Hello again, Interwebs! It’s officially mid-January, and the 2011 optimism is still going strong. I may be slipping a bit on one or two of those resolutions, but I’ve got all year to work out the bugs, right?

I’ve been promising a full review of Zoya’s nail lacquer, and it is coming. Without fail, my nails have been covered in Zoya since about October–I just keep forgetting to take pictures that will show the wear or lack thereof. So it is coming, I promise. Just remind me to take those pictures.

In the meantime, I’ve been playing around with my manicure. I did go to cosmetology school, so I know my way around beauty products and how to use them, but I never learned how to properly manicure nails. And as a habitual nail-biter since I was about seven, I’ve never really needed to take care of my claws–but sometime around July, I just suddenly quit. The most amazing thing happened: this hard, fibrous substance sprouted from my fingers! I have nails now!

I make a point of filing and polishing and whatnot at least once a week, whenever they start looking ugly. Normally, I smear one solid colour on them, throw on a top-coat and call it a day. But in my endless blog-reading adventures, I saw an interesting icicle-themed glitter manicure and thought I might try something similar.

Needless to say, it’s not even remotely icicle-like. But it is a pretty green-glitter gradated effect–it reminds me of fairy-dust, or magic mermaid nails. Yes, I am five.

I used about four coats of glitter, starting with a very light coat starting at the tip and blending it about three-quarters of the way down the nail. Each subsequent coat began also at the tip but was pulled only about halfway down the length of the previous coat. The last one was just a line across the tip.

(I don’t know why my nails look dirty in this picture–methinks it is a lighting issue…)

Full list of products used:

Super-cheap nail strengthener, I think it was from WalMart
Zoya Anchor Base Coat
Zoya Nail Polish in Southbeach Ice – described as “a sheer shimmery aqua with icy iridescent glitter,” it appears to me more of a sheer sea-green with blue-green glitter
Zoya Armor Top Coat

In other news, I’ve been eating a completely vegan diet now for about a week and I don’t miss anything. It may just be the ridiculous optimism I’ve been running on, but I all ready feel more energetic and a bit “cleaner”…I don’t feel sick or nauseous after eating lately, as I often had. And I’m enjoying the change in menu! Behold, Spicy Tempeh, on a Bed of Zucchini Noodles:

This particular dish was a bit of a science experiment, modified from a recipe in Moskowitz & Romero’s Veganomicon. I lacked some ingredients, had some things not in the recipe, so I winged it. I’ve also been dying to try my hand at zucchini noodles, so I ribboned some zucchini and cut up the core to simmer with the tempeh. Final verdict? Very good, even if my mother insists zucchini noodles are the worst idea ever. Go figure–I should have guessed raw veggie slices masquerading as pasta would offend her Italian sensibilities.

Also? Tempeh is not nearly as terrifying as it sounded originally.

Love you to the Moon and Back,

Luna Valentine