The dream
I've had dalliances with fake nails in the past. I know acrylics aren't great for your nails - and I extra-know this because one of these dalliances ended with water seeping into the space between the acrylic and my real nails, unbeknownst to me, and turning my nails a glorious and semi-permanent chocolate brown (oh yes, that happened) - but they're just so tempting.
As a person who is genetically incapable of growing her nails beyond the ends of her fingertips without them essentially dissolving, there are few things that make me feel more elegant and feminine than perfectly shaped, perfectly polished long nails. And in pursuit of that goal I've basically tried it all: gel polish, strengthening polish, letting my nails breathe to see if they'll reward me by growing, and - yes - acrylics.