Evolution of a Rainy Day Manicure

I can't remember a summer here where we've had as much rain as we've had this summer. The ground is so soaked with water that one of the plum trees in the pen is actually pulling itself out of the ground. Just about everywhere you walk on the place it makes a squelching sound. 

Today we are having some sun, but it is intermittent and even when it's "out" it's only just managing to burn through a thick mist of cloud cover. Larger, darker masses of cloud are pulling themselves across the sky and it's terribly humid. The humidity has condensed on the outside of the windows downstairs, including both the front and back doors, so you can't see out and water trickles down the glass. 

Yesterday I got inspired by the light rain hitting and trickling down the skylight in the bathroom all day and wondered if I could recreate that wobbly watery look on my nails. I applied my trusty Seche Rebuild treatment basecoat and grabbed Zoya Trixie from my nail polish rack.

Zoya describes Trixie as a "stunning light silver with a sparkling metallic foil finish." It is your basic silver metallic polish, and it's a good one. Like most Zoyas, it applies easily. But if you manage to swipe your skin, as I did (a few many times), it is not so easy to clean up. Silvery foilly particles go everywhere. Kinda cool actually, or would be if it didn't make the manicure look so messy. Many foils and metallics show application brush marks after drying, but not Trixie. The finish is even and smooth. Another common problem with these kinds of polishes is that they are not very good at self-leveling. Although Trixie did level out, my nails ridges are prodigious enough to show underneath. But I've gotten used to this by now and it almost doesn't bother me... much. Ha!

Photos show two coats of Trixie over basecoat and no topcoat.

Zoya Trixie, bottle shot

Zoya Trixie, with nail ridges (slightly blurry photo sorry)

Zoya Trixie

Zoya Trixie

I picked out Essie Set in Stones to layer over Trixie. Set in Stones is a topper polish from a collection of toppers by Essie called LuxEffects. I actually have all of the polishes in the collection, it is the only full mainstream polish collection I own and I'm very happy to have it. It has three glitter polishes in different colors: Set in Stones is silver, A Cut Above is pink and Stroke of Brilliance is blue. Then there are two microshimmers: As Gold as it Gets, which is gold (obviously), and Pure Pearlfection, which is white. Finally there is a golden/multicolor flakie: Shine of the Times. I think I gave your mom a bottle of Shine of the Times when you guys were here last. That is one fun polish.

Returning to the manicure at hand and Essie Set in Stones. This is a topper polish with medium, small and micro silver hex glitters in a clear suspension base. I learned after applying it to the nails on my left hand that it is best to give it a brisk shake before applying to get all of the glitter sizes nicely mixed and easily accessed by the brush. So I ended up only needing one coat on my right hand but two on my left. The polish applied easily, the small brush loads well with all of the different glitter sizes and distributes them evenly, smoothly and flatly across the nail surface. I had no problems at all, no bubbling, no pooling or cuticle flooding. Great topper!

Essie Set in Stones, bottle shot

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie (another slightly out of focus shot -- the highly reflective surfaces kept the camera from focussing well)

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie

at the window -- art mimics life, ya think?

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie

LOVE! (this is the closest of all the photos to showing what this combo is like in person...)

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie, macro shot on the nail... the purple along the bottom is a reflection of the shirt I was wearing...

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie

Essie Set in Stones over Zoya Trixie

In retrospect, I could have left this mani as you see it above and considered it a success. It turned out very much as I imagined it would, and I think it translates my idea of rain against glass (or reasonable facsimile, as in the case of my skylight) pretty well. In person, with movement, it very much brings to mind the shadowy reflective shine and action of rippling water. As a manicure, without knowing the inspiration, it definitely comes across as uber bling and I like that too!

Again, I could have left it as was, but why? Some is good, more is better! So I added a layer of one of my all time favorite toppers, Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond. Shine On Crazy Diamond has relatively sparse holographic microparticles in a clear suspension base. I think I remember topping your Chirality Kale manicure with this when I was in Charlottesville.

Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond, bottle shot

Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond, bottle close up

The holographic particles may not look sparse in these bottle shots but on the nail they are, especially compared to the other holographic microparticle toppers I own, China Glaze Fairy Dust and Butter London Fairy Cake. I'll have to do a comparison post of these three, that would be neat to see!

The addition of Shine On Crazy Diamond didn't bring much to the "rain on glass" look that was my inspiration but it did add a lovely subtle touch to the uber bling look. Especially in low and incandescent lighting, the particles show as random rainbow colored sparks of light. Delicious!

Essie Set in Stones and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond over Zoya Trixie

Essie Set in Stones and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond over Zoya Trixie

Essie Set in Stones and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond over Zoya Trixie

at the window...

Essie Set in Stones and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond over Zoya Trixie

Essie Set in Stones and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond over Zoya Trixie

Essie Set in Stones and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond over Zoya Trixie

So there you have it, my rainy day manicure. In person the uber bling quality of the manicure kinda overshadows the rain against glass inspiration. Especially with the addition of the sparkling Orly topper. It actually kind of feels like I've got little glistening spaceships on my fingertips. Or a set of flashy talons, like some otherworldly being in a video game.  

It also makes my nails feel exotically long, which reminds me of Fuzzy's sister, my Aunt Susie. You remember her. Remember going down to Florida for her memorial service? When I was little I adored and idolized Susie. She had long pearly nails and suntanned fingers and gorgeous long blond hair. She wore a beautiful star sapphire ring that I loved to look at. She called me princess, and I thought she was the dreamiest most beautiful woman in the world. 

Which in turn makes me wonder what kind of memories YOU will have of ME when you grow up. They better be good ones! *squeeze* Just pickin' chicken. ;->

lots of love,
Aunt Liz