Interview Nails

I had been happy at my last job for several years. I had my own office, not with a view, mind you, but I had doors, and while my work space was relatively small, it was mine and I was allowed to make of it what I would. Then that went to hell in a hurry and I found myself in the unhappy position of searching for another situation. I don't like job hunting and what to wear for an interview on my nails was stressful.
Yes.
I recognize how stupid that may sound.

However. If you are a die hard nail hound, you devote a lot of your time and energy and at least one day off a week to writing a blog about nail polish, then trying to decide what to wear to an interview is a stressful thing. I searched online. Certainly, I scoffed, I have enough colors and there are enough blogs out there, I will get some good ideas and be able to narrow this down. HA. I say. HA.

All I really found were nonsense threads about the value of just going bare, little buff and off you go. I'm guessing, if you are reading this, that you are sitting there, mouth agape, as I was. Bare??? As in...NAKED? NAKED NAILS?? It simply isn't done. I wouldn't feel myself. I wouldn't feel groomed. I would feel out of sorts. This is not the right thing. I had to search on my own. Hopefully this post will save you similar stress.

For the first few interviews I wore a really lovely combination of two colors that BMWWU put together. On their own they are pretty and not quite right for one reason or another, but together they created a softly nude look with depth that didn't draw attention. Excellent. However, no jobs came from those and so for the next interview I wanted to try something else. Do I think the manicure kept me from getting the job? No. Call it superstition. So here is that look, plus the other things I tried. I'll show you a shot of that look on its own because it will do and I will do it again. If you're as fair as I am then you may like it for yourself as well. I don't know that it would be as interview suitable on olive or darker complexions, though. It's pretty light.

I had a flash of brilliance and remembered I had the Summer 2011 Zoya Touch set. Three soft nude polishes that might just do. In digging that out I found Zoya Uma, as well.

 These are from left to right: Zoya Uma, Rescue Beauty Lounge Sheer Nude, Nails Inc. something. I can't find it to get you the name, but I discarded the color so it'll hold. It was too purple, too grey...no. Zoya Minka is on the index finger.

Minka. Wow. Um. NO. Too yellow, too beige...not working on me at all. Look how it washes me out. Yes, you do see a streak of green on the ring finger, that's Wet n Wild Glowstick hanging on. Ignore it, that's the LAST thing you're going to want to wear to an interview.
Uma...that has promise. Pretty but not attention grabbing and Sheer Nude is pretty and neutral on it's own but a bit...hard, on my coloring.

Here they are next to their respective bottles, just for more color.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Sheer Nude plus Deborah Lippmann Dream a Little Dream. DALD is a sheer shimmer pink, it's lovely and light and it brings depth and softness to Sheer Nude, which is a little...serviceable. It's like a pair of plain black pumps. It'll do it but it's not going to light up your world. On me I thin it's a tad harsh so adding a little softness gives it just the right feel. It's pretty and elegant this way. DALD on it's own would be too girlie to be taken seriously. Serious interview, you need serious nails.

Zoya Uma and the Rescue Beauty/Deborah Lippman combination. A tad similar in feel, aren't they? Only the RBL/DL combo is about $34 to achieve while Uma is just a little $8 vegan gem. uh-huh

I have it down to these right now, but I'm going to try the others from the Touch collection. Minka was a nightmare on me. Let's see what the others do.

Left to right: Zoya Uma, Dream a Little Sheer Nude (as I've elected to shorten it to), Zoya Shay and Zoya Pandora.

OK. Now we're talking. I had thought, going off Scrangies swatches that Shay, in the middle, was going to be my girl. It's pretty and it was really pretty on Scrangie. However, our coloring must be just different enough that while it's nice enough on me, it's not a YEAHHHHH kinda color. Honestly, any of these will do. Nice and nude, pretty enough but not vampy, sexy or grabbing.

*sigh*

What to do.

We know I don't really want to do Dream a Little Nude again. Wasn't lucky. So what does any self-respecting girl do? She shoots this off to her girlies and waits for opinions. Plus MDAMO, because, as we know, male opinions can be interesting and informative as they have a whole different perspective.
I got one vote for Uma, One for Shay (Ruby Pumps said Uma was too pink and Pandora is "trying too hard". ? ) and MDAMO liked Pandora. I felt Shay was a touch too yellow. Just a hair. It would be fine for every day, but when I need to walk in feeling my best...that wasn't going to give me that feeling. I was really torn between Pandora and Uma. Either would do...which would make me feel the most professional, the most capable, the most...hireable?

Either.

And my third girlie simple said "Looks Good", which means she saw no difference. Abstaining. Interesting.

Ultimately, I went with...Pandora. It was a tad more neutral on me. And it got more votes. MDAMO and Mom went for that one so I did too. I think ultimately, I could have easily done either. Really any of these. I walked in to the interview and the recruiter was wearing burgundy. So there it is.

Next up, how it wore. You won't believe it. I didn't.

Happy Job Seeking Talons!