Last night we were thinking of painting our nails for this weekend’s playoff game when we ran into a beauty dilemma that many lady Panthers fans might face: what exactly is Panthers blue? Where can I find it in a nail polish?
Panthers blue Nail Polish is a tad elusive. Too much blue and you’ll look like a Detroit Lions fan. Too much green and you’re in Miami Dolphins territory.
Fear not ladies — we’ve done the work for you. We grabbed our jersey and scoured the nail polish aisles at Ulta to find the perfect tealish-blue shades to get your tips ready to cheer on Cam and the guys Sunday afternoon.
Bargain brand winner
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Blue Me Away — $4.95
This shade wasn’t quite as close to the main jersey color as it would be to, say, the accent blue on your black Panthers hat. Still, it’s a bargain at less than $5 and would definitely be close enough to fake it from far away (especially after a couple of Bud Lights in the stadium).
Luxury brand winner
OPI’s Teal the Cows Come Home — $9.50 at Ulta, slightly cheaper on Amazon
This one was a dead ringer for the jersey, plus it has a little sparkle (some bling to match that future Super Bowl ring … hope that doesn’t jinx us). It also goes on beautifully — one coat could have done the job but we went with a second just to add the “wow” factor.
Here are a couple of our tips for flawless DIY manis:
- Prep your nails by swiping them with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover right before you paint them — even if you don’t already have polish on. It will get rid of any natural oils on the nail, making your polish stick better and last longer.
- After your top coat has dried for a minute or so, spray nails with cooking spray and let it set in for about 30 seconds before carefully washing your hands. It sounds crazy, but the slick surface will keep your nails from snagging on anything and ruining your mani.
For more inspiration, browse the #panthersnails hashtag on Instagram. Here’s a super cool one from local nail tech Jana Warnke:
Final verdict: Panthers blue is still elusive, and it’s made more complicated by the fact that your jersey could be a slightly different blue from your koozie/tshirt/novelty wig, etc. But we say making any attempt to show your support gets you a big (beautifully manicured) thumbs up. The Panthers kick off against the Seattle Seahawks at 1:05 p.m. Sunday on Fox. Good luck guys! Keep Pounding!
