Tumblr, I want you to know that you ruin me sometimes.

Three months ago I was just a normal semi-normal mostly-normal-for-show kinda gal, going about my business. Then all this stuff started showing up in my dash. “What is Night Vale?” I asked, then downloaded, and then it was all over. It’s an overused phrase, but I fell in love instantly.

So since I do these kind of things, I decided that it deserved its own nail set. Originally I had intended to make symbols for each nail, but I’m not gonna lie, my brain couldn’t focus long enough for that. So I decided to go for something easier. I made a purple gradient using the sponge technique and also sponged on some glitter. I wanted it to represent the line from the pilot episode, “A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep.” I have to say, I’m glad I got lazy. I think it’s a classy looking manicure.

This is actually the second time I’ve done the manicure. The first one photographed poorly. Too much glare from the lights. So this time around I used a matte topcoat to alleviate that problem.

As we all know, I’m an overachiever when it comes to creative endeavors. And despite the fact that it’s a terrible place, I thought Desert Bluffs could get some representation. After all, I’m a fair person. I tried a yellow to orange gradient at first, but wasn’t happy with the way it looked. So instead I opted for a solid, matte yellow with “blood splatters” made using the straw technique. The blood decoration seemed appropriate.

Also, I’m getting better at drawing with my non-dominant hand. I drew the buildings on with a black nail pen. But the sun came out way better because I employed the decal technique, which I will do a tutorial for shortly because people have asked how I do it.

For those who want to know, these are the nail polishes I used:

For Night Vale: Spoiled in “2 Weeks Sober”, Nicole by OPI from the Selena Gomez line in “Kissed at Midnight”, Sally Hansen Insta-dri in “Vigorous Violet”, and Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in black.

For Desert Bluffs: Mira in “Bronzed Mink, Sephora by OPI in “IM Beauty”, and a random red nail polish I got in a makeup set one Christmas.

Top coats: Sephora by OPI 3-in-1 Base, top and strengthener, and Sephora by OPI matte topcoat.

P.S. There may or may not be an accompanying costume. So stay tuned, dear followers. 😉