Popcorn Nails!

My husband and I have been watching a lot of movies and DVDs over this past weekend - due to our internet being out. It's working again for the time being; just decides to take a break every now and then. *eye roll*

Anyways, watching all of those movies inspired this manicure! I think it would also be great if you are going a fair or carnival.

You can paint all of your nails with this design, or like I did here - just painting it on your thumb and ring finger as "accent nails."

What you'll need:

• clear polish (for your base and top coats)
• white polish
• red polish
• light yellow polish
• darker yellow polish
• dotting tool (a toothpick works well too)
• thin brush or striper

The colors I used:

• Finger Paints "Paper Mache" (white)
• CQ "Rouge"
• Sinful Colors "Unicorn"
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Lightening"

As always, paint on that clear base coat to protect your nails.

You'll need to decide if you want the popcorn design on all of your nails, or just as an accent. If you want the design on all of your nails, paint all of your nails white. (Depending on your polish this may take two coats to be opaque.) If you are going to have the design as an accent, paint your ring fingers and thumbs white. Next, paint the other three fingers on each hand red. Like so.

Now you are going to need that striper, or thin brush, to paint vertical stripes on your white polished nails. Personally, this is the hardest part for me...especially on my right hang. Take your time and steady your painting hand on the table.

Once your stripes have dried it is time to put some popcorn on those nails. First, take your light yellow polish and use your dotting tool to put groups of three or four dots together. This is going to be the puffy part of the popcorn.

When those have dried use that dotting tool again to put a couple darker yellow dots in each popcorn piece. If you put them on different sides of the light yellow groups it looks like the popcorn is facing different directions.

Let that dry for a little bit, then use that clear polish to paint on a top coat. I prefer to use a fast-drying top coat with designs that are thicker - you'll notice that the popcorn dots are raised a little. I use Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri top coat, but Seche Vite is a very popular one...I like Sally Hansen's prices better. :)

I hope you enjoyed this one! It was a lot of fun to do.

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"Braided" nail polish

I got a lot of compliments over the weekend on this design. It looks really complex, but if you have ever braided someone's hair this will all seem pretty familiar.

For this design you are going to need three different colors and a clear coat, for your base and top coats. You don't need any special tools to achieve this look; however, you can use a toothpick to get any nail polish off of your skin around your nails.

From what I've heard in other tutorials for this design: you get the best results if you use one metallic, one pearlescent, and one neon color. You want the colors to be somewhat different, but they shouldn't clash.

I chose to use Nina Ultra Pro "Smoke-N-Mirrors" for my metallic, base coat. I also used Sally Hansen's HD "Resolution" and Finger Paints "Pop Art Purple." The purple color turned out much darker in the pictures and design - believe me this is a bright purple.

Start off by painting on your clear base coat.

Next, paint all of your nails with your metallic color. Depending on your polish you may need two coats. The polish should be opaque on your nails - you shouldn't be able to see your nail through it. I needed two coats of the "Smoke-N-Mirrors" color.

Here comes the fun part. Like I said earlier, it is just like braiding hair...at least the same pattern.

I chose to use the green "Resolution" color next. Make sure to get the excess polish off of the brush. Using the polish brush swipe a diagonal stripe across your nail, leave just a little bit of the metallic color showing at the top.

I chose to have them going the same direction on each hand so that every nail had a uniform look. Now you're going to take your next color, in my case "Pop Art Purple", and paint a diagonal stripe going the opposite direction.

Try to line the top of this stripe up with the bottom of the previous one. You'll do this for each stripe.

Now you'll use the metallic color and make a diagonal going in the opposite direction. Remember, it is like you are braiding.

You'll continue the pattern, rotating through the polishes in the same order.

Personally, I think it looks best with three stripes coming from each direction. The above picture is missing the final silver stripe.

I really like how this design turned out, and plan on trying it out with different color combos. Finish it off with your top coat and you're finished!

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Cartoon Hearts

This one is pretty easy, and really cute! I've actually been wearing this design all week. It is a free-hand design, but nothing elaborate.

You will want to decide on two nail polish colors: one for the background and one for the hearts. I chose to use Wet-n-Wild's "I Need a Refresh-Mint" for the background color, and L.A. Colors BCC574 for the hearts.

Other supplies you'll need are:

• clear base/top coat
• black polish
• white polish
• thin brush (a toothpick will also work)
• scrap paper, paper plate, or other similar object

Now, let's get down to business!



As always, paint on your clear base coat.

Next, paint on your background polish color.

 You're next step can be a little tricky. This is when you'll paint the hearts on your nails. I chose to do the hearts as kind of an accent (on two fingers per hand) instead of painting them on each finger. Do which ever you prefer.

The way that I painted the hearts on was to have a little extra polish on the brush and do a very rounded "V" shape that hung off the end of my nails. Here is a better view:

Next, you are going to put a drop or two of your black polish onto your paper plate. I used an upside down paper bowl. You are kind of using it as an artist's palette.

Dip your thin brush, or even a toothpick will work, into the black polish on your palette. Now, use the black polish to outline each of the hearts on your nails.

Now, to give your hearts a more cartoon-y look we are going to paint little highlights on them. Think of cartoon balloons - they usually have two white dots in top right/left to show where the light is hitting. Same idea here.

Add on that clear top coat and you're finished. Pretty cute, huh?

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