This manicure came out very bright and festive. Not that metallic colors or rhinestones usually create subtle looks, but this time I felt a bit like I had Christmas ornaments on my fingers.

Feeling a bit uncertain about my creation, I decided to look for a second opinion. My husband’s frequent view of my more creative outfits is “I don’t understand it, but you look beautiful” (does anyone else experience this with the male gender?). But nails are easier since there’s not usually as much going on so I felt somewhat safe in proceeding with my query. The response was a surprisingly vehement “wow, so pretty” and my nerves were calmed. What do you think about this festive look?

Thank you for reading. Be kind. Be you.

If it speaks to you, I used:

China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat, here

China Glaze Fast Forward top coat, here

2 mm yellow rhinestones, here

Gold decals, similar here

Note: this item has a negative review, but it seems the customer applied it using the wrong side. This is a good time to mention that nail decals are applied face-up, rather than face down like water transfer tattoos (a mistake I’ve made several times).

Sally Hansen ‘Celeb City’ nail polish, here