There are a few beauty habits that I do so often that I perform them without even thinking about them, let alone letting you guys in on what I’m up to. Alongside lash-lifts which I do every two months and massages which I’m trying to get in more regularly than the once a year that I was doing them (in order to relive some pressure in my laptop-hunched back), I’m also a big fan of gel manicures. Now I know you can get it done in salons, but if you’ve got painting your nails with normal polish down then it’s pretty easy to get into the swing of gel polish yourself at home.

Now there is a bit of an initial outlay cost-wise, but once you’ve got a lamp, remover, a top coat, base coat and a few colours you’re basically ready to go. I’ve been using the Red Carpet Manicure Set now for well over two years and ever since I got it I’ve probably only used ‘normal‘ nail polish on my toes once or twice and instantly regretted it after the colour started to chip away in a matter of days post-pedi. I tend to use it only on my toes because it lasts so long (a solid 6 weeks on my toes!) and I like to change up my manicure shade more regularly, though if I’m on holiday or have a particularly busy week you’ll find me tucked away in my office on a Sunday giving myself a mani/pedi and howling away at Friends, trying to convince Mark that’s it’s ok that I’m soaking my feet in the washing up bowl because I’ll give it a good rinse before I put it back. Promise.

If you’re a long-time reader round here then firstly – thanks for sticking around! – and I know you’re probably going ‘Yeah, yeah Anna – we know you love Red Carpet Manicure – give us some new beauty juice!’, but for anyone that’s new I thought you might be interested in hearing about my love affair with at-home gel polish that most definitely is here to stay. Plus it means you can give yourself a pedicure and spare yourself the ticklish foot embarrassment at the salon.