Nail varnish + drab...

[Selina]

Hi Girls,

First, bear in mind that I've never been out anywhere whilst dressed, and being well over 6 foot tall, I see zero chance of being inconspicuous if I tried.

Anyway, I've just been on holiday in New Zealand, and decided to try something new...
My girlfriend (who knows about my CDing and doesn't have a problem with it - lucky me, I know) had bought me some shiny pale pink nail varnish as an extra birthday present. Since I was on holiday, I thought what the hell, painted my toes, and decided to wear open sandals. The first day I was really self-conscious and nervous about it - since I was obviously a man wearing shiny pink nail-varnish - but nobody said anything. I'm sure several people did a double-take, but that was about all. So I thought I'd leave them like that for a bit longer. Left them for a week, and still got no significant reaction from anyone, except for:
1. On one trip, the (male) guide, who was taking photos throughout the day, took a photo of them and said something like "Had a boring rainy day, did you?", and that was all.
2. A different trip, and a woman sorting out our equipment noticed, and said "Nice nails!", and again, that was it.
Nobody else said anything.

So then I got a bit braver, and did my fingernails as well, which are a lot more visible.

Again, first day I was very nervous (and first time I went to the toilet and someone else was at the urinal, I chickened out and veered off to a cubicle instead.), but nobody said anything. Again, I kept them like this for about a week, and got no noticeable reaction, other than once sitting outside a cafe, when I'm sure a table of three men had noticed and seemed to be glancing in my direction and grinning amongst themselves just a little too often - though may have been my paranoia.

The only other (possible) reaction, was when handing over my boarding card for getting on the return flight. I showed the card to the security guy, who I'm sure couldn't have failed to notice my pink fingernails, and he said "Good on you mate", then immediately turned to the next person. It might not have been anything to do with the nails, but it seemed an odd thing to say if it wasn't.

So far, it didn't really matter what anyone thought, because I was never going to see any of them again anyway, but now we were heading home, with my nails still painted.

We were collected from the airport by a good friend of ours, and we went for a quick drink with her and her husband (also a good friend). It took a while, but eventually she said "Look, I've just got to ask - have you got something on your nails?". "Yes", I said, and showed her. I don't think she really knew what to say next, but the conversation continued fairly normally via a digression about men having manicures whilst on holiday. He didn't say anything - again I think because he couldn't think what to say.

Anyway, we are seeing them again next week, so now I've got to decide whether I remove the polish, and return to 'normal', and it can be simply explained away as a 'holiday thing', or whether I keep them like this, at which point I'm not sure what the best plausible explanation is for why I've still got my nails painted. The best I can come up with so far is 'I felt like it', which is true and hard to argue with, but a little lacking...

I'm not going back to work for a while yet, so that's a separate issue, and one I think I can handle, but I'm wondering whether I can get my friends to accept the concept that I've now started wearing nail varnish, without things getting too complicated.

I'm wondering whether going for another colour than pink might be a good idea to get them used to the idea without it looking quite so girly. If they accept that for some odd reason I now wear nail varnish sometimes, then accepting that sometimes it is pink is only a small extra step...

Anyway, I'd reached the point on holiday where I was comfortable with it, and didn't mind people seeing, but with friends it's a whole new thing...

Any thoughts and comments very welcome...

Love - Selina

[Emma Chase]

Hi Selina

I am jealous that you could wear a colour on both feet and fingers. Like you said fine when not going to see these people again.... but now home it's different.

If you feel comfortable enough to carry on wearing the polish then thats great... it sounds like there was no big issue with your freinds once the manicure subject was raised in the bar.

If in your shoes I would not be removing the polish as the 'shock factor' if you can call it that has been passed.

Re touch the nails and enjoy it!


Emma

[Nlenro-nu]

The phrase" Good on you mate" is a sailors compliment. The guy was either polite or may have been coming on to you it all depends on how he said those words! Brutus on Popeye the Sailor Man said the same thing to Olive Oil after her nails were painted. Brutus then shortly after proposed to Olive Oil. Ever watch that program or read the Popeye the Sailor man Comics?
brief comments from Nlenro-nu

[Selina]

Hi Emma,

If you feel comfortable enough to carry on wearing the polish then thats great... it sounds like there was no big issue with your freinds once the manicure subject was raised in the bar.

If in your shoes I would not be removing the polish as the 'shock factor' if you can call it that has been passed.

Well, no big issue with those two anyway - though at the moment it may just be assumed that it's some one-off random holiday thing, and may still be a surprise if I keep doing it.

Sel.

[Selina]

Hi Nlenro-nu,

The phrase" Good on you mate" is a sailors compliment. The guy was either polite or may have been coming on to you it all depends on how he said those words! Brutus on Popeye the Sailor Man said the same thing to Olive Oil after her nails were painted. Brutus then shortly after proposed to Olive Oil. Ever watch that program or read the Popeye the Sailor man Comics?
brief comments from Nlenro-nu

I'm pretty sure it was meant as 'Good for you' / 'Well done' kind of thing.

I vaguelly recall watching Popeye cartoons on the telly a zillion years ago, but don't really remember anything about them except spinach...

Sel.

[Lilith Moon]

Ironically, the only comment I have ever had was when I hadn't painted my nails. I had bought one of those printer cartridge re-inking kits and made a mess with the red ink. My bright red fingernails would not come clean...just on one hand, of course.

I went to pick up my wife, who knows about my CDing but is not very supportive. She commented.."Been at it again, I see." She refused to believe my "excuse" about the printer ink.

[Adrianne]

Hello Selina

I toe nails are painted red 24/7 and i wear clear nail varnish on work days.
On my weekends i wear pink nail varnish all weedend long. I got it on when i go shopping and i never had anyone say a think to me when i passed money over.

[Veronica E. Scott]

Well the wife was house sitting for her brother for a few days so this gave veronica a chance to relax and be her girlie self she decided to shower and do a little primping so after the shower she decided to paint her toes with clear polish when finished she thought what would the SO think?(not excepting in any form)well it took about a week before she noticed and hit the roof still keep clear polish on though.