We are on day 24 of the government shutdown, and as congresspeople are making their way back to Capital Hill after the weekend, a winter storm hit Washington, D.C. and left many of them scrambling to find transportation back in. That's when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) did press-on nails on the train, carving out a self-care moment during a hectic day trying to make it back to Congress.
The 29-year-old representative is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and was part of the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries, where she defeated the Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, who was the fourth-ranking House Democrat. Spending the weekend back at home in New York, Ocasio-Cortez was supposed to take a plane back to D.C. when the storm hit, leaving her stranded in the New York airport for hours, battling three cancellations before giving up and buying an Amtrak ticket back to the Capitol.
As anyone who has been delayed for hours in an airport can attest, the whole situation is very stressful and draining. Not only is it a hassle to try and figure out when your next available flight is, but if you have an important job like trying to fix the government while it's shutdown, getting back into the office on time has a little more weight.
Once Rep. Ocasio-Cortez hopped onto her 1 a.m. train ride, she shared on Instagram Stories that she also grabbed a white glass of wine and an impromptu manicure.
"Today was so nuts I am having a glass of wine and giving myself a press-on manicure (They are not corny anymore!) on the Amtrak at almost 1 a.m.," the politician wrote.
Knowing full well that her following would want to know the details of her budget-friendly manicure, she shared both the outcome and the brand in her next Story.
"Listen ya'll, because I'm about to put you on. I wish someone told me about these sooner," the representative shared. "I usually go with plain nails, but when I want a little pick me up or if an event is coming, I'll grab these at the drugstore. They last for a week."
As she flashed her nude color set, she also had a small beauty vlogging moment and gave her followers tips on how to best stick them onto the actual nail. She recommended giving the manicure some time to fully dry onto your fingers, and then filing the plastic nails down to your desired length and shape. She also recommended carrying around nail glue and a few extra nails in your purse, in case one pops off and you need to reapply. That way you won't be walking around with a ring finger nail missing, and you could always quickly fix that mini beauty emergency.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez opted for an $8 drugstore set from imPRESS, which comes in a clean, nude shade, along with six metallic accent nails. While the representative decided to go classic with the late-night manicure session, she might just pop on a sparkly one if she's feeling like a change.
So the next time you're feeling like you want some self-care on a budget, take a walk down the beauty aisle of a drugstore and treat yourself to some chic press-on nails that are Ocasio-Cortez endorsed!
