For our last week of Allyship nails for this month's #CBBxManiMonday theme, I sort of wanted to go all in. Obviously we chose this theme for June because of it being both Pride Month and Indigenous History Month here in Canada, but allyship is obviously so much bigger than that and so I decided to make this mani more about inclusivity and love overall. At the end of the day, every marginalized group experiences the world differently and has different needs that we need to listen to and value, and I find that leading with love and an acknowledgement of all people's personhood is fundamental to being a good ally. And so, that's what I had in mind when I did this mani - I hope it translates. 

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For the base, I knew I wanted to do a rainbow for all of the obvious reasons, but ultimately I decided to go with pastels to keep it a little more non-specific, if that makes sense. Rainbows have such a varied meaning for so many people, but I think overwhelmingly there's a sense of hope and new beginning as well as inclusivity and diversity associated with the rainbow. 

I went with a three color gradient for this base using stamping polishes from the Whats Up Nails Bloominosity Collection* and I applied them all in the same vertical direction in order to create a cohesive look across the nails. I did two passes of sponging to get the blend and opacity that I was looking for and then I added a linear holo topper to smooth everything out and add a little bit more of a twinkly rainbow look. 

For the stamping, I knew I wanted to use these hand images from the Whats Up Nails A023 When In Love Stamping Plate* and that I wanted to fill them with a diverse skin tone palette - again, for obvious reasons. I started by picking up the images on a series of stampers and then filled them starting with the darest shade and the L and moving in a natural gradient to the lightest shade at the E. I actually did this step first, so that while I did the gradient the decals would have time to dry down on the stamper heads, and then I applied them to the nails while that holo topper was still tacky. At this point, I needed a little something to fill in the bare space towards the base of my nails, so I then added this swoopy heart image, which I think really brought everything together.

Once I was happy with the design, I sealed everything in with a nail art top coat and then finished with a generous layer of glossy top coat. And voila! 

I'm really, really happy with how this turned out. I love the whole vibe of it and I think it really accomplished what I set out to do - which is to speak to Allyship and a shared goal of creating a better world for everyone, specifically marginalized communitys, without exclusion. I think, for me, that's the whole goal. There are so much wounds to heal in this world, so much history to account for, but I think one of the most important steps in achieving those goals is the acknowledgment that we are all in this together, we are all human people, and we are all deserving of safety, respect, love and joy. 

Be sure to check out more Allyship themed nails from Cosmetic Proof and See The World In PINK this week. And head over to @pblnails to check out my video tutorial for this design. 

Thanks for reading!