on the nails: turquoise houndstooth

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A bit smudged but not bad for my first stamping attempt, I think. [One step beyond yesterday’s nails.] A tricky business, nail stamping. I like a houndstooth print, though, and was determined to investigate the world of elaborate nail decor. Maybe you are, like myself a couple of months ago, wondering what nail stamping is? There is a thing called nail stamping?

Oh, there is a whole world of nail stamping. Nail art turns out to have evolved quite a bit since I was 14. Investigate at your own peril.

Stamping is a laborious process but the effect is fun. I can’t tell how much of the appeal is thinking it looks neat, and how much is being impressed that I made the effort to do it at all. Either way, I like looking at them (though they’re also sort of distracting).

Next will try variations on a theme.

Sally Hansen Jaded with MASH black using Cheeky plate CH13.

turquoise + stripes

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Striped dress from American Apparel, sash from American Apparel, TOMS suede wedges, Skagen watch, Pearl Paradise studs, Solange Azagury-Partridge ring, eBay faux pearl bracelet, eBay fox ring (do we not love this ring? We love this ring). On the lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang. On the nails:  Sally Hansen Jaded.

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It’s incredible how lopsided my lips and nostrils are. Even more incredible that I only notice in photos/video. Actually the entire right side of my face seems to have a slightly larger version of everything. This is standard, I know, nearly everyone has asymmetrical elements in their face and body. It is even a little disturbing when someone doesn’t, or when all of the asymmetry has been photoshopped away. Still. It looks so strange, this unmirrored version of myself. I don’t look like that.

Only of course, I do look like that. That is what I really look like. And to others I would look strange in a mirror, or possibly they wouldn’t notice either way.

I understand that I can fiddle with the lipstick to balance my lips out, but I honestly can’t even see it in the mirror, my face looks so familiar and normal to me. I keep trying to remember which side is which, which side is more rounded and which more flat on my top lip, but looking in the mirror I guess wrong about half the time. I suppose this is also a testament to my poor memory.

Start taking a bunch of pictures of yourself and you learn about all of these strange things you do with your face.

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Here, for example, is this thing I do with my mouth evidently all of the time. I am forever making this kind of dubious face. And often lifting my already lopsided lip into a kind of sneerface. Not ideal, face. Not ideal.

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[Side view. Sneerface omitted.]

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And finally you see why I like this dress.

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