Monday, October 12, 2009

Signs of life

Hello ladies,

Today I have a Halloween manicure with Optimistic, a shimmery taupe from Maybelline.  The polish is actually labeled OPTI-MIST-IC. Since excessive capitalization and hyphens without puns or meaning deserve nothing but to be ignored, I will carry on. I used the dripping blood design from Konad plate M13, stamped in red special polish. I added red rhinestones so the blood would trickle elegantly. 

I had an interesting conversation with my boss, Eric, who formerly was a nail tech and currently does hair and makeup for drag shows. He reads my blog. It used to be that I would wear colors he didn't find appealing, when I was not working at the store. Now I have absolutely no privacy! He doesn't leave his feelings in the comments section, but they don't go unmentioned. It's all very cheeky and often hilarious.

Diana: What do think about taupe?
Eric: Horrid! Absolutely horrid!
Diana: Taupe with shimmer?
Eric: When I was a nail tech, I had no neutrals at my table. They are wretched.
Diana: You wouldn't allow your clients to choose neutrals?!
Eric: Taupe makes you look dead!
Diana: But I really like dark taupe.
Eric: That is better. Then you have gangrene, but at least you're alive. 

I figured my demure take on gore would be appreciated. 





Maybelline Optimistic next to Sephora by OPI Metro Chic.

An outside view of the garden. Today was the first cold day in Philadelphia. The roses remained comely and bright.  

The bottle of Maybelline Optimistic came with some challenges. I had one super long brush strand that required trimming. I may pluck it permanently with fine point tweezers. I found that the Express Finish 50 second formula works best if the bottle has been sitting upright overnight. The agitation caused by walking home seemed to create bubbling on my nails. I fixed them in the morning using Orly Smudge Fixer and added another coat. Optimistic needed three coats for evenness. The formula was thick to apply. I think the results are worth the extra dedication.

Optimistic would make a reasonable substitute for SOPI Metro Chic. While it is not an exact dupe, it is an affordable way to experiment with the mushroom colors trend. Optimistic has silver shimmer that makes it lean more towards grey where Run With It has a stronger beige undertone. Both contain coppery flecks of shimmer. Lovely.

Happy painting, ladies! 

14 comments:

  1. I didn't even know there was a dripping blood image! Very cool! (^-^*)

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  2. love the nails. Are they acrylic or natural?

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  3. I love this one, it's perfectly gorey yet sweet at the sametime!

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  4. Those roses are gorgeous. You must live amongst beautiful surrounds. I agree with Kae! Very cool mani!

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  5. Love your mani! I didn't know there was a dripping blood image either! And I agree with Danielle! Those roses are gorgeous!!! :)

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  6. I love your "elegant blood". I have the Sephora Metro Chic. I love that shade of taupe. I rarely wear these colors. I keep wearing dark shades. Pretty soon all these beautiful flowers will fade. I'm enjoying them while they're still beautiful. I love pink roses.

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  7. Ha! Demure Gore LMAO =) Love the rhinestone accent too, every time I see rhinestones on your nails I think I should use some of mine - I buy them often but use them rarely.

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  8. You are amazing, I love that this is a demure/gory mani. I would probably buy this Maybelline because I love taupes.

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  9. Ooh- this is my favorite of your Halloween looks! Tell Eric it's Bloody Gangrene Tears!! Is the Maybelline polish still available in stores or is this an old one?
    -Lisa

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  10. Kae: Thank you. This design hasn't been shown often by bloggers. The splat pattern from M21 is more popular. I have that one too, so be warned!

    Mary Ann: Thanks. These are my natural nails. Strangers often comment that my nails are thin. I have to explain they aren't acrylic.

    gildedangel: Thanks, sweetie! I appreciate it. <3

    EvilAngel: Thank you. Oddly that was my intent! ;)

    Danielle: I was so happy to capture the roses. They were using the fence like a trellis. It's so pleasant to happen upon blooms at the right moment. Thank you for the compliment. xoxo

    thriszha: Thank you so much! I love your manicures too!

    Wan: Thank you. I will have more blood splatter to enjoy before the 31st. Roses are my favorite flower. I am glad they have such a long blooming season. :)

    Lucy: Thank you. I enjoy wearing mushroom colors on occasion but I like my nails to have a bit more brightness. The good thing is I still will get to go to the conservatory at Longwood Gardens and get my flower fix on occasion. The leaf change is always a pleasure too. xoxo

    Colette: Thank you! I received new rhinestones in the mail today so I will tempt you to buy more. ;)

    Mighty Lampchop: Thanks! It would be a nice addition for a taupe collector. :)

    Lisa: I will definitely share your description with Eric. :) This is a new Maybelline. Thank you for bringing that up. I have to create a category for older, beloved polishes.

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  11. Liking the blingy blood drips! I'm currently sporting skull and crossbone nail stickers, which will appear on my blog on Sunday while I'm recovering from the party I put them on for... ;)

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  12. I'm over a year late to the party but I just discovered that Run With It! and Opti-Mist-Ic are almost the same. Just got RWI!, wondering if I should keep it - any other $OPI's you recommend?

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