Nails at the Oscars - Meh...

Hello everyone! Something a little different from me today! Last week Julep got in touch and asked if I would be interested in blogging about the Oscars and the now famous red carpet mani-cam - obviously I immediately said yes! My husband is a director, and I know a little more about the film industry than I'd really like to, and with that has come a healthy disdain for the majority of the pomp, ceremony and self-aggrandizement that surrounds the Oscars. 

After thinking about it all for roughly ten minutes, I wondered what I had got myself into - I had a quick look through last years mani-cam photos and realized that I had absolutely no idea who half the featured people were, plus I don't follow fashions and trends so don't know what's supposed to be "hot". The majority of the nails I did see were "safe" (translates to "boring") and I also didn't think that some were particularly well painted, but that's another story (I'm keeping myself free for next year in case they want something tidier - I'll be happy to fly in and save the day!) ;)

Being in London and having to be up at 6am I didn't watch live and I am so glad I didn't! Here's a link to the mani cam video I watched this morning courtesy of E! Online. 

Nude, nude, more nude.Then Ooh! A bit of sparkle! And a stiletto tip! How daring! Many of the ladies seemed to completely miss the point of the MANI-cam and used it to push their sponsored jewellery but then again they are more suited to trotting out pre-prepared lines from a script or they'd be politicians/stand up comedians/someone who can think on their feet and entertain off the cuff. Instead most were looking over their shoulders for reassurance from their publicists that they were playing the part of being themselves to a suitable standard.

I was hoping for more nail art, or ANY nail art in all honesty. It was never going to fly though because as soon as Dior stump up a $10,000 dress, they're going to insist that nothing else in the picture detracts from it, so they're put on to undernourished, pale clothes horses and then the fabric looks great! Don't get me wrong, it didn't have to be a full on neon skittlette, or giant 3d acrylic flowers over zebra print in the season's least popular clashing colours, but would half moons have been so terrible? Or an accent nail or two? The fact that Lupita Nyong'o stood out for wearing pale pistachio nails, and Kelly Osbourne's usually fabulous nails were tamed to a tiny glitter tip just about says it all...

Kelly Osbourne

Lupita Nyong'o

I would've loved to see something like these nails below, but alas, there is a reason they don't ask me for my advice...

So, this might not have been the Oscar report that I had hoped to write. I was hoping to be proven wrong about many things, but am feeling slightly irritated at what I saw and smugly self satisfied at being right in my assumptions! 

Either the popularity of nail art is waning (which I'm certainly not seeing in the real world), or the celebrities are hedging their bets and trying desperately not to offend the sensibilities of the designers who grant them the use of ridiculously expensive dresses for one or two nights a year. Who knows? And, if I've learned anything by doing this, who cares? 
If I'm ever there to support my husband accepting an award (you never know - he's pretty good!), I promise to be wearing a very black dress and the most in your face nail art I can manage - something like this:

 

I'll have a new nail art post for you later, and its likely to be a big, full on, bright creation to help me get over the overwhelming levels of bland I've been forcing myself to look at so far today. Need to put the bitchy Brit back in the cupboard! Until then, keep up the good fight, Nailistas!!!

Sam xx