Spring is here and so are the soft spring showers. I love the smell of rain and the way the drops look when they fall on colorful flowers, so I thought it would be cool if I could duplicate the look of rain drops on my nails. But, how would I make the drops look wet? Well, problem solved! A matte top coat and a gloss topcoat worked perfectly! Let’s get started:

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover
Clear Top Coat
Polish Remover Pads
Matte Top Coat
Clear Base Coat
White Striping Polish
Black Polish
Nail Polish Color of your choice

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1: Apply two coats of the nail polish color of your choice and let dry.

Step 2: Paint drops in black. Yes! I said black. This will make the shadow for the drop. Try not to be too careful when painting the shadow, after all, no two drops are the same. Make a few large and some small to look like they just fell there on your nails. Let dry.

Step 3: Apply a coat of matte topcoat and let dry. This will dull the finish of your nail which will help make the contrast we need.

Step 4: Carefully apply your base color over the black shadow only, leaving about half of the drops with a fine line or shadow. The black under the polish will make the drop slightly darker than the base polish which will help the drop to pop off the nail.

Tip: remember to always leave the shadow line on the same side of all the drops to show the direction of the light.

Apply a heavy coat for the drops. You can actually let the paint  puddle a little for some dimension. Let drops thoroughly dry at least 20 minutes.

Step 5: Add highlights with the white striping polish near the edges of each drop to show the reflection of the light. Let dry thoroughly.

Step 6: Apply a clear gloss topcoat ONLY to the drops to make them shine. Let dry and you’re finished.

I think this is really a fun and easy look to do.  Hope you give it a try!

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

Caviar nail art is the next cool trend from Europe and I think it will cause quite a buzz around here. In Europe, nail artists are applying black seed beads to nails…and yes, it looks just like caviar. Cool, right? But I thought, how about applying the seed beads in a colored pattern, instead of just solid black? So, I created pink and white zebra stripes with micro seed beads and I love it. Let’s get started!

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover                       
Clear Top Coat  
Polish Remover Pads                     
Clear Base Coat
Clear Base Coat                                
Tweezers
Opaque White Polish                    
White Pearl Micro Seed Beads
Pink Metallic Micro Seed Beads                                                                                       

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1: Apply a coat of Opaque White Polish and let dry. You only need one coat, because you will be covering it up with beads.

Step 2: Paint a small swatch of clear basecoat and begin applying pink micro seed beads with the tweezers in a random stripe pattern. I began in the middle of the nail, so I could build the pattern around it. Add more clear base coat as needed to stick the seed beads to the nail.

Step 3: Continue making your pink pattern until you have covered the nail or are happy with the look.

Step 4: Fill in between the pink pattern with the white pearl micro seed beads, and let dry.

Step 5: Cover the entire nail with 2 coats of topcoat and you are finished.

Tip: you can use regular see beads, however, your pattern will have less detail and be slightly bulky.

This look takes a little bit of time and patience, and you might not want to bead all of your nails, but it makes a great accent nail. Have fun beading !

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

It just wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without painting your nails for the occasion. And an added benefit is that if your nails are green, nobody can pinch you ….right?  So here’s a cute little shamrock with a bit of bling. Let’s get started!

Supplies:
Nail polish remover
Cotton cosmetic rounds (for removing old polish)
Dotting Tool or toothpick
Nail File
Clear Base Coat
3 green nail polish shades of your choice…dark, medium and light
Gold nail polish
Gold nail glitter (optional)
Wax Paper
Clear Top Coat 

Step 1:

Remove old nail polish. Rinse your nails with soap and water to rid your nails and cuticles of the remover. File and buff your nails.  Apply a clear base coat and let dry.

Step 2:

Paint the entire nail using the light green polish. Apply another coat if needed. Let dry.

Step 3:

Beginning about half way up the nail from the tip, paint a curved swatch from one side of the nail to the other side using the dark green polish. Let dry… if the swatch is not dark enough, repeat step 3. Drip a drop of the dark green polish onto the wax paper. Dip a small dotting tool or toothpick into the paint and add a “stem” for the shamrock.

Step 4:

Using the medium green polish, paint another swatch next to the dark green one, toward the tip of the nail. Repeat if the color is not opaque enough. Let dry.

Step 5:

Using the gold polish, paint the final swatch next to the medium green polish… finishing out the tip.

While the paint is still wet, dust gold nail glitter across the gold polish.  Let dry. Then brush off excess glitter.

Step 6:

Using the toothpick and dark green polish, create the shamrock by dotting three dots in a triangular shape at the tip of the “stem”. Then repeat the process two more times on each side. Let dry.

For an additional “bling” add a rhinestone in the center of the shamrock or a dot of gold paint. Let dry.

Add two coats of clear topcoat and you are ready for St. Patty’s Day. Hope you have a fun day and I will see you soon.

Until next time…Keep those nails covered.

I absolutely love the colors of Mardi Gras! All the beautiful beads, masks, and crowns are so awesome, so I thought it would be fun to paint some Double Ombre Mardi Gras nails. Let’s get started.

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover
Cosmetic Wedges
Polish Remover Pads
Wax Paper
Clear Base Coat
Dotting Tool or Toothpick
Metallic Purple Polish
Clear Top Coat
Metallic Green Polish
Rhinestones (optional)
Metallic Gold Polish

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1: Paint 2 coats of metallic gold polish on all your nails and let dry for at least 15 minutes.

Step 2: Now, imagine that your nail is divided into 3 parts, from the tip to the top of the nail.  Drip a couple of drops of Metallic Green on the wax paper. Dab one edge of the cosmetic wedge in the paint and blot it on the wax paper. (This will keep you from painting a hard line, instead of a blend). You will be blending the polish, making the ombre effect.

Beginning about one third up the nail, dab the wedge on the nail, covering the middle third of the nail. I didn’t paint all the way to the end so that the purple would be more vivid. Continue adding green polish until you get the desired effect. Let dry for about 15 minutes.

Step 3:

Repeat step 2, using the Metallic Purple polish. Paint the third of the nail, beginning at the tip. Continue adding purple polish until you get the desired double hombre effect. Let dry.

Note: The nails are beautiful just as they are now, so if you don’t want to add anything, apply 2 coats of clear topcoat and you are finished.

Step 4: Now we are going to paint gold crowns on the nail tips…after all we are all kings and queens of Mardi Gras, right? Paint gold polish in a slightly “curved” line across each nail tip (reverse French tip). Then paint three triangles at the edge of each curved line.

For a little dimension, make the triangle in the center slightly larger than the other two.  Drip a drop of the gold metallic paint on the wax paper and using the dotting tool or toothpick, make a dot of gold on the tip of each triangle. Add three rhinestones to the dots while they are wet if you want the bling.

Now you have the base of the crown.

Step 5:

Drip a drop of green and purple polish on the wax paper and using the dotting tool, decorate your crown as you like. For a bejeweled look, apply colored rhinestones to the dots while they are wet. Since you have applied several coats of polish and polish dots, let the polish dry for at least 20 minutes to keep the polish from smearing when you apply the topcoat. When dry, apply two coats of topcoat and let completely dry.

I think this is a cute look for Mardi Gras, so I hope you will give it a try. And like they say in New Orleans…Let the Good Times Roll!

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

Last year, I painted Santa heads on my nails and all my friends thought it was so cool. So, I thought this year I would change it up a bit and paint Santa with four of his little helpers. This takes a steady hand (don’t look too close) and a little bit of time, but they can really turn out cute.

Let’s get started.

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover                       
Yellow Nail Polish                            
Polish Remover Pads                     
Black Striping Polish       
Clear Base Coat                                
White Striping Polish     
White Nail Polish                             
Red Striping Polish          
Green Nail Polish                            
Wax Paper         
Blue Nail Polish                                
Dotting Tool or Toothpick
Clear Top Coat                                                                  

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Paint a French tip of white on your thumb and while it is drying, paint a red swatch across your nail at the nail bed. You have just painted Santa’s beard and the top of his cap. Next, take the white striping paint and add the white “fur” to his cap and add two small curved lines for his mustache. Drip a red drop of polish onto the wax paper and with a toothpick or dotting tool, and add his mouth. Repeat the same with blue paint for his eyes. Add two eyebrows with white striping paint and you are finished.

Again, paint a white French tip for the elf’s shirt and paint a green swatch across the nail at the nail bed for his cap. With red striping polish, paint two crescent shapes at the top of the white shirt for a collar. Drop yellow paint on the wax paper and add a tassel to his cap. Again, add a drop of red for his mouth, and two black drops for eyes and a button on his shirt. With white striping polish, add two eyebrows. For a little of dimension, add some white polka-dots and black lines on his cap and make a pointy ear… and there is elf #1.

Continue painting elves with any colors that you choose, or if you like, use the colors that I used below.  When you have finished, let all nails dry for at least 30 minutes, then apply two clear topcoats.

And now you have all these cute little guys at your fingertips. I hope you give them a try, because they do seem to cause quite a stir. Have a fun and happy holiday season. See you next year.

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

I love the fall season, with the turning of the leaves and all the beautiful brown and orange colors. So, why not design a look for my nails using the warm, wonderful colors of fall?

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover                       
Adhesive Labels (optional)                         
Polish Remover Pads                     
Leaf Hole Punch (optional)         
Clear Base Coat                                
Wax Paper         
Dark Brown Nail Polish                  
Dotting Tool or Toothpick            
Light Brown Nail Polish                 
Thin Nail Brush 
Orange Nail Polish
Clear Top Coat                                                                  

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1:

Using the dark brown polish, paint two coats and let dry for about 30 minutes. It is very important that the polish is dry in order for step 2.

Step 2:

If you want, you can free -hand two leaves. However, I thought it might be fun to stencil them. Take one blank adhesive label (the kind you use for the return address on a letter) and punch two leaf designs out of the label using a leaf hole punch. You will use the label with the leaf holes, not the actual leaves.

Keep the leaves close together so you can add a stem later. Peel the backing paper off and carefully stick the label on your nail closer to the back of the nail, leaving room toward the tip for a bloom. Press firmly on the label to seal the leaf design to your nail. Fill in the stencil with the Light Brown polish.

You can totally fill it in or leave a stripe down the center of each to give dimension.  Carefully remove the label, and touch up any imperfections with the dark brown polish. Using a thin nail brush, paint a stem or two using the light brown polish.

Note: If you don’t have adhesive labels, I have been told that Scotch Tape works also.

Step 3: Drip a couple of drops of Orange nail polish on the wax paper. Using the dotting tool or a toothpick, dip the end in the orange polish and make dots around the tip of the stem to create a bloom. Let all nails dry for about 15 minutes and apply two coats of clear top coat.

I hope you will try this very easy and versatile design.  Have fun creating your own fall designs, and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

Halloween is my favorite time of year and I love decorating my house inside and out for the holiday. In fact, I begin on October first by wearing Halloween colors (yes, some think this is a bit strange). I also paint my nails in Halloween fashion every week during October. So, instead of showing you just one design, I thought…why not paint 5 different “ghouls” so we can mix and match? They may take a bit longer to paint, but just take your time because they are worth it. So, let’s get started!

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover                                       
Green Nail Polish
Polish Remover Pads                                     
Yellow Striping Nail Polish
Clear Base Coat                                                
Black Striping Nail Polish
White Nail Polish                                             
White Striping Polish
Orange Nail Polish                                          
Clear Top Coat
Black Nail Polish                                              
Pre-Painted Black Artificial Nails (optional)
Red Striping Polish                          

 Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

For all the “ghouls”, I began with two coats of black polish and let dry for at least 15 minutes. If you are using artificial nail tips, you can buy them in black and save this step. We will be painting “Eyes of the Cat”, “I Luv Mummy”, “Grinning  Jack”, “Frankie Baby”, and “Skully Dear.

Step 1:

Eyes of the Cat-Paint white “lemon” shapes for the eyes and let dry. Then fill in the white with green and paint a black crescent shape for the center of the eyes. You’re done…that was easy!

Step 2:

I Luv Mummy-Paint white diagonal swatches across your nail, leaving about an eighth inch black diagonal stripe. Paint black diagonal lines across your nail in different directions to indicate “wrapping” and let dry. Paint two red “eyes” in the center of the black stripe and let dry.

Step 3:

Grinning Jack-Paint two rounded shapes in white at the top third of your nail and fill in toward the tip. Paint orange over the white “pumpkin” shape and let dry. Using the yellow striping polish, paint 3 or 4 curved lines down the pumpkin to give some dimension. Paint a green “stem” and using black striping polish, paint a triangle for the nose and two for the eyes. Then paint a crooked smile and this nail is finished.

Step 4:

Frankie Baby-Paint a white zigzag line across the top third of your nail and fill in toward the tip, then overpaint the white with green polish. Using black striping polish, paint Frankie’s “scar” across his forehead, paint lines for his brows, eyes and crinkled mouth.

Step 5:

Skully Dear-Paint a white, roundish circle, off-center about half way down your nail. Paint a large black circle and a smaller black circle for eyes. Paint two small black “dots” for a nose and a “zipper” mouth to give this little guy some character.

Let all nails dry for about 15 minutes and apply two coats of clear top coat.

And there you have it…a handful of “ghouls” who just want to have fun! I hope you will try one or all of these fun designs, and have a Happy Halloween.

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

Animal prints are very hot this summer and I wanted to put them on my nails, but I wanted to give them more of a 3D look. So, I decided to use the ombré (shaded) effect underneath the leopard spots, to help them “pop”. I really liked the look and so did my friends, so I just had to share it with my readers!

 Supplies:
Nail Polish Remover                                       
White Nail Polish
Polish Remover Pads                                     
Dark Brown Nail Polish
Clear Base Coat                                                
Black Striping Nail Polish
Light Brown or Tan Nail Polish
Clear Top Coat
Cosmetic Wedges                                           
Wax Paper

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1:

Apply two coats of Light Brown or Tan nail polish to your nails and let dry for at least 15 minutes. You need this much time for drying when applying the next step.

Step 2:

Next we will begin the ombré or “fade” effect.

Drop a couple of drops of white nail polish on a small piece of wax paper. Dab the tip of the cosmetic sponge into the white polish and beginning at the tip of your nail, work your way half way up the nail bed, lightly “dabbing” your nail as you go. The polish will naturally fade as you run out of polish on the sponge, giving that “faded” look. The first coat will not make the tip of the nail opaque, and that is what you want…you can always add more, but you can’t remove it without starting over.

After completing all your nails, they will be dry enough to add another blend coat. Take your time and continue doing this until you are happy with the opacity, but be careful to make only the tip of the nail opaque, not the top (see photo below). If you get white polish on your fingers, just use a little polish remover to remove it.

Tip: Change out the sponges often. The polish will cause the sponge to disintegrate and leave residue if used too much.

Step 3:

Paint leopard spots using the dark brown polish. The good thing about painting the spots is that the more random they are, the better they look. So, don’t be too symmetrical with your painting. When the spots look like you want them to, highlight the edges using the black striping polish. Let the polish dry for about 10 minutes, then apply a top coat. Actually, I like to apply two coats. It protects your designs longer and these are so cute, you will want them to last as long as possible.

I really had a lot of fun with this design and it took no time at all. I hope you give this technique a try and really go “wild” with it.

Until next time…..keep those nails covered.

Summer is my favorite time of year, mainly because of all the bright colors that appear everywhere…the bright blue sky, the green grass and the many colorful flowers in bloom. I wanted to incorporate all these bright colors into a nail design, but I really didn’t know what I wanted to paint until one day when I saw a colorful mosaic tile. I thought that this would be a great nail design for summer, so this is what I created.

Supplies:

Nail Polish Remover                                       
Orange Nail Polish
Polish Remover Pads
Green Nail Polish
Clear Base Coat
Purple Nail Polish
Pink Nail Polish
White Nail Polish
Blue Nail Polish
White Striping Polish
Clear Top Coat

Remove your old polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1:

Paint the tips of your nails using white polish, following the curve of your nail. If your nails are short, move the “tip” up toward the middle of your nail bed. This will give you more room for the nail art and also it will make your nails appear longer.

Step 2:

Paint a purple “tile” in any shape that you desire, leaving a small white line around it. The small white lines will represent the white grout found in mosaic tiles. Also, paint an orange “tile” in an abstract shape, leaving white “grout” lines.

Step 3:

Continue painting the “tiles” with the remaining colors of polish. If you are like me, some of my “tiles” got a little sloppy. No problem, just take the white striping polish and clean up the “grout” lines.  When the polish has dried, apply two clear top coats and you’re finished.

Now, you can wear all those beautiful, bright summer colors every day, or change them to match your outfits.  I hope you will try these little mosaic art designs. I had a great time painting them and I think you will, too.

See you next time and remember…keep those nails covered.

I was asked to blog again on a design for July 4^th nails which I was glad to do, since I love patriotic art.

I also like to use ordinary products in unordinary ways and I thought….maybe I can put the two together. So, this blog is about using regular half moon French tip adhesive guides as patriotic stripe guides. I am always looking for easier ways to paint stripes and this one is neat, easy and fun all at the same time.

Let’s get started!

Supplies:
Nail Polish Remover
Polish Remover Pads
Clear Base Coat
Orly Half Moon French Tip Adhesive Guides
Red Nail Polish
Blue Nail Polish
White Nail Polish
Clear Top Coat
Tooth Pick
Wax Paper

Remove all old nail polish, file and buff your nails. Apply a clear basecoat and let dry.

Step 1: Apply two coats of White Nail Polish and let dry for at least 30 minutes. You want very dry nails before applying the adhesive guides.

Step 2: After 30 minutes, remove a “half moon” off the paper backing and apply to your nail diagonally, making sure to go from one side of your nail to the other. This should create a small triangle on the top of the nail. Gently press the guide down, but be careful not to damage the white polish.

Step 3: Carefully paint the “triangle” with blue polish. You may need 2 coats. Important: Do not remove the adhesive guide.

Step 4: Remove a second guide off the backing paper and apply to your nail, parallel to the first guide, about 1/8” apart or closer for smaller red stripes. Repeat the process with the guides until you are happy with the design.

 Step 5: Apply Red polish between the lines until you have completed all the stripes. Apply a second coat of red if necessary.

Step 6: Carefully remove the adhesive guides and marvel at how accurate the red and white stripes are. Cool, huh?

Step 7: Drop a drop of white nail polish on the wax paper and paint white dots (stars) with the tooth pick on the blue area. You can paint several small stars, or you can apply a large drop and pull out the tips of the stars with the toothpicks; it’s your choice. 

Step 8: Apply a topcoat and you’re finished. Tip: if you like “bling”, apply small clear rhinestones for “stars”, instead of white paint while the topcoat is still wet.

I hope you will try this design for July 4^th. It really is a cool look for a summer holiday.

Have a great 4^th and be safe.

See you next time and remember…keep those nails covered.