Flawless French

Ahh the art of a DIY french manicure. There are many different methods out there (some of them may even lead you to calling your manicurist for the next available appointment)  but this one has worked the best for me. Now I know you can use scotch tape to help you make a nice crisp line for your french, but I however like to rock the 'squoval' or round shape on my nails & sometimes a straight line tip just looks off; & I also know there is a special nail tape that has a round shape to it specifically for a french, but that can be a bit pricey. This method lets you customize the shape of your french without any tape, it is a super quick & easy way to help you conquer your DIY french difficulties (yes, even on your right hand!). 

What you need:

Sally Hansen Xtreme wear White On wEssie Mademoiselle w Essie Good to Go

Flat Paint Brush w Nail Polish Remover w Cotton Ball

Using Sally Hansen White On, paint on the tips for your french. Do Not Stress about making this perfect! If it's a little messy or the edges are not perfect, it's ok! 


(You can go a head onto the next step if your in a rush, but I would recommend that you wait about 5 minutes to let the tips dry completely first. I find that the remover becomes easier to control when the paint is dry & you won't have to worry about any runny edges.)

Now on to clean up those edges. Using the bottle of nail polish remover, fill the cap up & dip a flat tip paint brush in. (this type of brush is great for creating lines) Wipe or tap off any excess remover & then place it onto the bare part of your nail.

Using a windshield wiper motion, bring the paint brush up to the white tip. This motion will help clear up any messy edges and help you form a nice natural curve.

As you go along the flat brush will begin to gather up the excess white paint. Re-dip the flat brush in the remover & wipe the paint off with a cotton ball.

Be sure to hold your hand back & notice the thickness & shape of the other nails, you want to have a cohesive feel on you hand.

 Once you are satisfied with the shape of your tips you can add 1-2 coats of Essie Mademoiselle. I think that this is a perfect french color, it has a nice milky pink hue to it that gives a natural feel. Then finish with your favorite top coat. :)

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VAVA VOOM

So this past weekend I attended Bassnectar's VAVA VOOM tour in Rochester, NY. As usual it was an excellent evening of friendships, tunes & dancing, if I don't say so myself. 

When I had bought my ticket a few months back I knew I wanted to do something crazy with my nails. So when I found a glow in the dark polish from OPI online, it was pretty much a done deal. 

What you need:

Essie Power Clutch w Essie Good to Go w OPI Zom-body to Love w Sally Hansen White On

small detailing paintbrush w ziplock bag w paper/pencil 

I knew I wanted my nails to say "BASS HEAD" & have the Bassnectar logo, but, because I don't trust myself to write directly on my nails, I decided to go the DIY nail sticker route. (If you would like to see more on how this is done, Click Here to a previous post where I show you how!) I decided to draw out the logo and letters on a piece of paper first then basically trace them with the paint brush and zip lock bag in between. 

For the logo I put down a layer of top coat first, then I painted the design. This way it would be easier to peel away from the ziplock bag.

For the glow in the dark polish to really glow you want to put down a base coat of white polish. This will help prevent the glow polish from looking streaky as well as keep the total layers of polish to a minimum. When I first got the polish I tried it on my natural nails without a base & it took me 4 layers of polish to get the same effect. 

So I started with one coat of Sally Hansen White On. 

Once that dried I put on 2 coats of OPI Zom-body to Love.

It comes out almost like slime & has a gritty texture when It dries, so be sure to even out the amount of polish you load on your brush.

Let your nails dry in the sunlight & test them in the dark. If you want more vibrant nails add more layers. I was satisfied with 2 coats. 

(For the record this is as far as I got before the concert the final product is what I'm rocking today. So make sure you give yourself enough time ;0) 

Next thing you're going to want to do is carefully peel the stickers away from the ziplock & place them on your nails & seal with top coat. (If you find that the stickers are reluctant to stay in place just lick your nail first, then lay the sticker down & you should be fine)

& there you have it, my nail tribute to Lorin. :)

For more on Bassnectar visit http://www.bassnectar.net/ :)

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