grain of salt, for the superficial realms of painted nails and flawless skin are incredibly tenuous and prone to ruin at any moment, be it from wrinkles and grey hair as we age, or grubby hands with chafed skin as a result of living.

And we must live.

We must bury our hands in the soft mucky earth from time to time, let our skin breathe free and bare, forget the outer shell and turn our attention to the far richer and more meaningful world within.

But sometimes, perhaps it’s ok – maybe even more than ok – to indulge in simple physical pleasures of treating ourselves to a little beauty session.  Next time I think I might go for dusty pink.

What about you?  Pretty nails and shaped eyebrows or hemp shirts and hippie sandals… which one are you?!

Ciao darlings!

Lizzie xxx