For the record, it’s very, very awkward to take a picture of yourself that has your hands in it and have it look natural! Why do I feel like my paws look bigger than my head here? ?
I haven’t worn rainbow nails in a minute, but I absolutely HAD TO after we rented Promising Young Woman last weekend. It’s a thriller starring Carey Mulligan as Cassie, a young 30-something woman who experiences something traumatic that leads her to drop out of medical school, move back in with her parent and…pursue other ends. I don’t want to give away too much, but it involves some revenge.
Cassie wears a pastel rainbow manicure throughout the movie, and it’s front and center at a few key moments.
I’ve been reading about the styling for the film, and it turns out that the manicure was writer/director Emerald Fennell’s idea, and fun fact for ya — she’s the lady who plays Camilla Parker-Bowles in The Crown!
Symbolically, Cassie’s nails and makeup represent both her armor and a weapon. Her sweet girlishness at times conceals her anger.
I just wanted to wear rainbows on my hands to have a little fun, but I definitely appreciate using makeup as armor.
- Pink: Smith & Cult Plastic Beach
- Orange: Chanel Orange Fizz (no longer available, try Chanel Cruise)
- Yellow: Sally Hansen Lemon Heaven
- Mint Green: Sally Hansen Prince Char-Mint
- Baby Blue: Essie First View
Near the end of the film, there’s a scene with Cassie in a candy-colored wig putting on a bright lipstick, and dagnabbit, even without my glasses on, and consequently being half-blind, I knew it was MAC. The movie’s makeup artist, Angie Wells, used MAC All Fired Up Retro Matte Lipstick.
I’m wearing it here with MAC Beet Lip Pencil.
Speaking of bright and colorful things…I got a gluten-free sprinkle boxed cake mix and a matching sprinkle cake frosting (both by Pillsbury) at Target a few weeks ago to make a cake, and you know what? It was pretty darned delicious. Both the boxed Funfetti cake and the frosting were surprisingly tasty and flavorful (I could really taste the vanilla). The cake was also light and fluffy, and the frosting spread easily.
Everything was so good that I went back to the store and got more for the next time I have to bake something last-minute!
You know that I’m totally 100% down to bake a cake and make frosting from scratch, but sometimes it’s sooooo nice to have something easy around for when you get a hankerin’ for cake.
While we’re on the topic of baking, look what I found at Michaels…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Noemi says
Hi KAren,
Very nice red lipstick. Looks good and refreshing on you!
Karen says
Thanks, Noemi! This color is from MAC’s permanent line. Try it if you ever get a chance. 🙂
How are you doing? I hope that you’re having a great Tuesday so far! It’s sunny here in the SF Bay Area today and feels like spring so I can’t complain.
Noemi says
Warm here in Canada too, rain expected for Thursday.
Ilia has similar coloure lipstick. Ordered that a while ago. Wish I knew about Mac one earlier.
Noemi
Karen says
It’s in the permanent line so thankfully whenever you get the chance to try it, it should still be there. BTW the matte finish on it is beautiful! And it photographs well too.
Hope the warm weather holds up for you! It’s nice to finally go outside with just a light jacket again.
Efra says
I love your nails Karen, I haven’t painted mine in months, I should do it soon.
About those cake mixes, I’m a fan of them for low-effort stress baking or getting a cake done fast for a unexpected situation. Right now I’m all about Sally’s baking addiction blog, her zebra cake was glorious and easy.
Karen says
Hello my friend!
I’ve *barely* been able to get myself to paint my nails, so I totally get it. Next time you’re sitting around and relaxing just grab an easy color — even just a coat or two can make a difference in your mood.
I’ll have to look up that zebra cake, it sounds fun!
Tatiana says
Love the rainbow manicure! Now I need to see if Dear Daughter or Dear Husband will want to watch that movie with me.
Went to grocery store this morning and I checked out the UK import end cap. There were lots of imported Cadbury treats; Aero, Bounty Crunch, Curly Wurly, Flake, Lion, Maltesers, Polo, Smarties and Wispa but NO Fruit and Nut Bars. I’ll keep my eye open each time I go, in case they restock.
I’m all for box cakes. Dear Daughter used to make a dump cake in a tube pan made from a box cake, a box of instant pudding, chocolate chips and the standard oil, water and eggs. It was the best cake ever and the one she brought to the barn every time she came off of her horse. (The rule in the barn was “kids who fall bring chocolate something. Adults who fall bring alcohol”)
Karen says
I can’t find those dang bars anywhere in the Bay Area! We have a candy store here in town that sells them, but they’re not the British version. I only go there when I’m desperate. WAH!
Your daughter’s cake sounds SUPER GOOD! I think I need to do something similar ASAP, and in a pretty bundt pan!
Tatiana says
Here’s the “ahem” recipe.
1 box Butter Yellow cake mix. We like Duncan Hines.
1 box instant chocolate or chocolate fudge pudding.
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1 TB. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (daughter quite often tosses in entire bag)
1 cup sour cream
3 to 4 eggs (I know, it just depends on size and how fudge like you want the cake. Try 3 eggs the first time you make it, then decide)
Sift or stir all the dry ingredients together. Make a well and add wet ingredients. Beat well. Stir in chips. Bake in a well greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 F. for 55 to 60 minutes.
Karen says
YES! Thank you for this! I’m going to try it. Also, would you believe that I don’t own a bundt pan? How I made it this far in life without one, I have no idea.
Carina says
Dear Karen,
You can wear everything <3 The Mani looks fab on you!
I never dared to try different nail colours at once – I just once painted my ringfingers in another colour and it looked silly on me. Since the pandemic hit it soothes me to paint my nails – before that I never took the time and gad the patience to wait for it to dry.
Pastels do not suit me, because I am pale as a sheet of paper – I am more into reds, oranges, corals, rusty metallic browns, metallic champagnes…
And now I am dreaming of creating a kind of gradient effect with my collection: starting with dark red on the thumb and ending with a champagne on my pinky or perhaps stretch it over all 10 fingers? Thanks for the inspiration: Tomorrow I will sit down and play with my nail colours! 😉
Karen says
A gradient manicure sounds beautiful, Carina! Send me a pic once you do it!
Carina says
Hahaha, I discovered that all my „different nail polishes“ look very similar once they are on my fingers. The pinkish red, the pure red and the orangey red all look simply „red“ when they are no longer concentrated in the bottle but on my fingers… so I ended up with a red mani, pink index fingers and an orange thumb.
But it was fun to paint every finger with another polish and consistency… I will try another version another time… 😀
Karen says
It still sounds like a fun manicure. Glad you were able to bust out the polish and do a little painting! 🙂
Kim says
I totally want to watch that and am glad you reminded me. The trailer looked really interesting. I love the rainbow mani! It reminds me of when you did the rainbow eyeshadow. Still one of my faves. 🙂 I’m glad the cake mix and frosting worked out. You’re right that it’s nice to have something quicker and convenient on hand, just in case. I sent the pic of the mug to one of the boys. He just texted back and asked if I bought it. He could not be convinced when Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off came out that it was not “… bakers gonna bake, bake, bake”. HAHA!
Anne says
Ha, true makeup lovers are able to spot the lipstick in a movie. It is a superpower!