A Valentine’s Day Bow Mani

OMG, girls! It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Do you know what you are going to do, what to wear and what kind of nail art you are going to put yet? Ok, ok don’t stress! If you don’t have any inspiration for your nails, just continue reading and get some inspiration from my Valentine’s Day Bow Mani. It is very easy to do, it won’t take too long to master (it’s done in a few steps), and I’m sure your date will love it! Ok, lets get started, shall we?

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I opted for a red nail polish, so make sure you have a red nail polish in front of you, a base and top coat, a red glittery nail polish and some bow stickers. These are the steps:

1. Apply a base coat and let it dry. You always have to apply a base coat before applying any other nail polishes on your nails. Don’t forget to protect your nails girls! Apply a red nail polish on all nails and let it dry. I’m using the China Glaze #1018 Winter berry nail polish in this tutorial. (more…)

A Valentine’s Day Love Mani

Want a sweet “love” themed manicure for Valentines Day? Here’s how to get one at home in just five easy steps. You will need a base coat, a top coat, a pink glitter polish, a red polish, a sharpie marker and an eyeliner brush.

1. Prep your nails with your favorite base coat or nail hardener. I used a sticky base coat to help keep the polish from chipping, longer.
2. Choose a nail to use as an accent nail and paint it with your pink glitter polish.
3. Once the pink glitter is dry, use your sharpie marker to plot out a heart in the center of the nail. If you do not have a steady enough hand to draw the lines don’t worry! Just make little dots to make the shape of a heart. You are going to paint over the lines anyway. I suggest using a light color so that it is easier to cover with the red polish. (more…)

Mani-Ready! How to Exfoliate, Buff and File Pre Manicure, Salon Style!

You know how sometimes you try to paint your own nails at home to save time and money, but it never really looks as nice as when they do it at a salon? Well don’t fret ladies, It’s time to learn how to prep your nails in 8 quick steps!

1. Use acetone and a cotton pad to remove any old nail polish that may still be on your nails. Cotton pads are perfect because they don’t fall apart as you rub, and still get the polish off quickly and completely! And, by using 100% acetone to remove the polish, you will help sweep away any oils that could cause premature chipping.
2. Time to file! Use a nail file to gently shape your nails the way you like them. I like the “Squoval” shape, because it is modern and square, and the rounded edges help prevent the nails from breaking. It is important to do this step before you get the nails wet, because wet nails are weaker and we don’t want them to snag while we file! (more…)

The “I Voted” Mani

Election day is right around the corner. (can someone say less than 48 hours away!) Before you head to your local polling place, master your skill and show off your voting pride with this fun & fashionable “I Voted” mani! (or, for those that are not eligible to vote just yet, you can always support your soon-to-be voting price in this artistic and fashionable way!)

Step 1. Start with applying a base coat. If you want to protect your nails (and for the polish to last longer) – a base coat is a must.
Step 2. Paint all of your nails red except for your ring finger. I’m using “Fifth Avenue” by Essie – it’s a true red with a creamy texture.
Step 3. Apply a deep blue polish to your ring finger. I’m using “Model Behavior” by Sally Hansen. It’s on the lighter side so if you have a deeper blue use it. Let your nails dry for about two minutes before moving on to the next step.
Steps 4-7. Use a white liner nail polish to make a square. Start off by making two horizontal lines and then two vertical lines to connect all the sides of the square. (more…)

DIY Ombre Mani

Ombre has been a trend we seen a lot a lately, mostly in hair, but it’s now making its way to everything else in beauty from lips to eye shadows to nails. For those of you girls that are still confused what ombre really is, it’s the graduation of color usually starting from a light shade to dark shade of a monochromatic color. I know keeping up with trends may get a little pricey, so here is a trick to obtain ombre nails without having to buy five different shades of nail polishes. (more…)

The Tri-Colored Glitter Tipped Mani

Who doesn’t just love a fresh glittering mani? Well, I do. And with fall just around the corner, I figured I’d mix and match a few autumn-y, fall-ready colors. Master this glitter-tipped mani in just 8 easy steps!

1. You will need some supplies; I have here acetone and cotton swaps to fix any imperfections, five nail polishes, your base & topcoat, glitter nail polish, and your favorite three nail polishes.
2. Start off with the base coat and apply to your nails like so. This will keep everything lasting longer and stronger. It also helps to have your nails just a little bit longer.
3. Paint your nails one color each. This will give you the tri-colored look and you can apply them in any pattern, as you like. I chose the magenta in the middle because it’s my favorite color.
4. Clean up any imperfections! This is important because you want your nails to look well groomed like you just came from the nail salon.
5. Next apply your topcoat and let your nails sit for at least 10 minutes. After all you don’t want all that hard work going to waste (phew!)
6. After 10 min, take a business card and place it on top of your nails. You can choose whether how far you want the tip of the glitter to go but in the end perfection wont be necessary in this step.
7. Now the fun part after applying each glitter tip to the nails lighting swipe on any left over glitter to your nails. It kind of gives it that funky look that go with the nails and it’s a little different.
8. And, voila, you’re done! Why don’t you rock the glitter-tipped mani this Halloween?

Candy Colored Polishes that Compliment Pink Undertones

Candy colors and sherbet hues have been popping up all over the beauty scene. It seems like every nail polish brand has come out with shades of bubblegum pink, cotton candy blue and the seasons must have minty green. While we all love to follow these latest beauty trends, it’s important that the color compliments your skin tone. Not sure how to find your perfect candy color? Here are some tips for us lighter skinned ladies with pink undertones. (more…)

How to French Manicure like a Pro

The french manicure has been reinvented countless times. But in the end, the classic is pretty hard to beat! It’s girly, clean and goes well with just about any outfit! Although this french manicure requires practice, it’s anything but impossible to achieve on your own. So why pay at the salon when you can do it yourself? Grab the proper tools and follow the steps below to french manicure like a pro! (more…)

Fired Up Triangle Mani

It’s been a hot summer so far, and what better way to spread the heat than to fire up your nails?

1. You’ll need a clear base coat, yellow, orange and red nail polishes, as well as a clear top coat.
2. The first thing you want to do is apply the clear base coat to protect your natural nails.
3. Once this is done, paint your nails yellow.
4. Now comes the tricky part, you want to make upside down triangles at the tips of your nails with the red nail polish. The trick is to try and make each nail have the same size triangle – or close to the same size, but this can be adjusted with the next step.
5. You now want to use your orange nail polish and border the triangle with it. You can use a thin border or a thick border depending on how you like your nails. What’s good about using this orange border is that it can also hide any of the places where you may have messed up the triangle. After this, apply a clear top coat to your new manicure and keep things hot!