Friday, July 27, 2012

ikat

what is ikat? ikat is a decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, are tie-dyed before weaving. this pattern has been seen on dresses, purses and nails all summer long! how does one achieve this look? read below: 



step 1: paint two coats of your base color. i used essie- mojito madness and on my ring finger i used essie- carousel coral. 

step 2: apply one coat of seche vite and wait 10-15 for the color to completely dry. 

step 3: now you are ready for the design! you will need white nail polish (i used essie- blanc), a black striping pen, and the two colors that you used for yout base (essie- mojito madness and carousel coral). 

step 4: to create the ikat design i watched a video tutorial by BeautyLish. follow this link for the tutorial. 

this is a fun design that doesn't have to be perfect. make it your own by switching up the nail colors.

Monday, July 23, 2012

splatter

this week start thinking about nail polish as paint. in this tutorial we will be using drinking straws to achieve a splattered paint look. the best part is that there is no right way to do it. so have fun and see what design you come up with. 


step 1: gather all items you will need: base color, 3 splatter colors, one straw, scissor, scotch tape. 

step 2: apply two coats of essie- blanc. 

step 3: cut the straw into three pieces. you will need one piece per color used. 

step 4: after the base coat has completely dried. cut 3 pieces of tape and place it around the nail to protect your fingers from getting color on them. do this to all fingers. 

step 5: place one or two drops of your desired nail color on to a flat surface and dip the straw.

step 6: getting enough of the color at the bottom of the straw, put the other side of the straw in your mouth and blow. this will splash color on to your nail. do this as many times as needed to achieve the look you want with each color. 

step 7: repeat step 6 with the your next two color choices. repeat this on all nails until you are happy with the distribution of color. 

TIP: if you get to much of one color in a specific area and do not like it, blot a corner of a paper towel to remove some of the color. 

step 8: remove the tape and apply a clear top coat. 

COLORS I USED: essie- blanc, lapiz of luxury, a crewed interest and sinful colors in black on black. 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

abstract: french chevron

what is the best way for an inexperienced nail polish lover to get an unique nail design? it's something you already own, scotch tape! with the help of a roll of tape, even the shakiest hands can create a clean design. 


step 1: first you will need three nail polish colors. I used mark mini nail lacquers in a ruby red and a turquoise. for the black i used sinful colors- black on black. 

step 2: paint the base in the lightest shade, i used mark mini nail lacquers in turquoise. 

step 3: to avoid smudging and pulling of the nail polish when you remove the tape, make sure the base is completely dry. to speed up the drying process, apply one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat and wait 10-15 after application to apply the second color. 

step 4: cut a small piece of scotch tape and apply firmly to the nail. a corner of the tape should be pointing down toward the cuticle. using your nail, flatten the edges of the tape to make sure there are no bubbles or gaps on the tape to avoid polish from running underneath the tape as you paint. 

step 5: paint the nail with your second color choice, the second darkest shade. I used mark mini nail lacquer in ruby red. 

step 6: after the second color application, slowly remove the tape while the nail polish is still wet. 

step 7: repeat step 3. 

step 8: cut a piece of tape to create the "french manicure" design. flatten the tape onto your nail and paint the tip of your nail with a black nail polish, i used sinful colors- black on black. remember to slowly remove the tape immediately after painting while the nail is still wet. 

step 9: complete the look with one top coat of seche vite fast dry top coat. 

Monday, July 16, 2012

earthquake

for this weeks design i finally got to use my nail brushes. this is a design that i followed from the bloggers at Polish You Pretty. want to make the nail polish world shake? let's get started! 


step 1: apply the base color, i used fiesta by essie.

step 2: after applying the base color and letting it completely dry, paint the second half of the nails with new york color- in a minute in mint macaroon. 

step 3: while the second color is still wet, on the border of both colors and using a fan brush, drag the second color toward the first color you painted.

step 4: on the last one third of the nail, apply a coat or two of black nail polish, i used sinful colors- black on black. repeat step three to create a layered look. 

Saturday, July 14, 2012

basket weave

what's the best way to practice a steady nail paiting hand? making lines of course! this tutorial is a simple, great start to practice your steady hand and then getting to the next step of free hand!


step 1: paint the base color, i used, essie's secret story.

step 2: after the base is completely dry, paint half of the ring and thumb finger. i used essie's a crewed interest. 

step 3: after the second color is completely draw lines! i used a black striping pen.

step 4: complete the look by applying one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat.