Last Monday, I gotta admit — I was hardly in the mood for a manicure. On Saturday May 22nd, my husband and I got some awful news. A dear friend of ours had been killed in a motorcycle accident. This was the kind of friend who changed our lives – especially my husband’s life… He was a man so full of life, gone from this world far too soon. A very special person who touched the lives of many. And this brutal loss came mere days before our eighth wedding anniversary. Needless to say, we knew we’d be postponing any celebrations.
My husband hightailed it to Miami for the funeral. And seeing as I was spending our anniversary alone in Chicago, I had two choices. Either stay home all day and grieve, or force myself to go out and indulge in life’s little pleasures in an effort to at least take my mind off the sadness for a few precious moments.
I decided to go for the latter. And I decided to check out a neighborhood spot I’d noticed in passing, Polish: A Nail Lounge. If you’re ever in the South Loop, make a point of checking them out! Polish is intimate and adorable. From the minute I walked in, the ambiance made me check my worries at the doorstep.
How’s that for color therapy?
I’d been fiending for yellow for a while now. I was initially inspired by my new bright yellow tote bag by Swarthy Daisy — LOVE it! So bright, so fun. I wanted two contrasting yellows, just like that.
Ever since I laid eyes on OPI’s The It Color
I really had my heart set on a rich, opaque yellow and neither polish truly lived up to my expectation – I wanted something that would at least hide my nail line. Didn’t really happen. Need Sunglasses is a warm, mustardy color with a little shimmer and shine – I used it on my thumb and fourth finger. The rest are painted with Banana Bandanna, which is more of a true, creamy sunshine yellow that applies a little thinner and shows my nail line a little more than I hoped it would.
My manicurist managed to apply both polishes beautifully, sans streaking (which many reviewers have complained about online). If you go to Polish, I HIGHLY recommend you ask for Zoe. She is professional, friendly, and did I mention professional? Next time I go to Polish, it’s Zoe ALL the way!
Sitting in the nail salon while having my fingers and toes attended to got me thinking about beauty as therapy. Getting a mani pedi or going to a spa can be as superficial as you want it to be…but it can also be a contemplative time, an opportunity to enjoy your own company and think your own thoughts. So often in the hustle and bustle of our lives, we hardly get a moment to do that. I honestly enjoy the time that it takes for my nails to dry – I can’t read a magazine or use my phone without running the risk of smudging the manicure, so it forces me to just sit and be still. That time felt amazingly theraputic at a time when I needed a little therapy. The bright yellow of my nails cheered me up when I needed a little happiness. That’s all you can ask for from a manicure, right?
I know my obsession with yellow isn’t anywhere near over yet. The color has a positive effect on me, makes me smile, and looks great on brown skin. What’s not to love?
What do you think, would you go for yellow nails?
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