Beauty Swellness: The Nail Report: My bouncy “marathon” manicure

I ran the Around the Bay 30k race in Hamilton yesterday, but priorities, ladies. First things first (my race report can wait!) — what did my nails look like for the race!?

Nail-job craving: As always, I want something fun and energetic for running a race. Given that I was in Barbados until late Friday, I actually didn’t think I was going to be able to get a manicure at Tips Nail Bar for the race, but the idea was depressing me. I was particularly stressed about this race and the idea of it going horribly AND not at least having an awesome manicure was givin’ me mega anxiety (I know, those are some real problems I am faced with…feel my pain). A panicked text to Tips’ Leeanne Colley and we figured out I could come in Saturday morning (you know, rather than sleep and rest for race, I’m up early to get my nails done!).

How I satisfied that craving: Naomi and Leeanne both worked on my nails btw. I liked this racerback-esque look I’d seen — and for colours and application this is how the ladies created the look: Shellac in Cream Puff (the white) all over the base of the nail, then the hot pink semi-circles in Artistic Color Gloss in Owned, followed by the nude Artistic Color Gloss called Posh.

How this nail colour make me feel: My friend took one look at my nails and said “Bouncy!” which is exactly how they look (tennis ball-esque, non?) and feel to me!

Love it or hate it: Love. My bouncy nails helped me bounce happily to the finish line!

1 Comment March 25, 2013

The Nail Report

Nail-job craving: I saw a manicure the team at Tips Nail Bar had done for a fashion designer, and I had to have it, too.

How I satisfied that craving: At Tips Nail Bar, Leeanne Colley applied two coats of Entity in Faux Fur, then did the tips in Shellac in Black Pool. Then she applied a matte nail polish from Butter London on the very tips of my nails.

How this nail colour make me feel: A little dangerous — my pointy nails seem like little daggers.

Love it or hate it: Love.

8 Comments November 12, 2012

The Nail Report — Marathon “mani a la mod”

Nail-job craving: I’m running my second marathon this Sunday (the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon) so you know what that means…a marathon manicure with Leeanne at  Tips Nail Bar.

How I satisfied that craving: Leeanne proposed “mani a la mod,” a graphic 60s-ish look (you might recognize it as she did the look for the September issue of Fashion). She used Shellac in Blackpool and China Glaze in White on White.

It took nearly three hours to complete, and when Leeanne was going practically cross-eyed creating the intricate patterns, I asked her if it was any comfort that I’d be running for longer than the manicure took to create. She said that she couldn’t ever run a marathon (but she so could!) and so this is her way of running one.

How this nail colour make me feel: Focused on the race. When my mind wanders, I catch a glimpse of my nails and prepare mentally for running the looong race.

Love it or hate it: Love. And it’s fashion-y so it’s totes wearable post-marathon for, like, real life.

8 Comments October 13, 2012