I apologize in advance for all of the close-up pictures of feet.
Also, if you are looking for manicure tips, you’re going to be sadly disappointed. (Yes, I see the glam mums on Instagram with the coordinated nail polish and I have no idea either.)
So, duly warned, let’s continue.
[crickets]
I know you are probably (certainly) underwhelmed, and if there is any sort of perking up at this photo it’s likely because of the fab sandals (which, BTW, are made in Greece of the softest leather). Yes. I feel you. But here’s the thing: I can’t seem to squeeze in a real pedicure.
IknowIknowIknowIknow. Lecture all you want, stand atop the mountain and scream about Mama Me Time and how we’re all Worth a Little Pampering and I won’t argue. But it doesn’t solve my pressing problem: Sandals on, pedi gone.
One would think, if pedicure time was such an issue (#firstworldproblems) that over the years I would actually have developed a steady hand. From all of that “practice”. To those I say:
BWAH HA HA HA HA HA- no.
My pedicure skills are embarrassing. Like, Raines-once-gave-me-a-pedicure-that-was-better-than-my-own-pathetic-attempts-and-he-was-four-at-the-time bad.
I blame my mother. She’s no better (in both the making-time and steady-hand departments), but she’s developed a genius nailpolish technique to make up for both lack of prioritization and skill. It involves painting your toenails with wild abandon (seriously, paint everything – nail, skin, whatever. Just cover those toes good.) and then, once they’re dry…take a shower. It turns out that nailpolish will slide right off your skin in the shower (with only a bit of scrubbing required). Seriously – try it. You’ll be amazed.
So. My problem, however, is that Mom’s technique requires a shower. And I only seem to remember my naked toenail problem as I’m stepping through the doorway – fully prepped and primped – and then CRAP. I look down. And there they are. My naked little piggies on their way to market.
So the other night as we were about to leave, in desperation I grabbed a random bottle of nailpolish from my basket of many (seriously why so many?). I was determined – DETERMINED – not to eff it up. I was going to paint the piggies with a steady, STEADY hand. I was slow breathing, I was giving myself a Jack Handy-esque pep talk, I unscrewed the cap, cleaned off the brush a bit – OK too much you need some polish on the brush, S!! And then carefully….caaarreefuuuulllyyy….applied it all over my big toe. GAH!
But here’s the thing: It was glitter polish.
Do you have any glitter polish? Not metallic nail polish, but glitter. The clear polish with glitter floating around? Yes. That. And I do realize it is typically worn by 8 year old girls. BUT! BUTBUTBUT! The clear polish part makes it rather foolproof. So you can just kind of glop it all over and then scrape off the bits you don’t need. Like, right there on the spot, no waiting for it to dry and then shower, and no nail polish remover required. (I mean it’s better if you try to stay in the lines, but if you go over, no big deal.)
And because the glitter is so reflective, even if you only have time for a single coat, it’s fine. It’s not great (as evidenced in my photo above) but I’ll give it the big ‘ol GOOD ENOUGH. Especially if you are peering down at feet from up high. (Ahem. Let’s skip the short jokes.)
I was so enamored with this speedy little glitter trick, that I dug through the nail polish basket and UNEARTHED – yup – MORE GLITTER.
This blue glitter nail polish was bought at Target that one day when both boys had been driving me crazy “Can we get legos? Can we get pokeman? Can we get soop-hero? MOM WHAT CAN WE GET?” that by the time we were making a beeline back to the checkout and passed the Essie display and even Raines was like, “Mom, if we can’t get anything FUN can we at least get that sparkly blue nail polish???” I was all SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR TWO MINUTES OF COOPERATION BOYS, FINE.
And then we got Starbucks and painted our nails and Pax fell asleep in the car.
And now? I have another glitter polish for last-minute pedicure emergencies. So there you go.
I hope you enjoyed this recent installment of BEAUTY: MEH. GOOD ENOUGH.
xo,
S
BEAUTY: MEH. GOOD ENOUGH… Excellent! 😀
I will no longer regret using glitter nailpolish in hurry.
Love this!
Your mom’s method is EXACTLY WHAT I DO!! Yay for beauty meh, good enough. I’m so with you!! 🙂
I use the shower method too! I also love glitter polish but hate taking it off. I swear it takes a whole bottle of remover and a million cotton balls. Then I found OPI makes a base coat for glitter polish. It peels off. PEELS OFF! So fun, easy, and weirdly satisfying.
I saw this at the store the other week but wondered if the layer wouldn’t peel off before I wanted it to. You’ve tried it and it really works?
It does peel off! I had no clue it was the base 🙂
Love the sandals (they are really beautiful) but I feel that the glitter is too much with them, just a tad overwhelming. I think a simpler pedicure, with just clear polish, would be more elegant. Just my 2 cents.
Must respectfully disagree with Jenny above. I LOVE it and I think the glittery color + the sandals = perfection!
Agreed, Bethany! And Shana, if you ever do attempt a regular polish, may I humbly suggest glitter on top? (Yes, just like an eight-year-old, I know.) Because it covers all the imperfections! Chips, smudges, whatever. Doesn’t matter, because GLITTER.
(By ‘regular polish,’ I mean plain, boring, un-glittery, of course.)
Shana, I was cracking up laughing reading this! Because you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and goshdarnit, people like you! “Can we get soop-hero?” Dying.
Love the glitter polish idea, IDK why I haven’t done my toes this way yet!
My “trick” (if you can call it that): “fast-drying” polish. I know, not really a “trick.” My pre-kid home pedi technique involved a 2 hour minimum dry time, a combo of Q-tips & my own fingernails for around the edges + lots of remover, then trim my fingernails after. Now I’m (sometimes) globbing it on, on my way out the door.
In summer though, when the pedi starts wearing away, I just polish the same color right over it. I call it the “endless summer pedicure.” Sadly this means I rarely change colors, but meh. Good enough! (Love that, should be in you website nav!)
Oh my gosh, I do that too…just keep reapplying the same turquoise color over and over again. It’s awful. And awesome. Ha!
LOL Heidi – my “endless summer pedicure” is turquoise also (this year). Dying!
And just last week I determined that this method works best with glitter polish! Best of all worlds. Even started using it on my fingernails now!
Me too! My color is this very subtle (boring) clear polish tinted with gold called “gold glossing”. It looks like I made the effort, but you can’t really see the chips or wear, so it goes forever. I also love the shower method, for the twice a year I do a real color.
Hehe – I totally do the shower thing – well and glitter too! – and it works perfectly! I’m also glad I’m not the only one who paints my son’s nails! And that my husband doesn’t care…as long as it’s not pink.
Side note…are those sandals worth their price tag because I’m currently lusting over the Paros Bronze.
http://www.themerakicompany.com/paros-bronze/
I use glitter polish on my toes pretty often. It stays on forever!
This is one of my best beauty secrets. Not only am I a mama of two toddlers but I also practice two martial arts. I never had polish on my toe that isn’t full of glitter. It always looks good! Event after kicking things for two hours!
Shana – I’m LOVING this post. I’m on several other fashion blogs where these women are SO put together on a daily basis and I feel like I can barely muster a shower. You are always refreshing and REAL. Keep it up! Trying to “find” some time this week for my own pedi! Thanks for the fun post 🙂
blue glitter nail polish is the Elsa-Frozen pedicure. And I gave one to my two-year old. Rock on.
I use glitter over my old and messed up color and it’s a good way to do a semi-endless summer pedicure. (Hate removing it, too, though, ugh.)
I do the shower thing too! Works like a charm. I paint w/ wild abandon after the girls are in bed, then next morning it just scrubs off the areas it shouldn’t be. And for maintenance, I’m guilty of re-layering the same color. For weeks. But it stays shiny & new, and hopefully no one is looking at my toes that closely!
First of all, you are hilarious. Second of all both your and your mom’s tricks work on fingernails. i can get my toes done, but being the mom of a 2 year old i find no point in doing my nails as one bath later it would be gone, and then who has time to take it off? no time! then you just are sad when you look at chipped nails. But – glitter. glitter can chip away, you can’t tell! and it’s fun. especially on short nails which I also have because i am scared to death of scratching my baby girl. Opi has an awesome silver glitter in the gwen stefani line. (and let’s face it, anything gwen is awesome, yes?)
Just discovered this trick this week myself. Fave color is trilliant from illamasqua. Picked it up at sephora.
At sephora buying half the store based on your recommendations. 😉
You are brilliant! I love it, and will be raiding my kids’ polish. 🙂
I love the glitter polish with the fancy sandals. Awesome. I have another pedicure trick. You can do this on bare nails or ones that have old polish that you want to freshen up. Cuticle oil! I use this one http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=8131&categoryId=cat80070 but there are lots out there and if you happen to have almond oil already you can use that. Put a little on the middle of each nail and then rub it in and into the cuticles, makes your nails (or polish) look all pretty and fresh. You can do it when your feet are already in your sandals and you look down and you’re like…oh yuck.
I’m HORRIBLE at painting my toes. It takes me FOREVER and I still get polish everywhere. Your idea is genius.