Acetone Files: Oscars - Jessica Chastain Armani Franken!
Acetone Files: Oscars Edition!
Jessica Chastain Armani Franken
February 25, 2013
Obviously, like all culture/fashion/movie fans, I was absorbed in the Oscars last night. Aside from the red carpet and the awards drama, I was looking out for something to inspire my Oscars manicure. In a way, I never really saw something and thought "Manicure!" ... but I did see a dress that absolutely took my breath away, and decided I had to try to duplicate it!
Jessica Chastain is one of my favorite starlets to look for on the red carpet, because she wears amazing things and looks great in them! But this tops my list of best dressed ever - my jaw hit the floor when I saw this beautiful Armani gown that looks like it was not only fitted to perfection, but as if the color was specifically designed for her. I don't know what to call this color STILL - peachy, rusty, coppery, nude-y, silvery? It hits all the tones in Jessica's skin, hair, and lips, complementing them and matching them in color and overlay in one giant shimmering masterpiece. From far away, it blends into this duochromy dream, close up you can see an amazing art-deco tracery of chevrons that just barely exaggerates her already fantastic curves! In fact, at the time I thought, "I wish this was a nail polish!"
Well, despite the monumental task it would be (considering I had no idea what to CALL the color, much less what nail polish to use!), I just had to try it on my nails. I think I was crazy to take it on, but it proved to be a fun challenge, and my first attempt at frankening! I still don't think I quite captured the color(s) of the dress, but I got pretty close and I'm proud of myself for taking it on!
I studied pictures of the dress a lot - it's hard because colors and textures, even simple ones, sometimes look very different in motion on TV than they do in photos. I found that to be true for Jessica's dress, but also I was able to finally see how the colors broke down: a shimmery nude-orange underdress with a shimmery white-silver overlay of those amazing angled lines.
As you can see, I mixed and experimented a LOT before I finally hit upon frankens for each of the two colors that I liked; I ended up with the base color about half and half China Glaze Sunset Sail and Lex First Grade (I'm sure you can find one nude that color but I didn't have one), with an overlay of CND Copper Shimmer topcoat - am I glad I had that! It was the PERFECT addition for that amazing orange sheen Jessica's dress has!
For the line overlay, I still don't think I got it perfect - maybe it could have used some silver but when I mixed them it always looked too dark. But what I found was I needed the amazing crystalline shimmer of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamonds (a must-have topcoat for any collection, I have to say), and a little opacity that was neither too white or too dark, to which OPI Skull and Glossbones stepped up nicely - I ended up with almost 3 parts Diamonds to one part OPI, because the cream is rather overpowering and I needed a LOT of sparkle! Looking back, I think I would have added a teeny drop or two of L'Oreal Just Jet-Setting (a slightly bluish metallic silver) if I had to do it again.
Besides creating new colors, I created a new technique for this manicure too! I knew I HAD to do the cool angles of the overlay with striping tape, but we all know doing striping lines is a pain in the ass, right? So I thought, why not place the lines first, and then apply it to the nail? So I invented what I call "striping tape looms" to help me place the lines. It does take about the same amount of TIME to place all the stripes as it would on your nails, but I found it easier to line them up flat across and then put that on my nail than the to try to put the tape on a curved surface - plus you have both hands free! I didn't reuse the same loom - I didn't want to try it and mess up a nail, since my franken for the base was dried up by then - but you MIGHT be able to dab off the excess polish and use it once more!
[How to use striping tape looms - the complete tutorial!]How to use striping tape looms:
1) Cut some pieces of thin cardboard (I used what I had in my recycle bin: a flash drive box) into strips. Tape them down to your work surface and line the edges up as well as you can. Make sure you can fit the nail you are using it for between them at the angle you want the stripes to go. Cut and place pieces of striping tape like normal. Try to get the tension about the same on all tape, but it's okay if they're not perfect, and it's okay if they stick to your surface beneath it (as long as the surface is shiny and non-pourous), just be careful when peeling it up. When you're done placing tape, put a piece of clear scotch tape (/cellotape) over the ends to hold them in place - this is important! Without the tape, they will come off the cardboard.
2) Make one loom for each finger, just to be safe, even if you want to try re-using them. You don't want to have to make an extra loom while your nails are wet! Customize the sizes to your nails, but when in doubt, add one more stripe! When you're ready to use them, carefully peel the cardboard (and stripes) off your surface and fold the excess tape under the cardboard (cut if it folds beyond the cardboard into the stripes of course).
3) When your base is totally dry, place your loom over the nail, making sure the tape goes all the way down into the edges of your nail, in the direction you want the stripes to go. smooth everything down really well, and feel free to carefully peel up and re-place any tape that may not line up just right. You know the striping tape drill.
4) Paint, pull off, clean up etc. You're done!
Okay, anyway, due to how labor-intensive that was, I only did my left hand in the stripes. I'm psyched how it came out! I had no huge mishaps with the tape, and the stripes look amazing! I alternated the horizontal angle to mimic the chevron angles in Jessica's dress. But my favorite thing about it is the oh-so-fine glitter effect of the SHDS Diamonds in the white stripes! Gorgeous!
On my right hand, I left the base color as-is, and I have to say, I really love it! The nude I mixed up ended up a really gorgeous coppery orange, and the CND Copper Shimmer is an absolute DREAM over it. It doesn't even photograph half as well as it looks IRL, and especially looks amazing in incandescent light. If I hadn't put so much work into the cool striping effect on the left hand, I might actually prefer this franken by itself!
It does really cool things in different lights; as you can see from the bottom two shots, it has two different sheens just in incandescent alone! Also, I chipped my middle finger almost immediately at work and cleverly hid it with my thumb - oh well, this is what happens when you skip basecoats! Overall, I would love to bottle this so I could wear it again without having to remix it! Maybe just buy a nude this color and add the CND again!
I just had to share this manicure before it disintegrated ;P but never fear, I have a lot to say about the Oscars drama and fashion - and now, nails! - as always! Stay tuned!
Jessica Chastain Armani Franken
February 25, 2013
Obviously, like all culture/fashion/movie fans, I was absorbed in the Oscars last night. Aside from the red carpet and the awards drama, I was looking out for something to inspire my Oscars manicure. In a way, I never really saw something and thought "Manicure!" ... but I did see a dress that absolutely took my breath away, and decided I had to try to duplicate it!
Jessica Chastain is one of my favorite starlets to look for on the red carpet, because she wears amazing things and looks great in them! But this tops my list of best dressed ever - my jaw hit the floor when I saw this beautiful Armani gown that looks like it was not only fitted to perfection, but as if the color was specifically designed for her. I don't know what to call this color STILL - peachy, rusty, coppery, nude-y, silvery? It hits all the tones in Jessica's skin, hair, and lips, complementing them and matching them in color and overlay in one giant shimmering masterpiece. From far away, it blends into this duochromy dream, close up you can see an amazing art-deco tracery of chevrons that just barely exaggerates her already fantastic curves! In fact, at the time I thought, "I wish this was a nail polish!"
Well, despite the monumental task it would be (considering I had no idea what to CALL the color, much less what nail polish to use!), I just had to try it on my nails. I think I was crazy to take it on, but it proved to be a fun challenge, and my first attempt at frankening! I still don't think I quite captured the color(s) of the dress, but I got pretty close and I'm proud of myself for taking it on!
I studied pictures of the dress a lot - it's hard because colors and textures, even simple ones, sometimes look very different in motion on TV than they do in photos. I found that to be true for Jessica's dress, but also I was able to finally see how the colors broke down: a shimmery nude-orange underdress with a shimmery white-silver overlay of those amazing angled lines.
As you can see, I mixed and experimented a LOT before I finally hit upon frankens for each of the two colors that I liked; I ended up with the base color about half and half China Glaze Sunset Sail and Lex First Grade (I'm sure you can find one nude that color but I didn't have one), with an overlay of CND Copper Shimmer topcoat - am I glad I had that! It was the PERFECT addition for that amazing orange sheen Jessica's dress has!
For the line overlay, I still don't think I got it perfect - maybe it could have used some silver but when I mixed them it always looked too dark. But what I found was I needed the amazing crystalline shimmer of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamonds (a must-have topcoat for any collection, I have to say), and a little opacity that was neither too white or too dark, to which OPI Skull and Glossbones stepped up nicely - I ended up with almost 3 parts Diamonds to one part OPI, because the cream is rather overpowering and I needed a LOT of sparkle! Looking back, I think I would have added a teeny drop or two of L'Oreal Just Jet-Setting (a slightly bluish metallic silver) if I had to do it again.
Besides creating new colors, I created a new technique for this manicure too! I knew I HAD to do the cool angles of the overlay with striping tape, but we all know doing striping lines is a pain in the ass, right? So I thought, why not place the lines first, and then apply it to the nail? So I invented what I call "striping tape looms" to help me place the lines. It does take about the same amount of TIME to place all the stripes as it would on your nails, but I found it easier to line them up flat across and then put that on my nail than the to try to put the tape on a curved surface - plus you have both hands free! I didn't reuse the same loom - I didn't want to try it and mess up a nail, since my franken for the base was dried up by then - but you MIGHT be able to dab off the excess polish and use it once more!
[How to use striping tape looms - the complete tutorial!]How to use striping tape looms:
1) Cut some pieces of thin cardboard (I used what I had in my recycle bin: a flash drive box) into strips. Tape them down to your work surface and line the edges up as well as you can. Make sure you can fit the nail you are using it for between them at the angle you want the stripes to go. Cut and place pieces of striping tape like normal. Try to get the tension about the same on all tape, but it's okay if they're not perfect, and it's okay if they stick to your surface beneath it (as long as the surface is shiny and non-pourous), just be careful when peeling it up. When you're done placing tape, put a piece of clear scotch tape (/cellotape) over the ends to hold them in place - this is important! Without the tape, they will come off the cardboard.
2) Make one loom for each finger, just to be safe, even if you want to try re-using them. You don't want to have to make an extra loom while your nails are wet! Customize the sizes to your nails, but when in doubt, add one more stripe! When you're ready to use them, carefully peel the cardboard (and stripes) off your surface and fold the excess tape under the cardboard (cut if it folds beyond the cardboard into the stripes of course).
3) When your base is totally dry, place your loom over the nail, making sure the tape goes all the way down into the edges of your nail, in the direction you want the stripes to go. smooth everything down really well, and feel free to carefully peel up and re-place any tape that may not line up just right. You know the striping tape drill.
4) Paint, pull off, clean up etc. You're done!
Okay, anyway, due to how labor-intensive that was, I only did my left hand in the stripes. I'm psyched how it came out! I had no huge mishaps with the tape, and the stripes look amazing! I alternated the horizontal angle to mimic the chevron angles in Jessica's dress. But my favorite thing about it is the oh-so-fine glitter effect of the SHDS Diamonds in the white stripes! Gorgeous!
On my right hand, I left the base color as-is, and I have to say, I really love it! The nude I mixed up ended up a really gorgeous coppery orange, and the CND Copper Shimmer is an absolute DREAM over it. It doesn't even photograph half as well as it looks IRL, and especially looks amazing in incandescent light. If I hadn't put so much work into the cool striping effect on the left hand, I might actually prefer this franken by itself!
It does really cool things in different lights; as you can see from the bottom two shots, it has two different sheens just in incandescent alone! Also, I chipped my middle finger almost immediately at work and cleverly hid it with my thumb - oh well, this is what happens when you skip basecoats! Overall, I would love to bottle this so I could wear it again without having to remix it! Maybe just buy a nude this color and add the CND again!
I just had to share this manicure before it disintegrated ;P but never fear, I have a lot to say about the Oscars drama and fashion - and now, nails! - as always! Stay tuned!