The Polished Bookworms book for May is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The story is semi-autobiographical with the main character experiencing depression and a mental breakdown similar to what Sylvia herself faced. I think knowing that Sylvia went through everything she wrote made the book more special and real for me. I found it very interesting to read about depression from the perspective of someone who doesn't exactly know what she's going through, but is describing all her thoughts and feelings throughout the experience.
I focused on a lot of the little details from the story for my manicure. Each nail represents something described in the book. If you've read it can you guess what any of them are?
Thumb
"I also have a white plastic sunglasses case with colored shells and sequins and a green plastic starfish sewed onto it."
I used two coats of Sinful Colors, Snow Me White and then dipped my nail in clear glitter for the sequins. I painted on a green starfish with China Glaze, Treble Maker.
Index Finger
"I remember the ceiling over every bathtub I've stretched out in. I remember the tubs too: the antique griffin-legged tubs, and the modern coffin-shaped tubs, and the fancy pink marble tubs over looking indoor lily ponds."
This one is two coats of Orly, Rage covered with nail foil from Dollar Nail Art in Laced Gold to mimic the pink marble finish of Esther's tub.
Middle Finger
"Her first diamond." "Give it to her, Marco." Marco bowed and deposited the stickpin in my palm. It dazzled and danced with light like a heavenly ice cube. I slipped it quickly into my imitation jet bead evening bag and looked around.
I started with two coats of Sinful Colors, Black on Black then stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM-214 to create the beaded bag. I used a rhinestone diamond to top it off.
Ring Finger
"Arrayed on the Ladies' Day banquet table were yellow-green avocado pear halves stuffed with crabmeat and mayonnaise, and platters of rare roast beef and cold chicken, and every so often a cut-glass bowl heaped with black caviar."
I loved that Esther had a ravenous appetite for caviar and ate the whole bowl by herself. I used caviar beads to create this nail and coated them with a black jelly polish to make them look extra squishy and delicious.
Pinkie
"I still have the makeup kit they gave me... [containing] three lipsticks ranging from red to pink, all cased in the same little gilt box with a mirror on the side."
I did a gradient to represent the three lipsticks that came in Esther's makeup case. I used Wet n Wild, Tickled Pink for the base and then sponged on OPI, Hey Baby and China Glaze, Seeing Red.
I've already seen a few of the manicures for this book and I'm loving them. Check them out here: