Hmm.

I'm beginning to wonder if minor nail damage is just part of the deal with using nail polish more frequently than once every few months.  I have a nice nail oil and cuticle cream that I use, but between polish coats, little bits of nail surface still peel away.  It really doesn't help that my nails are STILL stained that awful yellow-green, so I can't just go bare to give my nails a break.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Polish Review: Zoya Envy

I'm just going to say straight out, Zoya Envy is a beautiful color.  It's like distilled swamp, without the smell and a whole lot more class; a deep, fluid green with just a touch of brown.  So dark it's almost black, unless you're in the right light.

Just two coats! Goes with most of my clothes! LOVE!

I wore this for three or four days, and was disappointed to have to take it off.  But when it was gone, I was horrified - it left behind this sickly yellow-green stain that has now lasted well over a week, though multiple applications of new color and cleanings.  There is clearly visible definition between the stain and the pink of new nail.

It's completely maddening, because I can't use any transparent polish, or even go natural.  It looks terrible.  I'm so disappointed in this color, because it's so pretty and I would love to wear it frequently, but the stain means that it's relegated to accents on top of other colors.  Either that or I get a steel-strength base coat, and even then, I can't be sure.

:(

Mondrian Abstract

Artwork by Piet Mondrian is oddly divisive; his work is the type that most people refer to when they say they don't get modern art. This kind of stuff:

Maybe it's so utilitarian because it was the Great Depression?  Imagination is expensive.

Bold lines, sharp angles, seemingly random colors and placement.  It's aesthetic, to some.  Personally, I'd never hang this kind of artwork in my home, simply because it's not my thing.  I can appreciate it (kinda?), but overall, meh.

This kind of artwork on nails?

Works a whole lot better!

The lines are... mostly straight.

It was surprisingly easy to do.  I painted Zoya Jolie in a wide swath down the right side of the nails, ensuring I didn't cover the left third at all, and that the line between then was relatively straight.  When that dried, I painted Zoya Goldie starting at about the third mark away from the cuticle, maintaining the side line.  There was room for minor error since the black would be covering it, but not too much room.  The dots are there because dots are awesome, obviously.  Not that Mondrian ever actually included them.

Layer of top coat, and it's done.  Obviously, any two colors would work great instead of the Jolie and Goldie, so long as the second color is opaque enough to cover the first - and maybe not even then.  Lines can be rearranged, colors added.  This is super versatile.

And probably one of my favorite designs yet.