Oh Seduce Me, Please

     Be as it may, despite my hypervigilance over the care of my piggies, the Black Pearl did chip along the slowly lengthening tips. Short of a fortnight, it came time to dissolve its speckled blue-hued gray substance. I regret that it wasn't my best polish application and under a critical eye, the perionychium was encroached upon due to several slips of my brush strokes. 

I was eager to embark on my next adventure with a bottle of Seduce Me from China Glaze. As I was scanning my eyes over the pink-red spectrum at Sally Beauty Supply, I came upon this little number that appeared to be an energetic red subdued by a touch of pink. My toes had already suffered three days of blandness without a colored life.  They did get filed back, shaped, and polished smooth. Cuticles were tamed. My foot care regimen has dialed back a bit.  I'm not filing my souls so often so as to let the skin recover.  About every 3 days seems just the proper amount to keep them soft and not so sore.  I may have been too aggressive at the start of my newfound obsession.  I put padding on my work shoes to cushion the burden of my own weight and the prolonged standing I endure in my profession.

The local art festival was met with strong rays of sun beating upon the crowd. The long winter and early summer rain showers had weakened my resistance to heat.  I armed myself with 45SPF Neutrogena Healthy Defense daily moisturizer over my face and a pair of sunglasses.  By the way, this cream was highly recommended by a dermatologist friend who preferred this particular item over many other very expensive and exclusive creams.

With my family out running around town, our quiet abode set the mood for the home spa experience.  My feet were gently cleansed prior to applying a clear base coat.  This time I used the Seche Clear base coat.  I really enjoyed the ease of use from this base.  It is thin in consistency but not runny and so easy to apply.  It dried quickly and evenly.  I was using the Revlon quick dry base coat before and wasn't completely satisfied with it.  It had the same thick consistency as the nail polish itself and perhaps dried a bit too quickly.  Seduce Me burst my excitement from the first caress of the tainted brush.  My heartbeat was startled by an "Oh my!" reaction that grew stronger through the revival of each nail.  Surprisingly, my painting was rather good this time but not perfect. The polish was smooth and flawless over its glossy surface.  My great toes are the hardest to do because of the large surface area and it always requires re-dipping the brush twice before covering it.  The paint dries fast and subsequent strokes over semi-dry paint can leave irreconcilable smudge marks.  As a perfectionist, I HATE that!  I dislike starting over even more.  Following the theme, a smooth layer of Seche Vite top coat was evenly smothered over the seductive red.  The top coat is thicker compared to its counterpart but easy to apply as well with good results.  I managed to only have a few violations of the borders of the nail and that was corrected with minimal scraping from my fingernail and finished off with a hot shower later that afternoon.  I am proud of myself for improving both my time of application and the end result.  

With a complete set of nine and my handicapped weakling, I smiled and slipped on my most favorite pair of sandals and quickly prepared to show them off at the festival.  The large crowd meant lots of eyes eventually or accidentally, and maybe even reluctantly had to notice my fully exposed piggies.  Not a single comment, not even from my wife's friend, whom we met there for the event.  She was being polite.  I caught only one guy that noticed and made a face of disgust.  Poor soul, I forgive him.  I have to come forward and admit that I do yearn for someone, anyone, to at least acknowledge my boldness and compliment my toes sincerely. Not the right town I suppose.  I guess if I lived in L.A. or NYC it would not seem so out there.  I guess it's dumb of me to wish that since I'm really only doing it to please myself.  I am flawed.

The Rain is Back and I'm Wearing Shoes :(

     The storm front came angered at all those who wished to show their pretty (well kept) footsies.  I sheltered mine in a pair of Prada sneakers my wife gave me for Father's day.  A good compromise, I deduced.  I am currently soaking my not-so-tired feet in the warmth of a tub mixed with The Body Shop Moonflower foaming milk bath.  I will pass on the multiple foot files I routinely use and just enjoy a gentle rub.  I am sipping on a glass of cabernet and listening to Dashboard Confessional.  My love is also dipping her feet with me. Those rascals of ours just got to bed not too long ago and peace is now starting to creep back into our household.  

     More rain tomorrow and we're heading out to the mountains for a wet romp at the ski resort. Hiking boots will be requisite.  I am disheartened over the limited exposure I've given my new toe color and wonder when summer will finally reign.  I will certainly wear it again but not before trying out many others.  I am having fun with this and again wished that I had started earlier.  My technique continually improves with each successive color and the mess over my toes are lessened.  For those out there in nicer weather, show them off!

Black Pearl Balloon Fight

     The skies reluctantly cleared but thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow. Bummer!  I got out today and had a water balloon fight with my daughters in our lush backyard.  The opportunity presented itself for a barefoot giggly stomp and chase involving rather chilly exploding bombs of latex.  The lawn care kid missed his day last week due to inclement weather so the grass was unusually long.  The green blades were feathery and fun to prance on without the mud.  

The glittery microparticles of the metallic Black Pearl are immersed in a deep sea of overpowering grey.  Under the bright sun, the glitz beaming from my nails were rather subdued and less alarming. I am warming up to this color and will give it some time.  Perhaps a silver shade will tickle my emotions with more punch.

     I am discovering that the color of polish has a dynamic property, or at least it likes to play a fun trick for my retinas.  It changes tone under varying light conditions.  I love it! I think natural daylight extracts the best color out of polish.  What do you think?

The Dark Side of Color

After a few dreary long days devoid of color, it was time again to resuscitate the vivacity of my cute appendages. Only this time I would take a great departure from the pinks and reds to succumb to the force of the darker side. It's a side, as I'd mentioned before, that I would try to avoid.
Black Pearl is a metallic charcoal gray with just the right amount of shimmer, which I have yet to expose to the sun since the weather has been dreadfully gloomy. I'm curious how the bright light will react to them. Will it light up those reflective particles and scream, "Hallelujah! I'm alive! How can you not notice me?, or will the light rays collide with them and state, "Excuse me, but there's too much disarray on this surface and I must scatter. Good day!" I just don't know yet and I'm patiently awaiting our great star to rid itself of those pesky puffs of soggy gas. My wife thought the color fit me better as it was more "manly," and even suggested a copper color. She's slowly coming around and getting used to the idea of me wearing color on my toes. The initial shock and conflict, which involved episodes of tears and reprimand, has been stowed away in that pile of forgiveables somewhere deep in her heart, along with that time when I forgot to.... Never mind.
Honestly, I feel that Black Pearl will take time to unveil its tenderness and appeal to my piggies. Dressing them in layers of gray has yet to invoke that giddy excitement I've associated with colored toes, especially in the red zone. Unfair perhaps. Premature judgement. Shimmer is a step forward in my boldness and that makes me feel happy.

My confidence and comfort level in sharing my pure piggy delights with the whole world has certainly settled in. Outings to the crowded mall, a 311 concert in the rain, church on sunday, a flick at the movie theatre have all become commonplace. I just took off the rich red of Quarter of a Cent to let my nails rest for a couple of days. My naked toenails look so sad without a splash of color. I noticed that I have some fine ridges and irregularities on my nails and took my time last night to polish them up. My goodness, what a difference. They are now SO smooth and shiny. I also pushed back my cuticles and trimmed them. I have collected more pedi tools since I started this and now I have enough equipment and a better understanding to make my feet look even better.

I would like to thank all those wonderful people out there who post advice and tips on foot care. It's been very useful. I am now developing a routine for foot care that is both easy and relaxing. Though I took care of my feet before, now they are the best they've ever been. I will say that as my feet have become so soft that I am getting sore feet more easily. No calluses, no blisters, no red spots. Just sore and more delicate. I pad my shoes now for increased comfort. I'd be lying to you if I said that all my designer shoes were ultra-comfortable. Some are better than others. As soon as I get home from work, which usually requires a lot of standing and walking, I take off my shoes but leave the socks on to keep my soles protected from our jagged slate flooring. I will write about my routine in another entry and scare you with my obssessive behavior.

I have enjoyed the red tones quite a bit and will likely wear reds the most. I ventured to darker hues and picked up Black Pearl at Nordstrom Rack. It's gray with fine sparkles. It would be a fitting color for an Aston Martin lined with an intoxicating black leather interior. I am steering away from black because it's just not me. Too rocker, too goth. I'm too gentle for that.