Nails For Cancer

I apologize for not being on that much the past week. It's time that I admit that I have a brain tumor. I haven't wanted to mention this, yet the past week has been rough. I'm due a procedure to alleviate some of the pain this coming week. To make matters more difficult, one of my best friends, Liz, announced that she has Stage Four Mesothelioma. Not only are we both sick together, fighting the demons inside of us harvesting on our very cells; we don't have the money to cover all our treatments. However, we will fight tooth and NAIL!

My good friend Molly gave me her nail polish collection. She knows I'm blogging and she goes to the salon to get her nails done (gels on acrylics). She doesn't have the time to do her nails the old fashioned way with her career and the speed and durability of gels are probably most efficient for her. Molly has made it her purpose to be there in every way possible during my illness. I was delighted to see her gift of OPI, Essie, Sinful Collection, Sally Hansen, Kiss, NYC.. And most haven't even been opened!

I remembered a picture of Liz in her hospital bed and she was wearing nail polish. I know that every dignity is stripped when one is labeled as sick, and since I have the plastic nails, my own art supplies and now even more polish, I spent days making my good friend a bling-bling, dirty French manicure! The colors are Wet n Wild 455B Tickled Pink, Sephora by OPI SE 235 Queen Of Everything, Revlon Transforming Effects 765 Holographic Pearls and Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat. 

I used nail guides after the pink dried to create the French tip look. I added a rhinestone on each nail where the pink and silver meet and on one nail I placed a rhinestone Crucifix so that Liz will have Jesus at her fingertips. I must say that the Holographic Pearls really gave the nails a fantastic, mesmerizing look that I haven't seen with other shimmer or glitter polishes. Like a matte top coat, only with this, you can put everything into a shimmer. My next post will feature the Holographic Pearls and a matte top coat for a superbly abstract, yet inviting look. Liz's nails got mailed out and I hope to post a pic of her wearing them. I've included pics of her and me. We'd greatly appreciate any donations for our medical expenses. Thanks again so much. Love and blessings to all of you!

www.gofundme.com/drewstumor 

http://www.gofundme.com/rtab363k?fb_action_ids=10206085400675320&fb_action_types=og.shares&fb_ref=undefined&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B906111949439633%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.shares%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%22undefined%22%5D

 

Why Men Should Polish Their Nails

Polish It Up, Fellas..

Why you shouldn't have fear..
· Long hair amongst men is common as well as hair coloring. Men with gray hair often seek to cover it for a more youthful, natural appearance. Unfortunately, a lot of jobs discriminate based on age.
· Earrings and other piercings on men are common as well now.
· There are plenty of skin care products for men. Some men shave daily, some multiple times a day and some men don't shave and opt for facial hair. We also have different methods for shaving. This requires different kinds of shaving creams, gels, aftershaves and lotions.
· Cologne! Or man perfume! Everyone likes when we smell good.
· Nail polish actually has been around for thousands of years (in different formulations), however it originally was for royalty or the rich. It didn't matter what gender as long as you had money. In effect, men have always been wearing nail polish. So don't be afraid. You can always wear it with your friends on weekends or at parties! Have fun!

In hindsight, which is said to always be 20/20, I think my attraction to nail polish and nail art stemmed from the look of it under a spotlight, giving a new style and a new avenue for me and my many characters. I had male friends who got manicures (usually the standard male manicure) and some who polished their own nails. Only part of that demographic, a handful, is gay. Society tends to think that when men "spend too much time in the mirror", have long hair, put on a little bronzer or fake tanner or look too nice.. They're metrosexual or gay. Really they want to look good. Or they're rockstars. I've only lived in the world's biggest, most industry dominated cities.. Los Angeles and New York, so please excuse me if I'm not up to date on what hot trend Westboro is protesting now. 

Also, men want to have good hygiene and taking care of one's nails are a huge part of that. A lot of men get a clear coat to protect the natural nail while having a classy shine. Almost like a spit-shine on a pair of fancy, black shoes. Just like women have fashion models, so do men. Check out any fitness magazine, GQ, Rolling Stone, N.Y. Times Men's Fashion and Christian Grey. It's not uncommon for a man to tell his barber or hairdresser that he wants a certain actor's look or telling his personal trainer he wants a body closer to some athlete's physique. Men enjoy the confidence of knowing that they look good, that they are at the top of their game and that they are taking care of themselves and spending time on themselves. Care like this that produces endorphins and creative release raises confidence and self esteem.

Nail polish on men is only going to "look girly" if you do "girly" styles. Yes, if a man is wearing nails with kittens painted on to match his prom date bff, it could look feminine. Yet if he has a metallic color with a black stripe like Steven Tyler, or a matte top coat, it will obviously have a masculine look. The same goes for "guyliner" and piercings, tattoos and long hair. Men can rock it! The nail is your canvas. If you mess up, you can always start again.

Nail polish dates back to 3,000 B.C. It has been used on royalty, certain colors for certain classes, to protect the nail and for men and women. A person's clan or tribe might have all wore the same design.

Some men do want to look feminine, and there's nothing wrong with that and nail polish helps them to express and achieve this femininity. Of course in this instance, it's best to look at trends and shades most popular with women. Some of these trends can include gel polish, tips and acrylics which are usually done in a nail salon and usually last longer. However, with the right tools and resources, one can learn how to do this.

Welcome to my workshop! All these photos are my own. I hope you enjoy my blog and the adventures we share together. The photos are of my current manicure, my nail table, and my war paint and nail art. I hope you enjoy and see you soon!

Drew