So, I ended up with red nails the other day. Wasn’t really planning on it, you know? Just one of those things.
I was feeling kinda blah, flipping through channels, nothing good on. Then this old movie pops up, some film noir thing. The main actress, she had these really striking red nails. Sharp. Made her hands look… purposeful, I guess. And I thought, why not? Needed a change, something bright.
Getting Started
First hurdle: picking the red. Went to the drugstore, stood there like an idiot for probably fifteen minutes. Who knew there were so many reds? Bright cherry, deep blood red, orangey red, sparkly red. Seriously overwhelming. I just grabbed one that looked like a classic, straightforward red. Figured I couldn’t go too wrong with that.
Got home, laid out some newspaper on the kitchen table. Found my old nail file and that base coat stuff I bought ages ago and never used.
The Actual Job
Okay, doing it yourself is harder than it looks. Here’s how it went down:
- Filed my nails a bit. Tried to make them look neat. Sort of worked.
- Put on the base coat. That was easy enough. Waited for it to dry. Patience is not my strong suit.
- Then the red. First coat was streaky. Looked awful. Panicked slightly.
- Waited again. Felt like forever. Watched half an episode of some sitcom while waving my hands around gently.
- Second coat. Better. Much better. The colour really popped. Got a bit on my skin, naturally. Tried to clean it up with a cotton swab dipped in remover. Mostly successful.
- Disaster strikes: Smudged my thumb nail reaching for the remote. Had to take it all off that nail and start over. Annoying.
- Finally, the top coat. Shiny. Made it look more finished.
Living With Red Nails
Then came the real waiting game. Trying not to touch anything for what felt like hours. Went to bed carefully. Woke up with sheet marks on one nail. Oh well.
Have to say, it felt weird at first. My hands looked so… loud. Kept noticing them while typing or drinking coffee. But after a day or so, I kinda liked it. Felt a bit more put-together, maybe? Or just less invisible.
Nobody really said much. My kid asked why my nails were bleeding, which was funny. Cashier at the grocery store said “nice colour”. That was about it. It wasn’t some big life-changing event. Just… red nails.
Would I do it again? Yeah, maybe. It was fiddly, took way longer than I expected, and required patience I don’t always have. But the splash of colour was nice. Might try a different shade next time. Or maybe just go back to plain old nails. Haven’t decided yet.
