Princess Bride Nails

I think I found the perfect nail color for next week’s engagement shoot. Stark white just seemed too severe in the end, and the creamy pearl I liked wasn’t opaque enough. Geez, have you ever met someone so picky about her polish? In the end I chose a one-two punch of Shellac with two coats of a soft white, “Funny Bunny,” topped off with two coats of a very sheer pale pink sparkly hue called, aptly, “Princesses Rule.”

I think this combination will make for a pretty and neutral look in the engagement photos without being so boldly white that it grabs attention from the most important thing… my ring!

Till then, Josh and I are watching the carbs and cheese intake and shooting emails back and forth with our new photographer to make a plan for which shots we really want to get. I’m looking forward to Christmas with our families, but a part of me just can’t wait to get to Central Park three days later and start smooching my honey in front of the lens. Stay tuned!

Manicure, Manicure, please freakin’ last!

When I called my little brother to share the engagement news, the first words out of his mouth were, “Well, that gel manicure really paid off!” A bit of a WASP but with plenty of Jew running through his veins, this was just the type of response I should have expected from the kid. After all, right before our trip I spent about two days debating whether I should pony up the $50 to get a proper gel manicure that would last and look lovely in photos. Had I known what was coming, of course I wouldn’t have labored over this decision so intensely. In the end, it was worth it when I blasted the obligatory ring photo on Facebook and didn’t have to be embarrassed about my nails–even after three days of excessive typing and cleaning pre-departure, and two on the beach in Cali pre-engagement.

Gel manicures look better than regular ones, hands down. It’s just a fact. But they’re expensive and they can damage your nails if not used in moderation, so they are not a bi-weekly option. The week after I returned, I was already bored with the bright pinkish-coral gel I had for the engagement, and I went to a beauty event where manicures were being offered. Rather than soak off the gel polish (a long and arduous process), I decided to have the girl paint right over it with a lovely opaque Essie purple. Brilliant! My nails looked gel-worthy at the mini-engagement party, and I hadn’t spent a dime.

There’s my original $50 manicure in its full glory; baby bro was right–it paid off!

Then, I had this lovely Essie shade, “She’s Picture Perfect,” painted right over my existing gel mani to switch things up. Looked really pretty!

But what next? Now I had seven coats of polish on my nails–four gel and three regular including bases and tops–and the nails were growing. And the purple was chipping. And this was not a look fit for my ring. Oh, my ring. You deserve the best. You deserve a beautiful nail look that is sweet, simple, maybe a little creative. But, in addition to finding myself on several new “things” since becoming a bride-to-be (on a wedding diet, on a wait list–or ten), I am now also on a budget. Damn it! Time to get crafty.

Step One was to soak off with acetone the top layers of regular polish and as much gel polish as possible in five minutes or less per nail (this stuff can burn after a while). Once soaked, each nail got scraped so excess polish went into the trash.

Step Two included a second soaking in acetone following by more scraping. And then a full cutting, shaping, buffing, and cuticle push-back. Then, I tried something new. Since he bought the rock and since I really want it shown off in a way that makes him happy when friends and family continue these initial viewings, I let him pick the polish. I was in the mood for pastel–I gave him a choice between Bikini so Teeny (light blue) and To Buy or Not to Buy (light pink/beige). His response? “Hunzy, I like red.”

So, red it is! Three coats on my newly long (gel polish makes them grow!) nails. And hey, if the fiance is happy, I am too.