I had classified this under my Epic Fail Manis. At the time, I wasn’t happy with it. I used nail tape, too! I took a quick blurry shot with my then super hip and happenin’ Blackberry Bold. It was ugly. Maybe it was the colors I chose, but looking back on it now two years later, I’m thinking it’s not so bad.
I’ve been obsessed with MAC’s Ruffian Manicure since I saw it on their site. However, I wasn’t about to buy those press on nails – it would merely be a flashback to the 80s for me, before I discovered acrylic nails. Yes, I once sported acrylic nails. We won’t talk about that.
Anyway, I didn’t have any nail tape available and I thought I’d free hand the Ruffian Manicure. I was about to freehand the french manicure I had planned for my right hand, but at the very last minute I found some paper reinforcement circles. You can see those in a sec!
As always, please click on the images for the full sized version.
For the base, I used Orly’s Glitz & Glamour from their 2010 Holiday Collection (‘Tis the Season). I wished it could’ve been more like the gold used on the press on nails, but this was close enough for me. I used one coat then slapped on my favorite fast drying top coat Poshé. Then I applied MAC’s matte nail polish called Black Enough as the matte answer to their black on the press on ruffian manicure. Something happened in 2 years to the MAC formula for Black Enough – it got thicker and goopier. It was a bit of a pain to work with. Mercifully, it still dried fast.
Ruffian Mani shade
Ruffian Mani Sun
I did entertain the thought of doing a French Mani free hand. Again, I had flashbacks to the 80s and early 90s when I tried to free hand it…most of all, I remember being at a temp job and watching this crazy Asian (truth be told, I think she was one of my peeps – a Filipina) take white out and paint the tips of her nails, then take a pink highlighter and color her nails and the white tip with said pink highlighter. I vowed I wouldn’t be that ghetto…ever.
Anyway, since nail tape for manis is no longer in the drugstores I frequent nor is it sold at my nail polish guys (“That is 1980s. Where you been, girl?”), I read on a blog that a girl used the paper hole reinforcement stickers she bought at an office supply store. SCORE. I decided to give a shot since I have tiny nail beds to begin with. And now comes the crazy attempt at a french manicure!
French Mani shade
French Mani sun
My attempt at a french manicure wasn’t too bad, but I know I could’ve done better.
Would you give the ruffian manicure or a french manicure in these colors a shot?
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