This manicure has a short story behind it: my aunt took a weekend trip to Florence (Firenze) and asked me for recommendations, since I spent a fortnight there in '09. I duly provided her with a long list of gelato vendors (I used my time there productively) and asked me to bring me back some scarves, since I'd overloaded my carry on luggage on the way home with four. She picked well: a beautiful teal shawl, which is very possibly my favourite colour. And since I wanted to wear it immediately I decided co-ordinating nails were in order.
OPI ski teal we drop, two coats + Illamasqua muse tips, one coat (with Nailtek foundation II and Seche vite)
Since I had no exact match I decided to do a two-colour french. I've worn both of these colours on their own and both are perfection in their own way: 4-5 day wear with minor tip wear, easy two coat application (possibly one if you're less of a klutz than me), shiny and intensely pigmented. And the colours are goooorgeous.
The respective brushes lend themselves really nicely to this kind of manicure, since the OPI pro wide is so…well…wide, and illamasqua's brushes are very narrow and precise (much like Essie's).
I really liked this combo and would probably do it again with variations - I'd love to try a grape and plum combo, or maybe banana yellow with white, or navy and green.
Are you ever inspired by fabrics? What's your favourite?
That's a kewl combo. I LOVE scarves!! I have soo many. But there are only a few months out of the year I can wear them here in Florida. Boooo!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your scarves, though. :)
That is pretty. I would might have to try it matted.
ReplyDelete@Kimberly, I understand as I am in Florida also. I purchased more scarves from Claire's but it won't be until next December that I can wear them.
Wow! What colors! I love them both! Loved the mani
ReplyDeleteVery cool!
ReplyDeleteLove the two-color combo! You could do a mani with any two-colors, pink-red maybe, black-teal...Love your choice, very pretty nails. Cool!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the colors, but you should do a clean up after polishing your nails and taking pictures. this looks messy and not as beautiful as it should be :)
ReplyDeletePretty combination. I admire scarves on other people. I haven't worn any in many years. Big breasts with scarves I don't do! I want to wear them looped around my neck but afraid it will be too much.
ReplyDelete@Barbara - I agree, I'm ashamed to admit I'm out of acetone and I didn't notice the messy bits until after I uploaded the pictures. I promise it wasn't obvious in the flesh! *blush*
ReplyDeleteOOH - ran into this one late - but really perfect timing. Gives me an idea for how to break up my Sept all month of Teal Toes for Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. I need to do two tone teal toes like this creative French. I have Ski Teal We Drop - been looking through what I have in teals (not much) to get me through the entire month. I think my SH Complete Salon Formula Fairy Teal (I think that's the name - it's a currently sold one - will work for the coordinating lighter shade. I am making little teal ribbons with safety pins to hand out all month to folks I talk to about my Teal Toes and help enlighten them about OC and Sept being OC Awareness Month. They say heart disease in women is the silent killer...but OC is a huge silent killer as well that can be found early enough to aggressively treat it. Very few get any discrete symptoms that they as the patient or their doctor ID's as possible OC. We need better awareness and ongoing testing with CA125.
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