https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/holiday-nail-artsy-fun • Posted by Jesi!
This is my first How-To Project, please let me know if you thought it was as awesome as I thought it was! Usually I'm somewhat Grinchy around Christmas, but I guess tonight the holiday spirit filled me! My nail base is a standard Fiberglass wrap enhancement, and I didn't do super awesome on making those look cool, so I decided to throw something on there to distract. :) The finished product shown is my left hand (done with my right hand). The how-to is my right hand (done with my left hand)...I'm not left handed, so it shows! Sorry! Also--I listed nail art pens, but if you rock at life and can use polish and a toothpick, go for it!! Hope you enjoy!
This is my first How-To Project, please let me know if you thought it was as awesome as I thought it was! Usually I'm somewhat Grinchy around Christmas, but I guess tonight the holiday spirit filled me! My nail base is a standard Fiberglass wrap enhancement, and I didn't do super awesome on making those look cool, so I decided to throw something on there to distract. :) The finished product shown is my left hand (done with my right hand). The how-to is my right hand (done with my left hand)...I'm not left handed, so it shows! Sorry! Also--I listed nail art pens, but if you rock at life and can use polish and a toothpick, go for it!! Hope you enjoy!
Grab your favorite base coat. This will make your nails look shiny and pretty. I used NailTek Moisturizing Polish Optimizer.
Okay, now grab your green color. I use Nubar pens, because they rock. :)If you are especially gifted with a toothpick, go for it. :) A note about nail art: when you're doing something little and fancy, wipe as much excess polish off as you can and use that little brush like a hovercraft. :)
Make your first holly shape. I did holly on all fingers except my middle finger, but you roll how you want! To make this shape, I just made two wide V shapes, one inside the other. Then I did a little line in the middle. You can Google images of holly if you hate mine. :)
Okay--another note about nail art. Let your polish dry before trying to add other stuff to it, otherwise you will smear polish everywhere! I'm an impatient little monkey, so I use OPI Rapid Dry spray in between all the steps. I would steer clear of polish-type quick dry stuff, because you don't want to suffocate your nail. So spray that holly shape and make sure it's dry!
Grab your brown polish and make a little line in the center of your holly.
Pretty, no? (SPRAY!)
Find your red polish. Sorry for low-quality pictures, I'm aware the red looks like brown. It's not, I promise.
Favorite thing about Nubar pens--they have this sweet little dotter. Use that or your awesome skill and make some little berries. :) (SPRAY!)
White! This is SUPER cool, but you HAVE to get as much polish off that brush as possible. And hovercraft that baby!
I think the white adds just enough pizazz! Holly done! (SPRAY!)
So I was going for a poinsettia here, and whether it looks like a poinsettia or not, I dig it. :) Grab your red again, and make some petals. :) I do it this way, just because I hate outlining with black first...seems too easy to mess up!
Fill 'er in!
Black = scary. Be careful to keep that line thin. Get as much excess polish off as you can, and hovercraft that little brush. Careful!
Okay. So black was fun! Just kidding about the scary part. Go ahead and outline your petals (if you want to do that first then fill them in, go for it). I also added a little vein in the petal.
Alrighty. Go get your green again and add some leaves behind the petals. I did kind of like with the holly, but only one little V shape. Throw some of that green down in the center of the flower as well. You can use the dotter if you want, but I prefer to dot with the brush for stuff like this. It looks less structured. :)
Yellow! Fun :) Remember to hovercraft your brush. Very lightly go over the nail. If you have a bunch of polish on that brush, you're going to glob it all over the place. Remember my pointers, grasshopper!
Okay. Throw some yellow dots (brush dots, not dotter dots!) over the green in the center. Just to spice it up a bit. I also added some brown to the leaves in the back. :)
See, now this is what happens when you don't hovercraft your brush! Very light, very small, and almost no polish! Throw some white on thurr to make it look like snow! *My left hand is pictured above. The step-by-step was all done on my right hand. I'm not left-handed, and I think it shows :(
Top coat, top coat, top coat! This will keep your nail art intact for a lot longer! I used NailTek Moisture Balancing Top Coat.
Finish off with some cuticle oil, just one drop at the base of each nail (on the cuticle!) Keeps your fingers looking pretty. No one likes ugly fingers with pretty art!
Don't be afraid to wipe it all off and start over! I use OPI's Clean Up and Correct pen, and it rocks my face. Without that thing, I would have given up nail art a long time ago!