OPI - Pompeii Purple nails

Every once and a while you stumble on a nail color that from the first time you wear it, you know it will be one of your favorites forever. When I was a kid we had a L’Oreal color that was called Sea Violet, I still remember that color because I loved it so much. We much have bought ten bottles of that color, if I ever saw it in the store I would buy it in a heartbeat. While spending one of my super sweet Ulta gift cards I bought OPI Pompeii Purple and I fell in love. It is such an amazing color, I’m pretty sure I love everything about it. I’m also pretty sure that this whole post is going to be an ode to Pompeii Purple.

I kept these nails on for almost a full week, pause for shock and awe, almost a whole week. For this manicure I used OPI Pompeii Purple and Sally Hansen CSM Gilty Pleasure. I had no idea what kind of art I wanted to do until I had already started painting. As soon as I saw how amazing the OPI is I knew that I didn’t want to cover much of it up with a design so I ended up doing my first chevron!

Pompeii Purple nails

Can we take a minute and talk about how amazing this color is? I didn’t realize how popular this color is until I had these nails at work and two different ladies guessed the name of the color correctly. It doesn’t happen very often that someone knows the name of the color that I’m wearing, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I’m far from the first person to discover how amazing this color is.

Pictures can’t do this color justice

My chevrons are a bit of a miss. I didn’t center my guide dots very well so the whole design is very much off center. I also didn’t have my brushes so I did the design with a dotting tool so the lines aren’t super smooth (yes I’m blaming the tool and not the painter).

Lumpy chevrons

If you like pink/purple nail polish I highly recommend this color, it looks so awesome on that I was tempted to paint them this color again after I took these nails off. Now, if only I could find Sea Violet.

Grumpy Cat nails

I’m sorry for the long wait to see my birthday nails, but I hope they are worth the wait J. I was thinking for a long time about what nails I wanted to do to commemorate my 30^th birthday and it wasn’t until a few days before the big day that I finally settled on the design. My fellow nail lover friend Patty is the one who suggested I do Grumpy Cat nails, and I can’t think of better nails to have when turning 30.

I surprised myself with how little flash these nails had but I ended up liking the solid brown next to the designed nails. For this manicure I used Sally Hansen CSM Barracuda, OPI Brisbane Bronze, Aphrodite’s Pink Nightie, and Pompeii Purple, and Orly Liquid Vinyl and White Tips.

Grumpy Cat nails

To create the adorable yet grumpy kitty on my middle finger I used a corner piece of makeup sponge and sponged on the white first. The triangular shape of the sponge helped define her ears. I did two layers of the white before I sponged on the brown; I always forget how much I love this brown!

Nothing says turning 30 like a disgruntled kitty on your middle finger

To get her tiny angry mouth I used my smallest dotting tool and used a stippling method to tap the color on. My original idea was to put a party hat on her but she took so long to do that I didn’t want to risk messing her up. To make it a little more birthday themed I put balloons on my thumb and pinkie. My right hand has balloons on the pinkie, middle, and thumb.

 

I can’t believe I missed her at the state fair

I had this manicure when I went to get a facial after my birthday and I got asked one of my favorite nail questions by the salon lady. She asked if I paint them before I put them on, I’m sure a loser that I love being able to say ‘no, actually they are real’. I hope my birthday nails were worth the wait and that you love Grumpy Cat as much as I do J