Faded Zebra Nails

In this design, I faded purple and blue together and did zebra on top. The fading was really easy: I just used a round sponge (the kind you use for putting on make up) and painted the two colors onto it. Then I just pressed the sponge onto my nails like a stamp and it comes out like that! For the zebra I used a tiny paint brush. If the zebra seems too hard, the faded colors looks really cool alone, too :) last design of the year!

Sparkly French Tip Nails

This design is simple and fast. I started with just a plain white french tip (using a make up brush and 100% acetone) and I waited for that to dry. Then I painted sparkly purple over it layer by layer. When I first tried this, I tried to start with the sparkles then make the french tip, but that didn't work because colored nail polish doesn't come up the same way white nail polish does. So if you ever want to make a colored french tip, start with plain white then go over it with the color.

Converse Nails

This design was pretty and it's super cute :) All I had to do was pick the base colors then paint a white line across the tip of each nail, paint 6 dots using a bobby pin, then paint the laces with a tiny paint brush. Last I just painted a thin black line at the very top of my nail, and it's done!

Tips For Strong, Healthy Nails

Most of the time, the key to healthy nails is good genetics. But there's still some things you can do to make your nails as strong and healthy as you possibly can!

1. To grow your nails out without them chipping away, use a nail file, not a nail clipper. It's kind of like trimming your hair; you take a little bit off so that the dead ends are gone but you still have the length. There are two different ways you can file your nails: straight or curved. I prefer straight because it's more modern and it works with more designs.
2. Moisturize your nails. I put moisturizer on every night, so now I just make sure to get some onto my nail beds, especially my cuticles. Your nails need moisture just like your skin does, you just don't realize it.
3. After taking off nail polish with nail polish remover, clean your hand/nails with soap and water. The chemicals are really damaging and you want to get it off as soon as possible. After, you probably would want to put some moisturizer on, too.
4. Don't paint your nails more than once a month. I obviously don't do that, but I guess my nails are strong enough to handle it. But if you have weaker nails, definitely stay away from painting them too often.

See, it is possible to have stronger, healthier nails, and it doesn't cost much at all :)

Birthmas Nails

My birthday is on Christmas, so I decided to combine the two. One hand is Christmas and the other is birthday. On the Christmas hand there is a star, cross, present, tree, and lights. On the birthday hand there is a candle, ice cream cone, balloons, cup cake, and 16. The hardest part about doing these nails was planning them out; there was so much going on! It's the first time I'd ever had each nail something different. So I wrote everything out on a piece of paper (like hand, design, and base color). To carry out my plans, I used a small paintbrush, toothpicks, and bobby pins. It took a while, but I think they are adorable!

Christmas French Tip Nails

These ones are really simple to do. I just did the french tip (with the 100% acetone and make-up brush) and used a tiny paintbrush to paint the candy cane strips and holly. Super easy and fast!

Peacock Nails

*Inspired by Robin Moses (Nail Art Goddess)*
This design does not look exactly like peacock feathers, but it portrays them in a beautiful way. I just did a black base coat and used my super tiny paint brush (found one a Michael's for a few bucks) to paint ovals of dark green, gold, lime green, and teal. Easy and gorgeous!

Cupcake Nails

I loooove these ones :) They are absolutely adorable, and everyone loves to see them. If you break down the steps, it's really easy to do. Start with a base coat and wait for it to dry. Paint a pink line at the tips (it doesn't have to be neat because you end up covering it up). Wait for it to dry, then use a super small paintbrush to make the red lines. Use the top of a bobby pin to make the white frosting (just by making a bunch of dots) and the red cherry. Sprinkle with a toothpick, and it's done!

Lace French Tip Nails

The perfect french tip isn't all that hard to achieve. All I do is paint white half way down my nail, then use 100% acetone and an eye shadow make-up brush to wipe away the paint until it comes to a perfectly curved line. This is definitely hard at first, but it gets easier and it's a great skill for a girl to have who likes to get their nails done professionally. It'll save a lot of money!
The lace part I did just using bobby pins and toothpicks.

Newspaper Nails

These one's are one of the coolest I've ever seen, and they are definitely the easiest! Just paint a light base coat, like white or nude, and let it dry completely. Cut out 10 small pieces of newspaper, and fill a small bowl with rubbing alcohol. Dip each nail into the alcohol for a couple seconds, then put the newspaper over it and hold it there for about 30 seconds. Sometimes it doesn't turn out the first time, but that's usually because you don't wait long enough or you don't hold the newspaper down in the same place. But don't give up, because it really is simple once you get the hang of it :)

Rainbow Nails

This is one of my first nail art designs. It is very intricate, but it is also simple and easy to do. All you need is toothpick with the colors you want! It's easiest to drop some nail polish onto a piece of cardboard and dip the toothpick in that, rather than trying to dip the toothpick into the bottle. Next, just use some patience!