Inspired by Doll Fashion

You may notice that today's nails aren't mine-or maybe you won't, because they belong to my mini-me. I try, mostly unsuccessfully, to impart on my kids that not only does good nail care look pretty, but it prevents hangnails, fungus, and other unpleasantness, and my daughter will usually let me have at it if I promise a soon-to-be-demolished paint job at the end. The boy preferred just a clip and file, but he let me give him a once over with cuticle cream (he has lovely nails, I kinda miss when he wanted nails like Mom). True to my own heart, Mini-Me's nail look is inspired by fashion...doll fashion.

Excuse my poor cleanup-I don't like to use pure acetone on Mini-Me

When I asked what color she wanted, Mini-Me presented me with a dress belonging to Draculaura, a doll from the Monster High line. While Monster High as a whole isn't exactly my favorite thing (it was a compromise, I refused to budge on Bratz), the dress is actually pretty cute-a leathery pink with a sparkly tulle layer over the skirt. The color I used to mimic the tulle was Julep Joelle, of course.



The base color was harder. After examining my swatch book, I chose Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Dahlia. This is a color I like a lot, but have had for a while, so I needed to add thinner, and my application still looks a little clumsy. My choice was confirmed, though, when I accidentally swiped the dress with polish but couldn't even see it after wiping it off with a paper towel. It was a sign!

This color combo is so pretty I may have to use it myself, and Mini-Me seems to have impressive hand modeling skills! Do you ever do mini-manis with your sweethearts? Show them off on Twitter and tag me @SecretNailBlog!