Month 6 of quarantine coming in hot! What types of activities have you all been up to? I am slowly realizing that all of the things I used to do for fun – going out to restaurants, shows, concerts, movies, bars, hanging with friends – I can’t do any more. That leaves me with quite a bit of extra time in the house. This has led me to a huge expansion of what I’m calling Home Hobbies. You guessed it – hobbies I can do without leaving the front door of my house or donning a mask.
I started my Home Hobby Quest by ordering a mannequin head and attempting more and more intricate braids. Recently, I have semi-mastered a 7-strand ribbon braid on Quarantina.
7-strand braid! 
Curved braid practice. 
Quarantina looking snazzy.
Then, I ordered a tripod and learned to edit videos so I could make braid tutorials. I even made a Youtube Channel! More recently, I downloaded the SignSchool App to start re-learning American Sign Language. But my new ultimate obsession/addiction/money-sucking, all-thought-consuming hobby has been learning to do my own gel dip manicures at home. Enter PEPPIGEL.
PeppiGel is an at-home dip powder system that doesn’t use UV lamps and doesn’t contain any of the 9 harshest chemicals found in beauty products. But besides that? It’s fun as heck and more addicting than alcohol. Not that I haven’t had a pina colada on the side once or twice while dipping. I learned about Peppi from a friend as I was scrolling Instagram stories (another Home Hobby), and saw her AMAZING nails. Of course I jumped on her, as any good internet-policer/Karen does, and asked HOW she went to salon in the middle of NYC in a pandemic. To which she said, “I did them myself!” Me: “WHAT?? HOW??”
My Starter Kit (plus 5 other colors I ordered) 
My very first Peppicure! 
Nail decals I haven’t used yet.
The basic premise is, you use their 3 liquids in a specific order, and together with the many different colors of powder, it creates a salon-quality manicure that lasts up to 3 weeks. Or so people say. I usually get so excited to use new colors/bored of my old colors/just bored in the house that I have been changing them every 10 days or so.
Now, when I show my nails in my Instagram story, or on my various aforementioned braid tutorials, people are in awe. The awe is usually followed by, “but is it hard?” The answer is… sorta. There is a steep learning curve. In my first attempt, the gel was SUPER thick and the edges were jagged. My second one, I still struggled with the straight cuticle line. But I’m learning new techniques all the time! I attempted tie dye a few weeks ago, and angle dipping last week.
And no worries, there are tens of thousands of ladies in the Peppi Cult to help you out! Think I’m exaggerating? Their private Tips & Tricks FB group has more than 43 thousand members. People post photos of their latest manis, ask for photos of new colors they’re considering buying, post funny nails memes, or just ask questions like, “My brush for liquid #3 is all stiff, what did I do wrong?” Within 5 minutes, there are 20+ replies and tips from other group members.
Still not sure if it’s a cult or a pyramid scheme? Kind of both. In fact, I have a code to give you if you want $15 off your starter kit! It gives me a discount, too. But beware, it’s incredibly addicting. Within a month of ordering my kit, I now follow them on Instagram, I subscribe to multiple nail artist Youtube Channels for tutorials, and I’m considering getting Pinterest. Considering. And keep in mind, I’ve only been doing this since July 22nd! It escalates quickly.
It’s less of a pyramid scheme, and more like an ongoing Tupperware Party for fancy nails. And speaking of parties, they have one every single Tuesday!! It’s not like I’m doing anything else! On Peppi’s official FB page (liked by 108,174 people and followed by 114,084), they host a Tutorial Party weekly at 8:30 pm ET, where they teach different techniques and tips. There is a whole secret lexicon like the “apex method” and “use an orange stick around the cuticle” and “tap tap versus scrub ombre.” Oh, and they do giveaways! Sometimes it’s based on trivia and sometimes it’s random if they reach a certain amount of people watching. And the entire time, comments STREAM in with people buying the sale color of the night… and 7 other colors. Some of these women have swatches of more than 100 colors and rolling carrying cases! I created a Bingo Card/Drinking Game for FB Lives. Anyone want to watch and play with us??
Personally, I don’t have a carrying case yet, and I’m only at 12 colors (3 more on the way!), but I do have a Google sheet with color swatches in one cell, thanks to my sister, and links to the color in the next column. The colors all have super fun names, and they have quickly become a second language. I did my nails for a weekend getaway to a lake in blue (Pontoon Party and Just Say Yes). I am already planning a new manicure for my purple hair when I color it in September (Summertime Sadness and Disco Party). And I’m considering which autumn colors I should get that would go well with pumpkin picking (Chianti or Scorpion Venom?). And what about Halloween? Maybe Candy Corn nails (Onyx, Mighty Mango and Boombox Baby?). Or Florida Football (Manowar and Mighty Mango?) By the way, I just wrote that whole paragraph from memory. I didn’t check the website once.
Peppi #1, a little thick! 
Peppi 2, attempt (fail) at angle dipping 
Peppi 3 prep… tie dye! 
Tie Dye success! Still working on cuticle lines. 
Peppi 4 for the lake, gorgeous angle dip AND cuticle lines! 
Nails at the lake.
Clearly, I have a problem. But it’s such a pretty one! I never painted my nails before because they chipped so often and frustrated me. Also because I have no left hand dexterity and got it all over my hands. But I am absolutely loving this new hobby of mine. And if I ever stop buying colors, I may even save money from not going to a salon ever again! Some women in the group do their own nails for their weddings. Want to join me on the cult journey? Check out the website, and don’t forget… USE MY CODE to help fuel my addiction!