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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

blue zebra

my first attempt at zebra print! what do you think? zebra, like leopard is an easy to-do design and all it takes is some practice. just remember, it's all in the wrist and doesn't have to perfect. 

step 1: paint the base color. i used two coats of lapiz of luxury by essie.

step 2: after the base is completely dry, using a black two-way nail stripping pen, alternate sides and interlock the stripes. i followed a video by Andrea from obsessedwnails blog. 

step 3: wait about 5 minutes for the black to dry then apply one coat of Seche Vite dry fast top coat. 

click HERE to see the video i followed to create this design. 

gold striper

i finally decided to use stripe tape that i bought from ebay months ago. for this design i used, essie's who's the boss from their 2012 wedding collection and splash of grenade (purple).

step 1: paint two coat's of each color. i like to paint one coat on all ten nails first, then go back to the nail i started from to apply the second coat. this allows some time to let the first coat dry.

step 2: using gold stripe tape, press the end of the tape firmly on the nail, roll it up the nail and cut the end of the tape right before the nail ends (as close to the nail tip as possible). Please note that for the ring finger instead of stripe tape, i drew one straight line down the middle of the nail using gold glitter nail polish. 

step 3: complete the look with one coat of Seche Vite dry fast top coat. this clear nail polish will have your nails dry in 10 minutes!

stripe tape is an easy and fun way to get creative with your nails making lines and abstract shapes. you can find it on ebay for .99 cents or less. 

mango gradient

after countless times of seeing gradient nails i attempted my own. but instead of the blue and purple gradient i've seen, i opted for a summer shade and thus the mango gradient was created! before beginning your manicure you will need three complimentary nail colors, a makeup sponge and a clear top coat.

step 1: pick you base color. i used essie's action and painted three coats because the color comes out very sheer and matte.

step 2: when the the base color is completely dry, on a flat surface (i used a business card), paint a generous amount of the two colors (aka a dot or two) right next to each other and make sure they're just about touching. i used essie's carousel coral and fiesta. using a toothpick or dotting tool, swirl the two colors together. the mix of the two colors determines the graduation. the more you blend the shades, the longer the graduation.

step 3: using a makeup sponge, dab it directly down on the nail polish to grab the colors. make sure to face the sponge with the lighter color facing the cuticle and the darker color toward the tip so that the colors blend from lightest (at cuticle) to darkest (at tip).

step 4: dab the sponge directly down on your nail pressing from left to right or right to left. either way will work to apply the colors on the nail and off the sponge. 

step 5: repeat steps 2-4 a second or third time until you are satisfied with the gradient color effect. 

step 6: apply a clear base coat. this will blend all colors and even out the surface.

if you want to see this step by step via video watch winter rose's gradient nail tutorial  on you tube. it was a great help to get me started and achieve mango gradient nails.