Summer Hues Go POP!

Even though hot summer days in New York make me want to shun myself from the outside world and blast the room with AC, I LOVE the colors that come with this sticky season. Dig through your drawer and expose that hue you’ve been hiding all winter. Time to let everyone know you’re here and you’re poppppin.

After you slap on some head-turning lacquer, don’t be afraid to add more embellishment. Here, I’ve taken a striper and painted some black zig zags along the top of the nail line and sprinkled it with some white dots. Little polkas always make it pop. Not only will people love the bold color but they’ll notice that little something extra. The great thing about a design like this is it’s also relatively simple to pull off with the less dominant hand. If you have difficulty with the lines, just go for the salt n pepper polkas (dots of black and white).

Now you’ve got the artwork down…but notice that shine? Essie Good To Go is my absolute numba 1 finishing touch. Your little nail canvases will be dry quicker than you can say “hot pink cosmo” and you’ll get that gawwgeous shine. 

You go, summer beach bunny!!

Hey, Your Nails Are Dripping Paint

I’ve been seeing this around the internet and decided to put my spin on it. I just picked a base color and drew dripping paint…or what I would like to see dripping paint look like.

It reminds me a bit of the essie ads you see you around, with the paint dripping in the different colors.

Something fun to play with! Let me know if you try it yourself.

Tools used:

- Base coat of a light color, it draws a contrast with the design.

- Squeezable nail polish to outline the shape of the paint and then fill in slowly.

Date a ’90s TV Teen Actor Nails

The ’90s had some awesome styles – many were similar to the ’80s but they were oh so special. The argyle look was a favorite – this is like a female nail art version of JTT rockin’ his Home Improvement style:

Add in some nail jewels and you’re practically Randy Taylor’s girlfriend…and your future father in-law could be Tim The Tool Man. You’re welcome.

Tools Used:

- Solid light base coat

- Squeezable nail polish for all the detailing – lines and dots

- Nail jewels – just dab the back of the jewel with nail polish and put it in place, using a tweezer, wooden nail stick, or even a mechanical pencil – basically anything with a fine point. Finish it with some top coat to seal.

Motivational Messaging…On Your Nails

Looking for a great week to start your week? Sure, healthy meals and a kickstart at the gym are great! So at 2:30 when you’re at your desk and you desperately want some caffeine…you remember…you told yourself to Get Up & Go! Maybe you have a mantra or a phrase you like to inspire you throughout the day. So go ahead and write them on your nails and give yourself a boost

Tools used:

- Squeezable nail polish to draw the sun and create dot designs

- Nail rhinestones because everyone likes to be a little bedazzled. Just dab a little nail polish on the back of the jewel and finish with a top coat to keep it sealed.

Get Wild and Escalate Quickly – A Conversation Starter

If you want a conversation starter…try a design like this.

When I painted these, I thought: “Well these nails escalated quickly”. When you have different detailing on each nail but you keep the theme consistent, it draws the eye in – gives it something to look at. Experiment with line directions, alternating between diagonal/vertical/horizontal.

There are a few ways to get this color chunked look. You can start with a solid base coat and paint the detailing on top…or you can paint half the nail one color and add in the details, segmenting the colors with a black outline. Try them both and see what works for you.

There’s clearly no one right way to do something like this. Use this as a guideline to understand the theme and then just paint what you feel!

Tools Used:

1. White and black stripers for the long lines.

2. Squeezable nail polish for the dots and the short lines.

Baby It’s Cold Outside, I Made a Snowman

Nails can sometimes act as…puzzle pieces. It’s time to mix it up!

The head of the snowman is on the left thumb and the body is on the right thumb. When you put the right under the left, you get Norbert the Snowman. To make Norbert feel at home, I painted some snowflakes on the left middle and ring fingers, equipped with a few bedazzled snowflakes on the left middle. Wiggle your fingers for a little snowfall.

Paint a base coat of a solid color, wait for it to dry, and then paint the body and hat. You can then outline the figures and add detailing. Add the rhinestones and once everything is dry, go ahead and paint the top coat. We dont’ want the snowman to look melted by any means

Tools used:

1. Squeezable nail polish for everything on the snowman.

2. Squeezable nail polish to add snowflake dots

3. Three (3) Nail rhinestones for the bedazzled snowflake look!

Point your finger, send some zen

Look down at your hands, channel that zen, baby! If you’re at a desk surrounded by fluorescent lights or, I don’t know..you can’t meditate in a candlelit room on your lunchbreak, make friends with this little meditation man and have yourself a deep breath. Add a zen rock garden with a flowing stream and in no time you’ll be ready to take on the rest of your day. Yellow can sometimes be a strong color, but consider it both energizing and soothing. Wait for it to set a bit before adding the top coat – we want our little guy to stay in one “peace”.

For the 2-tone effect on the middle nail, do a base coat of a light color and then sweep the strong color in a diagonal motion on top.

Tools used: squeezable nail polish to paint all the detailing and then a little dotter to accent the diagonal line on the middle nail.