Pirate Polish

This blog is the home of Pirate Polish! To see Pirate Polish swatches, click here. To visit Pirate Polish on Facebook, click here.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

maX maR - another nameless Ukrainian lacquer

After a day of wearing Essie Forever Yummy, a gorgeous red creme, I decided to layer a favourite glitter of mine overtop. This is one of my Ukrainian polishes, and while the brand name appears to be "maX maR", it doesn't seem to have a colour name. Have a look:




My best guess is that this is maX maR #21. It is a mixture of fine red glitter along with larger red and shiny gold glitters. I'm quite fond of it- it's a good layering glitter, and has a very glossy finish. It makes me think of little glowing embers.



I'm always a little self-conscious while wearing red nails, let alone glittery red ember nails... does anyone else feel that way? I never feel the slightest bit self-conscious over blue nails, or purple nails, or any other colour for that matter. Just red. 

I have to admit, I don't think I would survive in the world of Ukrainian fashion for very long if I'm shy about red nail polish. The fashion in Ukraine is... well... it's BOLD. I'm not sure how else to explain it. Sometimes that's a good thing, other times a bad thing. At universities in North America I've seen people come to class in pyjama bottoms, or more commonly the ubiquitous yoga pant (thanks for that, lululemon). This would be unheard of in Ukrainian universities. Instead nearly everyone wears sky high stilettos, and what I would generally consider club wear is common every-day wear. The most intense fashion choice I witnessed from a female student was an electric blue furry vest, paired with skin-tight shiny black pleather pants- with requisite stilettos, of course. On an icy day I could hardly navigate the sidewalks in my winter boots, let alone stilettos! 

Here are a couple fun pictures of mannequins I saw at a shopping mall during my time in Ukraine:



I think there's only one way to adequately sum up Ukrainian fashion, and that's with a photo of this window display I saw in Odessa:


"FASHION BOOM!!"

18 comments:

  1. LOL maybe you are on to something about the red color and being self conscious - maybe it's because red in our mind is such a feminine and yet bold, ever daring color?
    Anyhow, the layering works great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like it! And maybe there is a reason why matadors use red to attract bulls- it's very attention-grabbing!

      Delete
  2. I think you are self conscious about the red nail polish because it looks so good on you! Embrace it and work it! The glitter looks exactly like embers...I love it.
    And I had no idea about Ukrainian fashion, thanks for enlightening me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks! And I'm glad you like how the glitter looks like embers! I think it's a cool look.

      Delete
  3. This mani is so ME! I love wearing red nail polish...it's so sexy! Red is my favorite color. Don't be self conscious, work it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahah, I'm glad you approve of this mani! I'll do my best to shake off the self consciousness about wearing red polish!

      Delete
  4. lol, I had no idea red polishes were so popular in Ukraine. The color is very pretty and I like the glitters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the classic french manicure is perhaps even more popular for nails in Ukraine. I'm happy you like my red glitter manicure. :)

      Delete
  5. Another Ukrainian polish, I love it! Keep the pictures and stories coming!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll definitely do my best to share more of my Ukraine stories here, along with pictures! I'm happy you enjoyed reading it. :)

      Delete
  6. this is drop dead gorgeous, love it *.*
    in croatia the majority of girls is like the ones in ukraine ;-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! And I'd LOVE to visit Croatia... I've been meaning to go for so long. I hope on my next trip to Europe it will be one of the first stops. :D

      Delete
  7. I, too get self conscious wearing red. I think, for me, I feel the perception is that it is too sexy or not appropriate (which is especially so at the office). But realistically, I know that's silly so I just ignore the self consciousness. Haha, or I focus it on other areas. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree- it's kind of silly to feel this way because after all, it's just another colour of nail lacquer. But I still do feel a little self conscious, nonetheless. I'll have to do my best to ignore it, and embrace the red lacquer. ;)

      Delete
  8. ohh this looks so pretty! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love how that glitter looks. It looks fiery :) And it looks great on you!!! And I LOVE reds. Reds are sexy, classic, and alluring. I think I need to put red polish on now...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks- they are pretty classic, aren't they? I'm actually quite comfortable wearing deep vampy reds, it's just the bright ones that sometimes make me "shy", haha. I think I'll make a concerted effort to embrace more bright flashy reds!

      Delete