"Minimalists don't do that."

I love painting my nails. Twice this week I have been given the side eye. You know the look people give sometimes, like you just grew a third head and they are looking at you from the side. As Christina gave me the side eye, she said, "I can't believe you did your nails. It doesn't seem like a very minimalist thing to do." Christina's issue with nail painting is probably the amount of stuff she thinks I need to keep them looking nice. Last night the comment came from a fellow minimalist, Jaime. Every time she sees my nails done, she says she doesn't consider it minimalist. Last night she asked me how much time I spend on my nails. To Jaime, spending time on unimportant things in not minimalist. Allow me to tell you why I believe they are wrong. Why that thinking can even be hypocritical.

How many people do you know that wake up, get out of bed and walk into the world looking like they did when they woke up? OK maybe that wouldn't be very sanitary. How many people do you know that walk around looking like they just stepped out of the shower? It takes time to dry your hair, comb it, straighten it, curl it. It takes time to put on make up, which Jaime does wear. So she is already spending time making herself look nice. My nails take 45 minutes every 10 days. That is an additional 5 minutes/ day when you average it out. As to Christina's argument, I am not an extreme minimalist that owns 2 outfits. I own 33 pieces of clothing per season. Not just to keep myself from having to wear dirty clothes. But because wearing different outfits is pleasing to me and those around me. I am not opposed to having things in order to look nice.

I probably own a lot less nail polish than the average woman who keeps her nails up. I only own a handful of bottles. Currently I have 4 colors, a glitter and a clear top coat. I also have one box of Sally Hansen nail strips. I will not buy another box until this box is gone. So while, I do paint my nails, I do it in a minimalist sort of way. "Minimalists don't do that" doesn't make sense. Minimalism isn't about the number of things you own. Minimalism is about owning things you need and that bring you joy. As people, we find joy in different places. When I look down at my pretty nails, they bring me joy. Therefore, they fit perfectly into my moderately minimalist life.