Illamasqua Prism + 1930s nail polish

So it works as a layering polish (see yesterday).
I think it works on its own. I know many people won't agree. But if you don't have it you won't know how secretive it is. It hides its personality better than Anthony Blunt managed to conceal his espionage activities and become Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures!

• Because it's sheer I tend to slop it about hence the cuticle mess
• The tips are also own to my lackadaisicality (I'm not sure there is a noun for it)
• I thought I'd whiten the undernail but the polish migrated northwards

That Eyeko Rain is my new BEST BLUE. Not just best light blue. Best-ever blue. And I've got some good blues. It doesn't give me lobster-claws and it isn't streaky. You can't say fairer....

I like history. 

I like nail polish.

I'm going to do nail polish history.

Vix is doing a bostin' blisterin' series on 20th century fashion and I can't hope to emulate her fantasticity but I'm going to go ahead with my mini-project.

Ancient Egyptians - herbs and beeswax and stuff produced pink/red nails - the darker the pigment the higher the social status

Ancient Chinese - pretty much the same but they also used gold and silver to enhance their nails

Moving on swiftly to the 1920s and car paint...

That's how it started. Car paint.

20s and 30s - polish widely available and no longer a cast-iron guarantee that you were a lady of easy virtue. Nails were long and pointy.

Tips and half-moons weren't painted and you can see from the chart that polish wasn't restricted solely to pink and red. It became fashionable to accessorise with clothing colour.

Just to prove that respectable (!!!) women could wear nail polish - bankers' wives.

Both ads are from the 30s and I don't think I've nicked them shamelessly or illegally but, if I have, I apologise and will credit/remove them.

Tomorrow - more original nail polish advertising and car paints. All will become clear.

Jen