In The Egyptian Pink

Hi my lovelies, I hope you are enjoying a sunny and peaceful Easter weekend.

I've come back home to some lovely weather.  You may have noticed I've been MIA for a few days, the A bit being gardening in this fine weather (oh joy, she typed sarcastically!).

My gardening gear is definitely not OOTD material.

Whilst I was away, my cousins persuaded me to have my nails gelled.  I have to admit that I've never been much of a manicure lady.  Pedicures, yes please!  Manicures, well my thoughts have been that my nails don't deserve to be showcased and I can always splodge some nail varnish on myself, if I need tarting up a bit.   So I think the last time I had mine done professionally was when I was still working and was going to a ball. 

Yeah, a "ball", go figure how long ago that was ...Cinderella was on the guest list!

In the last couple of years my nails have become very soft so that they break and tear as soon as they go passed the protective cushioning of the finger tip.  At first I put it down to my bare-handed dalliance with paint stripper, but two years on and the problem is still there, albeit not quite so bad. 

Is this another thing they don't tell you about aging?  Rubbish nails?

Well, ladies, I give you my tadaah shots.  Gelled nails.  OPI Egyptian Pink.

Arthritic fingers an optional extra.  Yeah, they don't tell you about those either.

I'm sure you ladies are long-familiar with the benefits, nay joys of nail gel, but I wasn't, and I am soooo impressed.  I took these photos yesterday, which is more than a week since I had them done. 

No chips, no wearing away of colour.   Not one nail has snagged or torn, despite the gardening. 

I am thrilled with them.  I can't stop admiring them and positioning them so that others can too.

  I feel like a proper lady!  And the exciting thing is that I can see my nails' rate of growth.  Winning the race right now is r/h thumb. by a huge margin.  This is an exciting new world for me!

I wanted to celebrate my pinkies being pink by wearing pink too.  I didn't need to look further than Mummabstylish for inspiration, who inspired me to head for Peacocks. 

Peacocks split-sleeve jersey top. 

So comfortable.  So affordable.  So kind to my bingo-wings.

I've already worn it with grey jeans and here, for my first white jeans outing of summer.

I'm describing the top's base colour as Egyptian Pink too, so that I come over as matchy-matchy, though I've picked up in blogs that matchy-matchy is frowned upon.  Matchy-matchy bags and shoes are purportedly the biggest fashionista faux-pas but, you know, I'm gonna stick my head over the parapet here ... I like matchy-matchy!  Is that showing my age too, along with the rubbish nails and fingers?

Fashionistas also say that matchy-matchy bag and shoes age a lady by 10 years.  

Well, fortunately for me as a retiree, I hardly ever wear a handbag so there is nothing visible to age me.  Apart from my neck.  And my hair.   And my indefatigable wearing of cardis ....

 ... but look, cunningly avoiding a handbag I must appear 10 years younger!

So, dear reader, how are your hands and nails holding up?

And what's your view on matchy-matchy?

A la perchoine.