Before & After: MAN-icure & Twin post

Hello!!

Today's manicure serves double-duty. The most recent entry in my twin post series with Dina was delayed a bit because of life events (you can see Dina's post by clicking here)...but it turns out to have been perfect timing because the stamp I need to use for that challenge is perfect for this month's Polish Days theme: MAN-icure, designed to highlight men's health issues, particularly testicular cancer.

For this manicure I stared off with Zoya Storm, a beautiful polish from their new holiday collection. Everyone has been gushing over this collection (rightfully so), so I'll save you my gushing here, lol. Suffice to say it's a black polish with holographic glitter that looks silver in the shade, and goes rainbow in the sunlight:

Zoya Storm  in direct light--the rainbow colors actually go a titch linear in the light :)

Zoya Storm direct light

Zoya Storm shade

Then I decorated it with a coat of Fanchromatic Nails Tar And Feather INDIE ALERT!), an interesting polish with red microglitter, plus black and white-silver shreds. The polish-maker designed this after the medieval torture method of tar and feathering, which was actually quite a gruesome way to die--a strange inspiration for a polish admittedly, and she notes on her shop site that her friends told her she maybe shouldn't make it, lol. But, I'm glad she did; since I love Halloween and horror movies, I think it's deliciously gruesome, also I admire her for going against public opinion and doing her own thing, but most of all, I think this is actually quite a pretty glitter. Then, I stamped the boxing gloves from Cheeky 34 using Pure Ice Silver Mercedes, and drew little strings with the same polish coming up from them.

One of the biggest issues in men's healthcare is that men are often very reluctant to go to the doctor, and most conditions, certainly cancers, are much easier to survive if they are detected early. So, the symbolism of my manicure tries to capture this; the red, black and silver symbolize the physical damage and shattered lives that testicular cancer and other men's health problems leave in their wake, and the boxing gloves symbolize the power of early detection to beat those health issues.

Early detection can save your life

Give that knock-out punch by having regular check-ups

If you're reading this and you're a man, go book your check-up now! If you're someone who loves a man (significant other, father, brother, cousin, son, whatever!), please encourage them to get their check-ups even if you have to make the appointment for them and tell them you're taking them to a football game to get them there. :P

Thanks for reading. :)

Xoxox,

M.