Where In The World - Russia

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrate Christmas! Merry Day to everyone who does not! Today's mani is not about Christmas for a change. You will get more of those anyway, but since I don't celebrate Christmas, and in fact I don't even have a day off work today, I figured I don't have to post Christmas polishes only on Christmas day! So you will get to see Christmas polishes later on. Today I (finally) have my Russia manicure in the Where In The World challenge! 

I think this mani is now holding the title of the longest time-taking mani I have ever done. And not only did it take me forever to finish, I did this one twice, each time it took pretty much the same amount of time...

When Gosia and myself decided on the list of countries for this challenge, I knew this is what I want to do for Russia. The Matryoshka. A couple of months ago I visited Moscow and St. Petersburg and heard a little story about the origins of the Matryoshka. In Israel we usually call those little dolls - Babushka. But it very wrong! A babushka is a grandmother. The Matryoshka is a young lady. Russian soldiers used a Matryoshka doll as a small sort of box to keep their private little things when they went to war. The painting of the doll-box was suppose to remind them of their wives back home. 

Well anyway, I tried this mani but I was not very happy with the result. The following are pictures from my first version. Something in it looked... I don't know, wrong.

So I had to try it again. I was happier with the second version, although I have to admit there's still something wrong in it, but I just don't know what it is. Maybe I will have some time to try it again soon and I'll be able to figure it out... Maybe.

I used plenty of polish to do this design. Here's a quick list for you: Chic - fresh grass, Illamasqua - Whack, Illamasqua - Ruthless, Sally Hansen - Mellow Yellow, Tip Top - In The Navy, Sinful Colors - Savage, Picture Polish - Wisteria, Nails Inc - Blueberry, Nails Inc - Atomic, Nails Inc - Westminster, China Glaze - Dance Baby, China Glaze - Liquid Leather, Bourjois - Vert Chlorophylle, Bourjois - Jaune Trendy, Milani - White on the Spot. Basically, except for the first polish (which is the light yellowish green) that needed like two billion coats to get opaque, all the others are one or two coaters. So I figured it was a good reference for any future nail art ideas ;-)