Polish selection at the beginning of a little spa indulgence is always a fun moment to determine what you want to be walking around thinking about for the next 4-6 weeks. Especially in winter, when your toes are not on full display. The color you pick is more for you than the toe monitors of open-toe shoe season. The OPI colors have the best names (sadly, not eco-friendly). Personal favorites include "Queen of D'Nile," "An Affair in Red Square," "Peru-B-Ruby."
So I plucked alluring "Ibiza" off the shelf and bravely embraced the new blue and gray tones of the season. But really, I was reliving what was an old habit long put into hibernation.
The period of mid-1990s, also known as high school, was the peak of grunge and manic panic blue. Being the straight-laced speechie that I was, the blond hair was never touched. But my toes? Ahh, well my toes were blue for every speech tournament.
It became an odd little superstition. Even my mother would pick up blue polish for me. My inner artist rebelling against my future MBA self. Blue toes gave me confidence, a little sass before rounds and rounds of extemp and impromptu.
Somewhere between the move from IL to DC, the toes stopped being blue. I don't remember any fanfare, I just stopped using the color.
But today, as I stood there staring at the lovely dark crimsons and pinks I've faithfully worn for years, I wanted blue. And when the first brush stroke hit by nail, I knew. I am no longer a blue polish girl. Whatever that impulse was, needs to go back to into my Pekinian.
The beautiful deep water blue is gracing my toes as I type this and I plan to put these little piggies on full view in yoga tomorrow, but these next few weeks are likely my last miles walked in my blue toes. The color of my youth is not the color of my thirties.
Perhaps my subconscious was looking for a little boost of confidence as I begin training for another 10 miler and pushed me toward Ibiza. And hey, maybe these first miles tread on blues toes will set me on the right path to better health. But farewell blue, we shall likely not meet again.
I just read this the other day, and you might find it interesting in light of this post:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.andreatung.com/2011/01/healthy-nail-polish.html
very interesting and I think totally underscores the idea that "eco" is the new easy label for marketers to tack onto a product for people to pick it. Yet another unregulated label. I'm at least happy the new nail place tries to cut down on unnecessary chemicals and their lotions, etc. are all vegan/organic so it's a start.
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