Crumpet's 31DC: Blue Base

I wish I had thought of this for contrasting/complementary colors.  I added a different colored accent at the last minute and kicked myself for not thinking of this a couple of days ago because I'm diggin' it!

*1 coat Gelous base
*5 (that's right, 5) coats Zoya Phoebe
*5 (again) coats China Glaze Sun Worshiper
*1 coat Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots
*1 coat Out the Door

I know, 5 coats?!?!  These polishes are so sheer.  It was only after the second that I thought "wow, I should have started with a white base" under Sun Worshiper.
The upside?  Both polishes are mattes.  The downside?  Both polishes are mattes.  This means that my first nail was dry by the time I hit the last.  The coats went really fast.  Too fast.  I tend to stroke over the nail to even out coats and this causes major dragging and bald spots because the polishes had already started drying before I was done with the nail.  This was another reason why I went with so many coats, but mostly because they were SO sheer.

I am not so keen on mattes, so in addition to the amazing black and white glitter, I added a shiny topper.  I LOVE how the glowing shimmer comes out in Phoebe with a topper!

Do you have any polishes that take a ton of work but are totally worth it when you're done?

Crumpet's 31DC: Rainbow

I'll keep it short and sweet tonight since it's later than I had planned.  I've been dying to try a mani like this one by Bregje at Oooh, Shinies! and decided to do a variation on it for my rainbow mani.

*1 coat Gelous base
*3 coats NYC Skyline Blue
*Zoya America
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green With Envy
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away!
*China Glaze Gothic Lolita
*1 coat Out the Door

I picked up Skyline Blue at Target on clearance (under $1!) and thought it would make a nice sky for my rainbow.  It's a slightly shimmery pale blue.  I had some dragging patches, so I went with 3 coats for evenness, but you could do 2 careful thick ones too.
I dotted on my colors, overlapping between nails a bit.  My only regret is that my base is darker than I thought, so Green With Envy doesn't have enough contrast to really pop.  Other than that, I'm liking this one!

Crumpet's 31DC: Tranquility

I'm a bit behind with this prompt, ironically, because I was relaxing.  On Friday I just didn't feel like doing anything after work, so polishing waited.
I thought through so many calming and soft colors, but pretty quickly realized what I wanted to do for this prompt.
I'm from a small town in wine and redwood country.  I now live in a big city on the beautiful Pacific.  There are a lot of things I love about San Diego, but a lot of things that I've grown tired of.  When I go home, there is quiet.  There is stillness.  There are old, towering redwoods. 
There are stars.
I miss dark skies full of stars.  They make me feel calm.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Song
*2 coats Zoya Dream (accent)
*1 coat Wet 'n' Wild Kaleidoscope
*Cover Girl Boundless Color White Knight
*1 coat Out the Door

I did a simple "starry" sky with Song on most nails, a pretty, shimmery navy blue that is much darker in person than my photos.  I did a thick coat of Kaleidoscope, a favorite silver holo glitter, on top for "stars."  Then, on my accent, I used Dream, an almost perfect match to Song except that it's full of scatter micro holo glitter.  On top, I dotted on the big dipper, which I always look for when I'm home.  I sealed it all with a shiny top and fell in love.
As Switchfoot says, "When I look at the stars, I feel like myself..."

What do you find calming to see on your nails?

Movember 2014

It's November, which means that lips are starting to get fuzzy and I get extra thankful for my daddy.  That's right it's...

MOVEMBER!

In the past, I've told my story about why this month is close to my heart.  Due to early detection, my dad has been cancer free at every check-up since his surgery!  There is a lot of information out there to take in and I've started a board on Pinterest (fair warning--some pins may be slightly Not Suitable For Work due to the focus on men's bodies and health) with more info, links, and support for the movement to focus on and discuss men's health.  

I'm planning to do a couple of manis this month in honor of prostate and testicular cancer awareness.  This one is the first, and I'm kind of adoring it!

*1 coat Gelous base
*3 coats Lucky 13 Lacquer Cliffs of Heaven
*2 coats Butter London Fairy Cake
*Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out the Door

Look at all that sparkly, holo goodness!  This is my happy place :)
Light blue is the color of prostate cancer awareness.  I recently bought my first Lucky 13 Lacquer polish.  I saw a message on Facebook that Kyoti was trying to get to her family due to a loss and my heart went out to her.  I've been there and was more than happy to do something, little as it was.  The good news--the polish community is awesome and she made enough to get home!  Also, this polish is amazing!  Also also, she is wonderful to work with when you accidentally screw up your order (Thank you!)!
Cliffs of Heaven is a light blue, slightly teal-leaning holo--these photos aren't quite true to color because it's a bit dustier.  I used 3 coats because they were VERY thin coats, which created some bald patches.  The holo particles are gorgeous in the sun!  I paired it with Fairy Cakes, possibly my favorite micro silver holo.
I dipped back into my awesome RLR Creations decals for the little mustaches.  I love these water slide decals and am planning another order because through Saturday there is a promo--order through PayPal on Facebook and you can buy 5, get 1 free or get 10% entire order, whichever is the better deal.  TOTALLY worth it at less that $3 per sheet of 20 decals!  I dotted on eyes and sealed it all with a top coat.

That last pictures is way out of focus, but just look at all that holo goodness!  I had to capture it somehow!

So here's to another November of talking about men's health!

If you've created any Movember manis, I'd love to see them!  

Torero Pride

I loved my time at USD. 
The campus is GORGEOUS and I loved my classes and friends.  I am unbelievably excited to be going back in a week, even if it is just for a semester.  I love my school!
This weekend the freshmen moved in so I rocked a Torero blue look and LOVED how it came out!

 *1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*3 coats Sinful Colors Cinderella
*2 coats Aengland Tristam
*1 coat Out the Door

Cinderella is almost a perfect match to our school color.  The gorgeous pink shimmer does not disappoint.  This is, however, such a sheer polish.  With 3 coats you can still see that it's a bit patchy and streaky.  I needed it to dry to tape off tips, though, so I opted to forgo a fourth coat.  In real life, it's not nearly as bad as in the photos.  Tristam is a gorgeous partner for Cinderella, deep and shimmery with holo flecks.  This applies like a dream and dries quickly--I need to remember to pull it out more often!  I used it as the accent nail and added three light blue rhinestones with clear polish--they are almost a perfect match to the light blue of Cinderella!
I really loved how these turned out!  I cut my nails down and like the small tips on the French.  I'm sad to take this off--I'll have to try it again soon with other colors!

Techno Summer

I have been dying to do a neon green and blue mani for a while now.  I don't have any truly "neon" shades, and was a little bummed going through my collection trying to match the mani I was imagining.  I figured that I would go with these two because they were the closest I had, and I was bracing myself for disappointment, but they turned out to be a fun combo!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blew Me Away
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green With Envy
*1 coat China Glaze Techno
*1 coat Out the Door

I was not sure which color I wanted as an accent, and almost switched it up on my other hand, but left Green With Envy as the accent.  The two creams were brighter than I had thought, so they were closer to what I was looking for, but not quite the colors I dreamed of.  Adding Techno, silver holo glitter in micro pieces and medium hexes, brightened them up too.  I don't normally feel constrained by seasons and their color palettes, but I really can't resist the brights in the summer! 
Do you know of a good neon green and light blue for me?  Let me know!

Land that I love

I know it's the 5th, but these were my 4th of July nails.  I tried my hand at this pin that links to Californails, but I couldn't find the mani on the tumblr feed, so I can't link to that.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardner
*2 coats Cover Girl White Night
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Co-bolt Blue
*OPI Danke-shiny Red
*Sinful Colors Queen of Beauty
*2 coats Out the Door

The thing about macro shots is that they amplify every little detail that the perfectionist in me hates!  The reality is that these came out really cool and I'm pretty proud of them (even the right hand!).  Up close all I can think is I have NO idea how ladies get straight freehand lines!  Anyway, when these are a normal distance from my eyes, I really like them.  I got a lot of compliments on them the past two days.  What I found really strange was that at least a third of those comment came from men.  I guess Independence Day brings out some hardcore patriotism that men embrace, even if it is in nail polish!

I applied two thin coats of white for my base knowing the others would cover it well.  I taped off half of the nail and painted on Co-bolt Blue.  I really never get tired of how gorgeous this polish is.  It's much darker without a flash on it, but that shimmer is just as visible.  Then I freehanded on stripes with Danke-shiny and a small brush.  Finally, when I hoped it had all dried, I painted on the glitter stripe which shows up much better in real life.  It helped me worry a little less about areas where polish snuck under my tape lines!

This really got me excited to get back into trying more nail art.  I can polish and add glitter or an accent like nobody's business, but it's been months since I really tried to do anything beyond that.  Shaky lines aside, I really did like this design and now that I have some more free time, I'm feeling the itch to keep trying new stuff and branch out more.  Have you had a cool design that inspired you to get more adventurous with your nails?

The emblem of the land I love

This is another 4th of July manicure inspired by a pin I found.  Now, I don't want to really brag, but I find some awesome stuff on Pinterest (which is made by people much more talented than I am.  It may be the many hours that get lost once I log on that lead to these finds...) and you are more than welcome to check out my boards here: http://pinterest.com/missyjean415.  I always want to attribute the manis I find and the pin linked to an Olympic compilation and the photo linked to this instagram: ohtammm.  I really liked the look, even though it moved me outside of my accent comfort zone!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Loreal Queen of Hearts (thumb & pinkie)
*2 coats Zoya Song (ring and middle)
*1 coat Spoiled Daddy's Credit Card (index)
*3 coats Revlon Splendor (index)
*Cover Girl White Night
*1 coat Out the Door

I am really comfortable with an accent on my ring finger, but this changed everything up!  It's not really a skittle because not every nail is different, but I'm not really used to this kind of design.  My thumb and pinkie are red and white stripes.  I'm going to have to order some striping tape because I have no clue where my roll went and scotch tape is not ideal for small stripes like this.  I tried a different red, a brighter one than my last, that I've had forever and really don't use.  It's a nice one, though, with a subtle gold-leaning shimmer to it. 

Song was out still, so I used it for my blue base.  I knew I didn't have any silver glitter that I could build to full-coverage, so I used a sheer base of shimmery silver and added holo glitter on top.  I'm really annoyed with my impatience and forgetfulness.  These looked cleaner before I put on my top coat and used too many strokes, causing streaks all over the place.  In real life it's really hard to tell, but these pictures are a good reminder to be patient!  These stripes are a bit funky, but I'm loving the dots and silver!  Luckily, I still have at least one more mani I want to try for the 4th, so I'll change these stripes out soon. 
Do you have any great tips to keep top coats from streaking art?  Do tell!

My Country 'tis of Thee

So, I have been away from blogging for quite a while.  In that time, I really didn't do many manicures, leaving most of them on until they were chipped beyond recognition.
I've lost a job and a big chunk of my family and I need for life to start looking up.  After being laid off from my "night" job, I started looking at my options and am pretty set on going back to school.  Some changes need to be made because I just can't continue this way.  Hopefully this is a really good turning point!
That being said, I've not got a lot more free time for the summer and want to get back to things that make me happy--reading, movies, talking with my friends and getting a little sparkle on my nails!  So, this is the first of my patriotic/4th of July manis that I did. 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats China Glaze Ruby Pumps
*2 coats Zoya Song (accent)
*1 coat Pure Ice Dazzle Me (accent)
*1 coat Out The Door

It's rare that I let my polish stand alone, so it was different for me to see Ruby Pumps all on its own.  These are darker and bolder colors than I've been wearing lately and I loved them!  (Forgive the tip wear--I didn't get these photographed until after a full day at work.)

Maybe it's patriotismc or simply complimentary colors, but I could not get enough of the dark blue and red together!  They both have a shimmer/sparkle to them and I loved the bold colors.  I used a little bit of Dazzle Me for stars on Song.  This is one of the only polishes I've bought in the past few months (maybe the only one?) and when I saw the mix of micro silver glitter and the medium holo pieces I really fell in love with it. 
Have you pulled out any good reds and blues for the holiday?

Monday blues

I've been working a lot between both of my jobs lately and trying to deal with some tough stuff with my family, so my posts have been pretty sparse.  I'm hoping to fix that now, but this week I have final papers to grade, so I'm not going to make any promises.  I do know that I needed a break for feeling obligated to post and, the funny thing is, it has been really good for me but I really miss it!  I needed some rest and quiet time, but I really miss posting here, which is a good sign that I have not burned myself out.  It also means I'm going to try a little harder to work it into my schedule.  Here is the second Liquid Sand polish that I picked up and loved!

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats OPI Get Your Number
*2 coats Orly Angel Eyes (accent)
*1 coat Hoof Lacquer
*2 coats Out the Door

Again, this Liquid Sand is much more sheer than I thought with visible nail lines after 2 coats, which is what the bottle recommends.  This also dries quite gritty, like sandpaper, which I hated.  The color is amazing, though!  The polish is a medium blue jelly packed with silver holo pieces.  I bought Angel Eyes at Ulta with a coupon after this and worried that the two were the same, so I painted them together for a comparison.  Luckily, they are pretty different.

Angel Eyes is a clear base packed with micro blue glitters.  It is similar in color to Get Your Number, but not opaque.  There are scattered iridescent pieces in the bottle that looked holo in the store, but they are much more subtle on the nail.  I'm a little disappointed with this polish, but think that it will make an awesome topper for other polishes. 
I LOVE how Get Your Number looks with top coats in this last picture!  I reminds me of the sun shinning off of water.  I even like the jelly look it has, though I think I'll go with 3 coats next time.  The top coats really bring out the holo flashes, which always wins me over.
Have you given the Liquid Sands a try?  Did you like the feel of the texture?  Did you try a great topper that smoothed them well (mine were still a bit bumpy with 3 coats of 2 different ones). 

New 31DC: Inspired by me

I had a lot of different ideas for this challenge, and they'll make an appearance sooner or later.  Right now, though, life is a little overwhelming.  I fell off a bit at the end of the challenge, and am just kind of exhausted right now.  It's only been a month since I was home-home, but I'm missing it a lot right now.  There are a lot of things that I miss when I get homesick, but a bit one is the stars.  I miss dark skies at night and millions of stars coming out.  The big city has its benefits, but sometimes you just can't beat a small town...

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Zoya Song
*1 coat Savvy Touch of Glitter
*1 coat Wet 'n Wild Kaleidoscope
*1 coat Out The Door

I could have done a full-blown galaxy nail, because I kind of love them, but that defeats the purpose of this.  I want simple, easy, perfect night sky.  I just got Song in my Zoya promo mail today.  This is a gorgeous dark blue with a shimmery/foil finish to it.  I was worried that this would be a dupe for Co-Bolt Blue, which I have and love, but this a brighter blue (I'll compare them soon).  It is more of a deep blue than a dark one.  It was 2 easy, smooth coats to get this color, but 1 careful one would still be pretty--a little lighter.  It is actually quite a bit darker than these pictures show.

I added Touch of Glitter, a micro silver holo in a clear base that is pretty sparse, then Kaleidoscope.  These actually ended up more dense than I had imagined, but that's okay.  Every time I get home and see the stars, they are always more beautiful and numerous than I remember. 

New 31DC: Watercolor

So, first an explanation for my missing challenge yesterday, then today's challenge. Yesterday's theme was stamping, which I am terrible at. Like, to an embarrassing degree. I haven't put a ton of time into it yet, but I was not in the mood to fail. I try to be open and do not edit my photos at all (if I get handy with some editing tools, I'll let you know when they are cleaned up pictures). I try to be real about my shortcomings. Sometimes, though, I need to be a little gentle with myself. I'm not super stoked on my life situation right now, and polish (and this blog) are a little refuge for me. I may not be perfect, but I am becoming more and more happy with my polish skills and the way that my nails look. They are one of the very few things I feel I am moderately good at and they make me happy. When they don't, when they feel like a chore or a bummer, I need to stop. This is something to lift me up and give me some joy, not bring me down or frustrate me. That is not to say that I don't want to try new things that I may not be great at, but I don't want to set out to bring myself down with something as trivial, and yet therapeutic, as painting my nails and writing about it. Yesterday was the breaking point--I had done enough sketchy challenge days and was just tired of feeling like a failure, so I didn't do that to myself. I little part of me felt bad, and I may try some stamped nails later this month, but for now I'm okay with the fact that I was kind to me yesterday and I hope that you are too!

So, onto my first watercolor attempt. If you've never tried watercolor nails before, the idea is to use acetone to dilute the pigment. You start with a base and a couple of coats of top coat, then dab on color and use a brush dipped in acetone to dab over the color to wash it out and blend it together. I was having a hard time coming up with inspiration, so I went with different shades of blue.

 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*2 coats Out The Door
*Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Co-Bolt Blue
*Sinful Colors Why Not
*Color Club Take Me To Your Chateau
*1 coat Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor
*1 coats Out The Door

I started with a clean white base.  Then, with very little direction for application, I went with my darkest color first--Co-Bolt Blue.  I love this navy, shimmery blue (which you already know if you've seen any other post I made with blue in it) and it's wonderfully opaque.  I dabbed it on and then, with a small paint brush dipped in acetone, dabbed some more!

Next I used Why not, with the same technique and (lack of) precision.  This cream is a medium blue, much lighter than I realized when it was diluted with acetone.  I'll also draw your attention to my index finger and the missing polish near the tip.  The point of using 2 layers of top coat before the water color effect is to protect your base from the acetone.  However, if, like me, you decide to add more polish or are overenthusiastic with your dabbing, you might just see your nail make an appearance...  Lesson learned.

I added a coat of Pearl Harbor, an iridescent blue glitter, to draw it all together.  This last picture was under a lamp, without flash, and I added it because the color is much truer here.  Overall, I'm not super-thrilled with this look.  I think part of the problem is the monochromatic choice, which I'll remember.  I think this look is interesting and I may very well try it again with better color choices.  Have you done a watercolor mani before?  What did you find worked well?  Do you have any good tips?

New 31DC: Saran Wrap

I went into today's challenge feeling a little cocky.  Maybe it is because sponging was so easy the first time I played with it, so I figured that this was the same.  It is, but it's not. 
A "Saran Wrap" manicure is, as I read in many tutorials, a dry base color with a new color painted on top.  While that top color is wet, use wadded up Saran Wrap to blot off color, leaving a sponged/mottled finish.  As I did my first nail, the OCD side of me instantly hated this.  A lot.  The polish came off too much and was too tacky.  I kept going and hated each nail just as much.  They didn't look like the cool examples I've been seeing all over.  As I looked at my fingers, I decided to go back over them using the less talked about method of dipping my Saran Wrap into polish and then dabbing it on.  This was much better, for both aesthetics and the side of me that needs to be in control. 

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Finger Paints Tiffany Imposter
*Spoiled Are Mermaids Real?
*1 coats Out The Door

I saw this mani by Jenny when I searched Saran Wrap manis on Pinterest and loved the look of a shimmer over a cream.  Actually, I loved the look of these two, but figured I'd try to add just a tiny bit of originality to my work (which is rare for me).  I love Shrimp on the Barbie, and Are Mermaids Real? is like a sister to it.

Tiffany Imposter is a cream whose name says it all.  While I think that this is actually a darker, dustier blue than the iconic original, it is pretty nevertheless (and a dupe of For Audrey).  I probably could have just used 1 coat, went with 2 to be safe.

Are Mermaids Real? is a pretty purple polish.  It is sheer, so it takes 4-ish coats to be opaque or a good base under it.  It's a darker, cool purple packed with golden shimmer.  That shimmer is the best part and I'm glad that it translated through the Saran Wrap!

As I photographed this and wrote this entry, I have come to like this look more.  I'm not totally sold on it, but I'm very willing to give it another go.  So, have you tried the Saran Wrap method?  Was I missing something the first time through that makes it more awesome?  Because I like the look of it after dabbing much more (which doesn't look a whole lot different from sponging). 

'Stache Celebration

Okay, it's technically December 1st, now, but this was planned for the last day of November until life got in the way.  It has a funny habit of doing that...
I want to thank you all SO much for your amazing response to the Movember movement and my own personal story.  You have created some amazing manis showing love to the men in our lives, letting them know that their health is important to us because they are.  I have been so humbled by your kind words, amazing art, and awesome response.  THANK YOU!

Today is my final Movember mani for the year, because the month is over.  Like breast cancer awareness, though, this is not the end.  These awareness campaigns are wonderful and really do cause people to pause and think about their health, but I worry that there is a danger in moving on afterward.  Yes, we think and talk a lot about breast cancer in October and prostate and testicular cancer in November, but what happens in March?  We need to be aware of our bodies and our health all the time, trusting our instincts and speaking up when we see changes.  Why?  Because it literally saves lives! 
So today I am celebrating.  Celebrating you, and all of your support that far surpassed my hopes.  Celebrating the promise that medical advances bring, thanks to pressure from the public and the hard fundraising work of people like you and me.  Celebrating my pappy, and his healthy new reality.  Celebrating early detection and the wisdom of those who have devoted their lives to saving others. 

 Celebrating the 'Stache!

I figured that I would pay tribute to all of you brave ladies that freehanded mustaches this month and do one of my own. Yup, it's a weird looking little guy! I know that the nails are a bit dark, but I really wanted to let the confetti stand out! However, that little mustache needed to show up, so I added an accent of Zoya Ginessa (2 coats).

I was going use my trusty Black Out, but instead tried out Jacob's Protection by Essence.  This was part of their Breaking Dawn quad.  I have no experience with the Twilight books or movies, but these polishes were pretty (and less than $2!).  This black base is full of a pretty blue shimmer, so I used 2 coats as a base and then again for the mustache.  Then came the glitter!  I wanted a celebration, but couldn't choose one glitter, so this also morphed into a comparison:

Insert more pictures here.

(Well, I'm at a bit of a loss right now.  As I was uploading photos I hit my 2G limit.  Now I have to decide how to continue this blog and how much I want to invest in it.  For tonight, though, no more pictures, I guess.  It's late and I have some decisions to make.  I do have shots of all of these glitters to compare though.  Oh well, this was really about something more important anyway!)

So there it is--glittery joy!  I love the names of the polishes, too, which are appropriate for this joyful post: Party of Five Glitters by Wet 'n Wild (pinkie), Milani Gems (middle finger), Pinata-Yada-Yada by Ulta (index) and Happy Ending by Cult Nails (thumb).  How perfect!  These are all so fun, with Gems and Pinata-Yada-Yada being the most similar (and my favorites).  Happy in a bottle! 

Life is short and can be scary, so why not embrace a little celebration?  Cancer can be so dark and daunting, but the reality is that there is hope and can be life after, which is worth some sparkling joy.  So thank you!  There has been a lot of good this month to celebrate and I can only hope that movements like Movember bring a lot more celebrations to many more people--here's to the power of the 'stache!

Why I'm a Sista

As we near the middle of Movember, I have been so touched by all of your manicures, comments, and stories!  This week, I am showing my Mo Sista pride!

I support the men in my life because I need them healthy.  I'm a Mo Sista because my dad is healthy and looking at a long life after cancer because he was aware and informed.  I don't know what my world would be without him, and don't want to.  That's why I promote and support Movember.

I'm a Sista because I'm a sister.  I have two brothers whom I love more than they can ever know and never want to see them fight a battle against prostate or testicular cancer (or any other, for that matter) and want to support research.  I need people who sit up late watching Family Guy with me so that I don't feel so guilty.  I need to see them become the men that that they were born to be. 

 

I probably could have planned this mani a bit better.  I used a coat of Sinful Colors Snow Me White with 2 coats of Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor over the top.  I got this pretty blue iridescent glitter at Rite Aid for 49 cents this week!  I'm bummed that it doesn't really show up blue on the nail in these photos, but it does in real life.  I used my Holo Black Striper by Color Club to write and another awesome mustache decal from RLR Creations Nail Art's Etsy shop to cross my "t."  I probably should have made my thumb the "a" to make positioning my hand easier for photos.  Oh well!

The bottom line is that I love too many men to let their health go unnoticed.  I have too many friends, too many family members, too many people who have impacted my life not to care.  You have heard my story and the facts, but the reality is that I am a girl that loves guys and needs them around for a very long time.  Just as openly and strongly as we have demanded attention for breast cancer, I want us to say that these treatable cancers, when detected early, get no more lives.  They've had their share, and now we get to win.  We get to keep the men we love.  A sista needs her brother!  And father!  And friends!




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Movember: In the Know

Here's another installment of my Movember series that started last week.  This also coincides with Polly Polish's Polish Days theme for this month!  The more awareness and support, the better!  Make sure that you check out all of the awesome ladies putting their time into this cause.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Zoya Skylar--light blue is the color of prostate cancer awareness
*2 coats Zoya Tru--"orchid" is the color of testicular cancer awareness
*1 coat Seche Vite

This week I wanted to represent both sides of the Movember movement.  Tru, the pretty purple flecked with golden shimmer, is my accent nail with another rad moustache from RLR Creations Nail Art for testicular cancer.  Here is some information from www.cancer.org, provided by the American Cancer Society:

*There are estimated to be 8,590 new cases diagnosed in 2012
*360 men will die from testicular cancer
*This cancer is not as common as many others out there, but 1 in 270 men will develop it and 1 in 5,000 will die from it.  That is still too much.




 Skylar, a dusty light blue with silver shimmer, is for prostate cancer.

*There are estimated to be 241,740 new cases diagnosed in 2012.
*In 2012, 28,170 men will die from this.
*In their lifetime, 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.  It is the second deadliest cancer for men behind lung cancer.
*More than 2.5 million men are living as survivors in the US today.
*Detection saves lives!  When found as "local" cancer (only in the prostate) or "regional" (nearby areas, non-lymph nodes) survival is nearly 100%!
*"Distant" cases where the cancer spreads to other areas, bones, or distant lymph nodes have about a 29% survival rate.
*The 15 year survival rate for men diagnosed is 91%.

 

 

The numbers really do say it all.  For prostate cancer, which can be caught in annual exams and PSA tests, early detection can be treated.  Testicular cancer can be harder to catch, and is less common, but can be noticed through self-exams.  The sooner you know what is going on in your body, the more options you have for treatment. It may be uncomfortable, embarrassing or scary, but regular exams save lives!  This may not be a "young man's" disease, but my dad is well below the average age of men (67, according to seer.cancer.gov).  On the other hand, the median age for testicular cancer is 33!  Listen to your doctors, but also feel empowered to speak up if you feel that something is not quite right.  You know you better than anyone!  While the odds may be a bit scary for facing this in your life, the statistics of survival are really hopeful--this can be beaten!

 

I'll be posting a bit more this moth, and would LOVE it if you would like to add to the mo-vement!  Do a mani, tell a story, spread the word!  Please link up your work to my gallery below (and the Polish Days one!) so that I can see and show off your work!  You are also more than welcome to grab the link and add it to your post!

 

 



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My Movember story

Today is November first, the beginning of Movember.  This is a very personal month and cause for me.  If you don't know the purpose of Movember, I really recommend that you take a minute to check out their website.  In a nutshell, it is a month of bringing awareness and funding to men's health, specifically prostate and testicular cancers, by growing a mustache.  It's all about getting the conversation and research going.

On Valentine's Day in 2011 my dad called me.  I was working night shifts and incredibly disoriented when he let me know that they had been seeing his doctor who had diagnosed him with early-stage prostate cancer.  The rest of that day was a haze.  He told me it was early and slow-growing, but all I could hear was cancer and I wasn't sure why I had such an insane dream that I couldn't pull out of.  I couldn't really wrap my mind around my dad having cancer.  Cancer.
My dad was a champ.  He was brave and honest.  We are fortunate to live near world-class medical centers. When he went to see a specialist, his biggest news was "I think I have Lance Armstrong's doc."  That's my dad!
After a lot of testing, discussion, prayer and thought, he decided to undergo surgery this past March.  Again, I spent a day in a haze.  I've always been a daddy's girl, his only daughter, the night owl who stayed up far into the night listening to stories and talking with him.  When I talked with my mom that night and heard that things went perfectly, literally THE best case scenario, I could only cry.
My dad has had months of recovery and working to get back into life as a conqueror of cancer.  Just a few days ago he received the all-clear from his specialist to simply check in with his personal doctor every six months as a cancer survivor!
We were so blessed and fortunate to have had amazing doctors and wonderful research that gave him back his health.  An important part of that is due to early detection.

Enter the mustache.

This month is about promoting men's health and talking about these cancers.  We have been so open to talking about breast cancer and women's health, which is empowering and so important, but men tend to avoid this subject.  Cue Movember.  As I mentioned in one of my Go Pink posts, a cure for one cancer is hope for all.  I'm committed to being a Mo Sista, spreading awareness because the men in my life are important to me.  Like my dad, knowing their bodies and their PSA numbers can save their lives.  I want to help make this as easy and natural to talk about as "Save the ta-tas" has become. 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Color Club Take Me To Your Chateau
*1 coat Pure Ice Oh Baby!
*1 coat Out the Door (2 on accent nail)

That awesome little mustache is a nail decal from RLR Creations Nail Art on Etsy.  They are super inexpensive and easy to use, and much neater than my nail art!  Love it!

I used Take Me To Your Chateau, a pale blue cream, for prostate cancer awareness.  It is really opaque, but streaked a bit, so I added Oh Baby! over the top to camouflage the brush strokes.  This is a gorgeous, fine blue shimmer (you can really see it in the photo above). 

So this month is about bringing awareness to men and their health because it is personal, even for a girl.  I'll be posting some more manis about this subject, and would LOVE it if you would join me.  If you do, let me see your work!  Add onto the gallery below with your own story, your own ideas, your own Movember movement! 





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31DC: Inspired by a flag

Eeek!  I'm a little late posting today's challenge.  For the record, this was finished and photographed by 11:56 pm.  Just in case you cared...
Today is inspired by a flag.  This is pretty random and doesn't really seem to fit with the other challenges, but so it goes.  I considered trying a pirate theme, but then I decided to try to redeem my abysmal Fourth of July nails.  I have 2 untrieds today (sorry, I've been forgetting to track them!)

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Julep Kate
*2 coats Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Co-Bolt Blue
*China Glaze Ruby Pumps
*1 coat Julep America
*1 coat Seche Vite

This is much closer to what I had actually planned to paint in July, until my red polish wouldn't open.  I tried a new white for this one--Julep Kate.  While very subtle, this has a soft shimmer to it that helps make the white less harsh and white-out-y.  I think I'll be using it more frequently now that I know how nice it is.  I used 2 coats, which cut down on streaks.  If it wore it alone, with a glitter, I think I might do 3.

 

 

 

Previews of America are really what prompted me to sign up for Julep.  It was so pretty in the swatches I saw that I signed up and got it in my first non-intro box.  I had not used it yet, and was a little disappointed.  The micro red glitter, blue and silver hexes show up well and and were easy to apply.  I did not see any stars, though, as I fished through :( 

 

It's funny how things show up so differently in photos and in real life.  In these pictures I like America a lot more--it lets Co-Bolt Blue show more.  In real life, it is actually pretty opaque for a layering glitter.  Ruby Pumps looks really thin in these photos, with Kate showing through, but is dark and glittery in person. 
I'm curious to know your thoughts on Julep.  I am getting this month's box, and it's the first I have chosen since the summer.  I have not been over-the-moon stoked with the polishes so far.  Do you subscribe?  Are there colors you love that I need to add on?  I can definitely say that their customer service is amazing, but I'm on the fence about the polish right now.
If you've never tried Julep and want to see what their polish and products are about, you are welcome to use my referral link (http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/47422/) and use "COLOR2012" at checkout to get your intro box for $0.01 (that's right, just a penny!).