The Statement Nail

The statement nail - one nail that is accented with a different color, more intricacy, or more bling than the other ones - has been trendy for a while now. So much so that some folks have already moved on to the statement toenail. At the moment I'm wearing a very old school, classic, and classy red on my toes, so my "statements" have been confined to my ten upper digits.

Is there a right or wrong finger to pick as your statement? I am really curious what others' thoughts on this are. I have chosen to make all different nails stand out, and here's what I think:

Thumb - Good, but only as a sort of side-kick statement. Having all nine (or eight) other nails one way and one or both of the thumbs a different way might make it look like you forgot about them while you were painting your nails and not like you made a conscious choice for them to stand out. Thumbs already stand out. It's part of what makes us human.

Pointer finger - Bottom of the barrel in terms of a statement choice. My pointers usually get the most wear, so it's like drawing attention to the most-likely-to-chip nail. Also it sort of subtly feels like you're always pointing things out.

Middle finger - In the past (like, way in the past, think summer camp in the mid-90's) I've had people take a statement middle finger in the wrong way: a veiled f-you to everyone I meet. This is less likely of a reaction for me to get as a friendly thirty-something than it was as an angsty, baby-tee wearing teen, and I've done it this week.

I think statement nails tend to work particularly well when they are tied in with the rest of the manicure, as this solid gold statement on top of a gold-tipped French does.

What do you think, does it still seem like I'm flipping you off? I hope not! :)

Ring finger - The most visually appealing and most obvious choice, especially if you've just gotten engaged or are getting married. I tend to highlight my right ring finger, where I wear a claddagh ring my boyfriend got me and not my ringless wedding-band finger.

Pinky - Can come off a little weird because of how unbalanced it is visually, but I think it's a good weird and not a bad weird like the pointer finger. It's like an M Night Shyamalan movie: with an unexpected twist at the end, but less and less interesting the more often you've seen it.

What are your favorite fingers to make a statement with? Do you think statement nails are professional enough to wear to work? Are there any color schemes that work particularly well together? Let me know what you think!

Happy Birthday to Me

Sometimes when you are spending the summer taking a very intensive Latin class, it's hard to feel like you're celebrating your birthday right. So this year I decided to get myself a mani/pedi and a massage at a salon in downtown Milwaukee. (Also I baked a cake.)

I chose good colors for both my hands and my feet: a shiny gray for my hands and a slightly more cherry than classic red for my feet. (Unfortunately I did not think to record brand and color names.) 

There is not much not to like about getting a pedicure: eucalyptus foot bath, massage chair, gentle exfoliation, ahhhh. 

Unfortunately I think I am too picky about my fingernails to like anything but a really expert manicure. I can be more precise about the shape of my nails with a nail clipper than this woman (who was very nice) could with a file. Also the manicure chipped, like, instantly. So I have already redone it with two Color Club colors, Status Update and Reign in Spain. 

You can see that, due to my slightly obsessive evening of the nail shape, the lengths of my nails are more uneven than I am usually okay with. Live and learn, I guess. Good lesson for a birthday. 

On the topic of learning, one of the best things about the whole experience was the manicurist telling me she really thinks it's worth it to get a base coat by Essie or OPI, especially considering how often I do my nails and how strong they are naturally. Professional advice has finally convinced me to put it on the list for my next Walgreens trip. 

Do you guys have any nail-related birthday routines? Any stories about disappointing professional manis? Dish!

New week, new city, new nails

Not having to work on Sunday is a weird feeling. So is being in an apartment without Internet, which is exactly where I am right now, in Milwaukee. 

On days like these, I tend to create reasonably elaborate manicures and I also tend to spend a ridiculous amount of money at Walgreens (and not be able to really remember what it was I bought there several hours later).

One thing I do recall buying is gold glitter nail polish. Here's what a lonely and disoriented Sunday has resulted in in terms of my hands. 

I always take pictures on my phone so I don't know why updating from it leads to poorer photo quality but it does. 

Happy June, everyone! Wish me luck for meeting my new roommate and finding my class via the Milwaukee bus system tomorrow. (And for successfully obtaining the shockingly large quantity of items I forgot at Walgreens.)