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!