I like how the mascara looks like your eyelashes, but better (natural, not fake), @jaaayp ! Very pretty! 😍

Thanks

Thanks for the tag, @sister13 ! And sorry for the delayed reply, @Portcitygirl ! I’m gonna tag @RGbrown for even more nail expertise, though I think you should see a board certified dermatologist or other doc (if you haven’t already) for personalized treatment options. I’m not a derm or medical doctor, so consider my rambling advice with a healthy pinch of salt. 😉 Nails grow from a matrix located under the skin between the bottom of the nail plate and the last knuckle of each finger. The skin fold at the bottom of the nail—that thing most of us grew up calling the “cuticle”—is actually the proximal nail fold, which is living skin. The cuticle is actually dead skin cells that stick to the nail plate and can’t be clipped with “cuticle nippers.” The cuticle and the proximal nail fold work together as an anti-cootie shield for each nail: they keep bacteria and other yuck from getting under your skin and damaging the nail matrix. That’s why dermatologists say cutting that skin fold is generally a bad idea. So is digging up under that skin fold, to the point where the skin’s pushed up off the nail plate; that breaks the anti-cootie shield. If you normally cut that skin fold, definitely stop doing that unless you’ve got a very obvious hangnail there—and try to clip just the hangnail, not living skin. Antibiotic creams will only target bacteria, and your issue might not be a bacterial infection. The nail matrix on each finger might have some chemo related damage. Again, I’m not a doctor, so don’t take that last bit as fact. A dermatologist or primary care doctor is far better suited than I to determine that. I mean, you could have a bacterial infection in the nail matrix that requires oral antibiotics instead of topical creams. Or it could be another type of infection or damage. Or it could require a dietary change beyond biotin supplements. (Eh, I don’t think there’s any scientific data yet that shows biotin supplements actually make nails grow.) Do you use any type of oil (besides tea tree oil) on your nails and the skin folds around the nails? It’s good to get into at least a twice-daily habit of that: once in the morning and once at bedtime. Doesn’t have to be some fancy heavily fragranced “cuticle oil” either. I use 1-2 drops of The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL plus 1-2 drops of plain ol’ jojoba oil (I usually buy mine from Trader Joe’s), and sometimes I mix in a drop of Necessaire’s body oil (beware: it comes with a terrible dropper top that will pop off if you close the lid even remotely tightly). I apply that at night before bed, then top it with a rich hand cream or body lotion. Sometimes I also apply a petrolatum-based ointment for maximum moisture retention: Aquaphor, CeraVe Healing Ointment, or Kerasal Intense Repair Foot Ointment. In the morning, I usually pick one or two of those oils. Throughout the day, I reapply oil each time my hands get wet; I’ve been using Byoma’s facial oil for this at home, and I keep a refillable “cuticle oil” pen full of my own oil blend in my bag for on-the-go application. Basically, I focus more on the health of the skin folds around my nails than the actual nail plate. The healthier that skin is, the stronger my nails become. But I didn’t go through years of chemo (I hope you‘re cancer-free! ❤️), so your nails’ needs might be greater than mine. Heck, a derm might even prescribe a special Rx nail strengthener you can apply to your nails; I don’t recall what they’re called (I’ve seen a couple of ‘em), but I do remember they cost $500+ USD per bottle. 😬 A few other things you may want to try: If you normally use nail clippers, stop. Use a nail file instead to shape or shorten your nails. This helped my nails stop getting side splits deep in the nail bed; I’m convinced clippers create too much stress on my nails, resulting in splits. Use a glass nail file instead of an emory board. A glass file will create smoother edges and can shorten/shape nails faster than an emory board can. I think SEPHORA COLLECTION Reusable Glass Nail File is still available, though I’m not sure if it’s an etched glass file (which should last for years) or has a sprayed-on texture (which will wear away until you’re left with a smooth glass stick instead of a file). I’ve got 2 older Sephora glass files that are still going strong, so hopefully this newer one’s also a goodie. I also have a Germanikure etched glass file that works wonders. Keep your nails polished as often as possible. Doesn’t always have to be nail lacquer; even just a couple layers of base coat alone can help protect your nails. And you might not need a strengthening/hardening base coat (unless a derm says otherwise), especially if the root cause of your vertical splits is in the nail matrix instead of the nail plate. I know this was a lot of rambling 😅… I hope at least something in there is helpful! And hats off to you for enduring chemo and everything that comes with it!

@TeamBIC lately I feel like some members are bots. For instance sydneylof23 asking the same questions over and over again. I had to mark them as spam.

I have the same question-how do I get this box?

Yes yes you're right!! That's the smell 🤣 I forgot about that @ather

@CorgiMommy, it will definitely be interesting to see what comes of this. Manzanita Capital acquired a majority interest in D.S. & Durga earlier this year, and sold Byredo a couple years ago.

@AznAngelLiz thanks, girl!

New SDJ set coming soon

My March favorites are absolutely Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Nourishing Whipped Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL Juliette Has a Gun Juliette Eau de Parfum Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Skin Barrier Redness Recovery Moisturizer 1.86 oz / 55 ml and MILK MAKEUP Holographic Stick I hope everyone enjoyed their March as much as me! 💄