Recent NOTD: Putting the Ugh in Fugly

I don't like all the manicures I do equally well, but it's rare that I hate one. Today is one of those exceptions, an old Maybelline Express Finish I got at Dollar Tree because the name sounded good: Silver Lilac. Two of my favorite colors, what could be bad about that? Answer: brushstrokes galore, plus gloppiness and bubbling. It was so awful that I almost stopped after the first coat of color but decided to push on in case it would settle out as it dried. As you can see from the photos below, it did not settle. (Nor did it look especially lilac-y, even when I turned my tips this way and that searching for a hidden duochrome side of it.)







The only thing I could think of to try and salvage this was covering it up with something else, so I tried a half moon mani. I couldn't find the round hole reinforcing stickers in my office at home so cut gentle curves out of pieces of cellophane tape to use instead. I chose Sally Hansen Complete Salon in Perfect Match for the non-moon color, since red and silver is a classic combination.







Perfect Match was a little bit of a pain to clean up, though that's mostly my fault as I slopped it all over my skin to make sure I was covering up all the silver I could. My moon curves were a little too gentle, and a few were crooked on the nail, but overall it was loads better than the silver on its own.

Adding thinner would likely help the gloppiness and bubbling of Silver Lilac, but I don't think there's any solution to the brushstrokes. I'm not even sure I want to try frankening with this one, and I definitely don't want to foist it off onto an unsuspecting swap partner, so I think this one might just have to get disposed of. I don't mind the bottle, so I'll probably pour it into the jar where I collect such misfits and wait for the next hazardous waste collection day.

*****

On a happier note, congratulations to Erin, whose number came up on random.org when I drew the winner of the Apothica gift card giveaway!