FINALLY...no peeling on the tips!

I've gotta shout out OPI Repair Mode. I started doing the 6 day protocol every month starting about 3 months ago. This is the FIRST time since menopause that I removed my weekly manicure and had ZERO what I call 'peelie starts'... You know the 1/4 moon shaped white crescent at the tips where the layers of the free edge have separated, just waiting to be peeled away? Although I've been better about not using them as tools, they've had a lot of exposure to water and I haven't been awesome at oiling lately. Dazzle Dry basecoat kur Illuminating Nail Concealer X1 Cutícula QDTC X1 Glossy Taco X2 (trying to keep top coat fresh to recap tips every few days).

Thinking of growing my natural nails out after this set, any tips?

I love how long nails look but I’m tired of doing tips and gel. What shape would you guys recommend? And I was going to do a builder gel overlay, since my natural nails are kind of weak unless there’s a better option? Any advice is appreciated.

I went to get my nails done and they came out like this… I’m so upset

I know there are worse nail horror stories out there, but I honestly thought this was going to turn out so much better. A family friend highly recommended her, so I trusted it. She was working from home, seemed sweet, and the price was $40 (which is a bit cheaper than the usual $50/$60, but I was okay with that since my budget is tight right now). I even asked her nicely to fix a couple of the nails while she was working, but this is how they turned out 😞 I really hoped for something simple and clean, especially because we’re taking pictures tomorrow for my baby’s 1st birthday. It’s a special day and I just wanted to feel nice, you know? I ended up spending three hours there, and left feeling so disappointed. This was literally my last resort, so I can’t afford to go get them fixed anywhere else before the pictures. Ugh. Would love to hear: what would you do in this situation? And has anyone else ever had a nail tech they trusted totally miss the mark? I just want to cry.