Blue & Gold Glory
Blue, navy, and gold are some of fall’s hottest colors. Incorporate them all with this clean and elegant look! Time: ~6 minutesDifficulty: Medium
Step 1: Start with a base coat of clear nail polish.Step 2: Add two coats of your nail polish of choice. (Pictured: Miami Heat by Sinful Colors)Step 3: Use a gold detailing brush or a gold Sharpie to draw a line across the top of your nail.Step 4: Apply a top coat of clear nail polish.I included a picture of one nail with Sally Hansen’s Navy Baby.
Fall Ombre
Full hand ombre is one of my favorite nail trends. Here we go from dark red to yellow, but you can do it with any set of colors, going from dark at the pinky to light at the thumb.Time: ~5 minutesDifficulty: Easy
Step 1: Start with a clear base coat.Step 2: Use the darkest color you have on your pinky (if you’re using four colors) or pinky and ring finger (if you’re using three colors). (Pictured: Ruby Ruby by Sinful Colors)Step 3: Use the next lightest color on your ring finger (if you’re using four colors) or middle and pointer finger (if you’re using three colors). (Pictured: GoGo Girl by Sinful Colors)Step 4: Use the next lightest color on your middle and pointer finger (if you’re using four colors) or your thumb (if you’re using three colors). (Pictured: Feel The Vibe by Sinful Colors)Step 5 (if you’re using four colors): Use the lightest color on your thumb. (Pictured: Bananappeal by Sinful Colors)Step 6: Apply second coat on each finger.Step 7: Apply clear top coat.
Golden Leaves
Another one with gold sparkles. These are reminiscent of the golden leaves that float through the autumn air. The gold sparkles fade as they go down the nail, like leaves falling from a golden tree.Time: Less than 10 minutesDifficulty: Easy
Step 1: Start with a clear base coat.Step 2: Add two coats of a copper or brown color. (Pictured: Soul Mate by Sinful Colors)Step 3: Add one coat of gold sparkles, starting from about 3/4 down the nail. (Pictured: Tip Toe Gold by Old Navy)Step 4: Add another coat of gold sparkles, this time starting from about 1/2 way down the nail.Step 5: Add a final coat of gold sparkles at the top of the nail.Step 6: Wait a bit for the sparkles to dry, then add a clear top coat.
Hopkins Pride
I love Hopkins, so what better way to show school spirit than on my nails (besides literally anything else ;-;)? I did two versions of this, one with the school’s athletic colors (blue and black) and one with the school’s academic colors (gold and black). The steps are pretty much the same though. Time: 5-10 minutesDifficulty: Easy or Medium
Step 1: Apply a clear base coat.Step 2: Apply one color to every other nail. (Pictured: Black Velvet by L.A. Colors)Step 3: Apply your second color to all your other nails. (Pictured: D-Luxe by Charming Charlie, At Sea by Sinful Colors)Step 4 (Optional): Add a cute design using thin brushes! (Pictured: White by Kiss Nail Art, Black by Kiss Nail Art, Gold Glitter by L.A. Colors).Step 5: Wait for the paint to dry and use a clear top coat.
My Nails Are a Hoot, Owl’nt They? (I’m so sorry…)
What better way to celebrate fall than to accessorize with owls? They’re cute, and also a major fashion trend. This look is not for the faint hearted, though!Time: ~40 minutes for both hands, ~7 minutes for “bling fingers”Difficulty: Hard
Step 1: Apply a clear base coat.Step 2: Apply nail polish in an owl-head shape (pointy at the edges, leaving a half moon of nail at your cuticle). (Pictured: Vacation Time by Sinful Colors)Step 3: Draw a half moon shape at the end of your nail with white nail polish for the belly. (Pictured: Snow Me White by Sinful Colors)Step 4: Make little polka dots on the “belly”. You can use a thin brush or even the end of a bobby pin for this. (Pictured: Vacation Time by Sinful Colors)Step 5: Make two yellow dots above the belly for the eyes. (Pictured: Bananappeal by Sinful Colors)Step 6: Make the beak with a thin brush. It should be on top of the belly. (Pictured: Feel the Vibe by Sinful Colors)Step 7: Add two black dots inside of the eyes for the pupils. (Pictured: Black by Kiss Nail Art)Step 8 (Optional): Outline the owl’s head.Step 9: Wait for all the paint to dry, then add a clear top coat.
I hope you guys enjoyed these tutorials! Share your best nail art on Twitter and Instagram–tag us in your posts @HerCampusJHU for a chance to be featured in our Snapshot section!