What is it about a good manicure?

It's like I feel human again after spending months on a desert island. There's just something that makes you feel cleaner, sharper and put together. Some people don't understand the merits of good personal grooming. I think that those people have just never experienced the bliss of a hand massage.

Here's what serious personal grooming can do for you. First, you're doing something good for yourself. I've found that one of the keys to stay cool as a cucumber is making sure that I have "me" time. Making a hair, facial or nail appointment means that you are reserving time where you are going to be pampered and ideally externally bettered (no one goes to the beauty salon with the hope of looking worse afterwards). Hopefully the process will allow you to find some peace to do some bettering on the inside. Next, you're beautifying. You can debate the motivations women have for doing the crazy beauty rituals that they do, you can even debate the necessity. What I think matters is that at the end of the process you have a woman (or a guy... why not?) who has been given a little boost. It's not a life altering injection of confidence, and anyone expecting that from a beauty salon is setting themselves up for a let down, but a little upward nudge.

Do you think I've adequately rationalized spending 45 dollars every two weeks on my nails yet?

Today's sing-a-long song: "Beautiful" by Snopp Dogg and Pharell

HRH