Nail polish reactions

Hi All,

I've been wearing nail polish (gels) for at least the last two years. Right now I have red for the first time. Usually, I have a multi-colored theme with art. The red is definitely a more feminine color. Of course it is always visible regardless of how I'm presenting.

I'm dressed as male and women nearly always say something positive about my nails. Like "let me see", "where do you have these done?", "they're pretty/cute", or "I wish my nails looked that good." Last week the cashier at the grocery said "I'm all for it". It does make me feel better about being accepted as having a feminine quality.

I wonder if they'd have the same reaction if it was their boyfriend or husband? Probably not, but I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm abstract whereas a boyfriend/husband is too close to home? Would it somehow be an uncomfortable reflection on the female?

Thanks for your valuable time -- Mandy

Attachment 314494

That was one from earlier this year. I keep them short for my job.

Hi Mandy,

My wife picked out a hot pink fleece jacket that I wore all the time for about a year.
I figured it was time to buy a new hot pink jacket and found one on Revolve. Lots of cute stuff there.
I have no idea why i rarely see that color in stores.

Marion

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Amanda22

I wonder if they'd have the same reaction if it was their boyfriend or husband? Probably not,

---

We call people that are okay with something until it effects them a NIMBY, it stands for "Not in my backyard". You would be surprised how wide spread nimbys are.

When I am getting a pedicure I get some nice compliments from the women close to me and as a matter of fact one woman liked my color so much she switched to using it herself.
I agree a wife or SO may not have as positive of a view as it could possibly be an uncomfortable reflection on them.

Amanda,
I wear nail polish all the time , I have large hands so I feel the nails are a distraction .

My wife and I have seen nail polish on men now and then, I would love to wear nail polish but the wife hates it on me but is OK with other males wearing polish, go figure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crissy 107

When I am getting a pedicure I get some nice compliments from the women close to me and as a matter of fact one woman liked my color so much she switched to using it herself.

---

I got similar comment once when I was getting a pedi. I was just finishing up and she was just starting next to me. She said, "You really rock that blue [nail polish]." I told her that she could get blue also, but she said that blue doesn't look good on her.

Too close to home is a real thing. A stranger can get away with so much more than someone you live with.

I generally wear a clear topcoat on my nails, especially once they grow past my fingertips. I've had several women complement me on them. I've also had a male coworker call me out on them in front of other colleagues. A female colleague who was there pulled me aside later, told me how nice they looked and how she admired them. My wife, on the other hand, never said anything about the polish but gives me friendly reminders to cut them.

I also keep a color on my toes. No one, other than my wife, sees them. Again, wifey doesn't comment. I should take her non-comment as a compliment.

That is a pretty cool looking design

Sandi

I wish I could do more with colors but I can only use clear on my fingernails and color on my toenails. Fingernails must be kept short due to my life long to guitar fetish. Toenails are usually red but we're having a family day at the lake and I may be called on to help launch a boat so am holding off on redoing my toenails until after the weekend in case I end up being the one who goes in the water to guide it off the trailer. I would have to take my shoes off to dry and my son for lack of a better term has become a rural Wisconsin redneck. Red toenails wouldn't freak him out but he would be all over it with barroom teasing. I can dish it out too, after all, I was his teacher, but it would not be a fun experience so I will wait.

Hi Mandy I have in the past been using nail polish on my fingers as it is easy to take off when in male mode. Recently I have graduated to acrylic nails as my nails keep breaking and want them to grow longer and have them shaped. So far I have been using clear on my nails but as they last a lot longer than nail polish have not taken the next step to use color. My question is how did you feel when you first went out as male mode with colored nails on and have you had any negative reactions.

Stephanie

Amanda, what kind of work do you do that you aren't constantly razzed about your nails by the guys?

I give myself manicures and generally just use clear gloss. I have had one man comment on it, the warehouse manager where I work. He just looked at me, smiled and said, "nice finger nails, looks like you use clear on them." I said "yes, my wife taught me how to do a manicure and she also does them for me sometimes." He just smiled, and that was all.

If I am not in girl mode, I still keep them long as possible and use gloss clear to keep them strong. The excuse I use is the polish keeps me from biting my nails down to the quik...and that's not a lie! I do like painted nails in pretty colors, usually as I am dressed for a theme...red for my polkadot blouse, Touquriose for my spanish dress and jewelry, French mani for primped in pearls and open toe pumps, green for my house dress and fluffy slippers, Purple or black for jeans and T a rocking girl....all white prim, proper white lacey dress and lace gloves.

Attachment 314527

Candy, your nails are beautiful! What color is that?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stephanie205

Hi Mandy I have in the past been using nail polish on my fingers as it is easy to take off when in male mode. Recently I have graduated to acrylic nails as my nails keep breaking and want them to grow longer and have them shaped. So far I have been using clear on my nails but as they last a lot longer than nail polish have not taken the next step to use color. My question is how did you feel when you first went out as male mode with colored nails on and have you had any negative reactions.

Stephanie

---

Stephanie, I have had nothing but positive reactions from females, and no reactions at all from males. But the first time I wore them out it was really fun. Not that exciting I would say, but fun. No negative reactions, thankfully.

[SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jenny22

Amanda, what kind of work do you do that you aren't constantly razzed about your nails by the guys?

---

Hi Jenny, I work in an office as a computer programmer so I'm tapping on a keyboard all day. I'm not the only "alternative" presenting person there so it works out. I could wear a dress and it would be fine, honestly. It's that open-minded!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stephanie205

Hi Mandy I have in the past been using nail polish on my fingers as it is easy to take off when in male mode. Recently I have graduated to acrylic nails as my nails keep breaking and want them to grow longer and have them shaped. So far I have been using clear on my nails but as they last a lot longer than nail polish have not taken the next step to use color. My question is how did you feel when you first went out as male mode with colored nails on and have you had any negative reactions.

Stephanie

---

Stephanie,

Depending on the type of acrylic application, glue on nail, acrylic powder dip or brush on, your true nail underneath, in my and m,any of my female acquaintance's experiences makes that true nail thinner and weaker. I tried the stick on type for about 4 weeks, and when I removed the second batch I found all my nails way too thin and I stopped using it. I have a permanent split nail that I used to need to file as short as possible so that I would not keep snagging and tearing it when putting my hands in my pocket. When I started crossdressing I was walking past a nail salon in male mode and decided to ask if there was anything they could do about it. At that time they recommended a silk wrap, which was exactly that. They put it on with some type of glue or resin, trimmed and then put a clear coat nail strengthener on all my finger nails. That method evolved to where they now use the brush technique on that nail only and then that nail strengthening clear coat. I also tried the dip method but that did not work for me. That really help that split nail, but it also caused my true nail to get thinner.

So, long story short, I do not think that stay on acrylic nails, i.e. stay glued, dipped or brushed on, will help your true nails get stronger. You probably need a good regimen using nail strengtheners like NailTecniques, NailTek, or something similar. You need nail strengthener and not nail hardener.

As for wearing nail polish out and peoples reactions, I always did clear coat on my finger nails and a very lite pink on my toe nails. People probably noticed, and only one friend actually asked me about it. Now being full time, I still get the clear coat on my finger nails and some type of color on my toes, where it lasts the longest.

NIMBY is alive and well in my closest family, especially with my daughter and only occasionally with my ex-wife.

hello Amanda,
I wear clear nail varnish most of the time -if anyone asks I tell them I play guitar.
I wear coloured nail varnish sometimes - if anyone asks I tell them I have a young granddaughter!
luv J

I once went to a pub trivia event in drab but wearing a nice shade of red polish on my nails. I was sitting and chatting to friend of a friend who was sitting next to me and when she saw my painted nails, she grabbed my hand to take a closer look. I let her.

Then she tried to talk me into being a submissive participant in a BDSM session, arguing that the submissive “has all the power” because they can make the dom stop with just one word... I didn’t buy it; not my scene.

I was able to paint my nails half an hour before heading out for shopping today with pink Expressie nail polish. It is a quick dry nail polish that only needs one coat. No base or top coat.

Marion

I hope it is okay to add my experience here.

About 4 weeks ago my wife and I went to get our feet done as mine really need a good scrapping on the heels. Plus my one big toe has a swore in-grown nail from losing the nail so many times to sports. When there the tech asked if I wanted colour, seemed she was mostly joking but I did pick a cool purple. My wife is cool about it and sees no problem with men wearing nail polish on finger and toes. It doesn't bother her if I do it as well. I liked it so much I bought sandals for the first time in 50+ years. Didn't care who saw them.

Two days after, I went back to the salon to get my fingers done as well but with gel extensions. The colours I picked was a purple with yellow tips and the reverse for the ring fingers. No hiding those colours and didn't care. I don't get a chance to dress a lot or to even express fem self, so this helps to make up for it. After 2 weeks of having my fingers done, I went in to have them filled and colour change. This coming Friday will be 4 weeks which is the longest I have ever gone with my nails done. Usually give up after a very short time with the longest being 5 days.

Reactions have been pretty positive, mostly from women with one guy at my bank telling me my nails looked nice and if I just had them done. At the dentist, the girls in the front talked about my nails and asked why. Told them the truth, I always liked it and figured it was time to not care who sees them. She then asked if I like them, so said yes very much. She said, good keep them like that and don't worry what others think. She also told me that her husband had his done for Halloween one year and really liked the way they looked. Other women said they look nicer than their's, where did I get them done, etc...

One of my wife's co-workers really liked them and told her how I took my youngest daughter to get her first salon mani with me when I got mine filled. My daughter loved it and the co-worker said that was so sweet and wished her dad did stuff like that. Figured I did the boy stuff with my boys, I should do the girl stuff for my daughter so she has memories of us doing things together.

In case you are curious and want to know my daughter's opinion, she is 13 by the way. She is fine with it and thinks it is cool. I even told her that I should take them off as the kids at school with tease me. She tells me I'm not in school, so I say what about other people then? Her response made me have no choice but to keep them as our lessons about bullies is sinking in. "If they are going to make fun of your nails, then they would find something else to make fun of you for if you didn't have your nails done. So who cares what they think or say." I wanted to cry...very proud of my child.

Just wanted to share. As far as work, thanks to the virus I am currently in-between jobs right now and hoping the next one is a little open about such things.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kelli_cd

Candy, your nails are beautiful! What color is that?

---

Well, can't remember the brand or exact name...it is a Turquoise that's for sure....found in a dollar bin and thought it would look cute.

I have been keeping my nails polished for over ten years. But just my toes, as my work is so tougb on my hands a nice manicure gets ruined immediately. I get lots of compliments from women about my pedicure, none from men. But its also the same way with my dressesor skirt outfits. I think women have an instinctive sense that I am not into any toxic masculinity BS, and they can get down to a real, unthreatening, friendly conversation with me about things we have in common. I think its similar to how some women have close friendships with gay men because sex is off the table.

I think this whole Corona Virus thing has been a great opportunity to try things like wearing polish or dressing more often. I had some gel extensions done and I wore them for two weeks before I had them removed. I got more and more comfortable wearing them that I didn?t even try to hide the fact in front of my neighbor. Only two people said anything and they know I dress up. The rest of my neighbors just ignored it.