I have a confession to make: I am obsessed with nail polish. I probably have over 100 lacquer bottles of every color and shade that you could imagine. I love creating crazy new designs and trying fun new decals.
Through all of this practice of doing my own nails I have decided to break down some of my favorite styles into easy to follow steps. The first thing you should do before you get started is gather up everything that you will need—the polish, an emery board, cuticle clippers, and whatever other tools you fancy. The best place to paint your nails is in the bathroom and believe me there are billion reasons why. Most importantly, if you happen to make a mess, it will be easy to clean up, Also, I somehow always need water when I am designing my nails and having it right there in front of you is very convenient. After you have your workstation all set up, you are now ready to start painting!
Step 1: Paint your base color.
You should definitely pick out your colors beforehand and play around to find the perfect combo. Here are a couple combinations that I have tried in the past:
- Beach: light blue or pink with white dots
- Classic: red with white or black dots
- Retro: black with white dots or vice versa
- Modern: two colors in the same family but in different shades. Try lavender with bold purple dots!
Step 2: Create your Polka Dots.
Use a paint pen. But, be careful because if you put too much pressure on the pen, the polish will pour out everywhere—and ruin your nails! It’s better to be modest with the paint, and add more than to have to re-do your entire nail.
- I found it easier to create even dots by having a little pool of nail polish with the polka dot color you are using on a piece of paper so tat you can re-dip the pen when it starts to run low on nail polish. This way, you can also test the amount of paint that is going to come out and you have even dots.
- Paint 3-5 dots at the top of your nail.
- Alternate the placement of dots
Step 3: Apply the top coat.
- Wait a few minutes for dots to dry otherwise the topcoat will smear them.
- My favorite topcoat of all time is the Out-The-Door brand. It dries super fast—I’m talking 2 minutes or less. And its super shiny!
Until next time, collegiettes. Can’t wait to bring you some more of my favorite tips of glitz, glamour, and beauty…coming soon! Have fun and get creative.
Have ideas for Lauren’s nail and beauty blog? Comment here, and she will glam it up just how you like it!