Fancy Nail Tutorials

Fancy Nails #1
LACE!
Okay, so this sophisticated look is very girly and serious at the same time.  You will need black nail polish (or any other dark color), and a light color (I prefer light pink/beige), a piece of lace (size or shape doesn't matter as long it can cover all of your nails) and tape.  So to start, we will apply a base coat of the darker color, although this is confusing, this is the color that the lace will be.  The coat can be sloppy, as long as it is flat, we will only be seeing a little bit of it.  Then, take your lace, and place it over your nail.  Tape it down on either sides.  Take the lighter color of nail polish (in my case light pink/beige) and paint it directly over the lace, when you are doing this, make sure that the lace stays in the same spot.  Apply two coats without moving the lace.  Then, once they are dry, lift off the lace, revealing a beautiful lace pattern.  Then do the same with all of your other fingers, you can use the same section of lace, but I think it looks best when you use random different sections.  Once you have done all of your nails, apply a clear coat on top.  And you have beautiful lace nails!

Fancy Nails #2:
ZEBRA!
This look is perfect for parties, and can still work casually.  This is also easier than it seems!  You will need a base coat, I think metallics look best so I am using silver glitter nail polish, a toothpick,  and black nail polish for the stripes.  First, apply the base coat of silver.  Make sure that it is covering the whole nail, this is trickier with metallics and sparkles.  Then, take your black nail polish, and with the brush, start drawing lines from the outside horizontally in to a tiny bit past the middle.  These lines should curve at the ends.  Then take a toothpick and the black nail polish.  Add dimension to the stripes by thickening them at various points on one or both sides of the line.  Seal with a clear coat, and you are done!

Fancy Nails #3:

POLKA DOT TRAIL

This sweet and young style takes on a sophisticated style with a french tip and a trail.  It is great for parties, but you can wear it to school any day too! You will need a dotting tool, pink nail polish, white nail polish, and tape.  Start off by painting a base coat of pink.  Make sure that is perfectly dry before the next step.  Okay, so this step is only for people who have trouble drawing straight lines (like myself) but it is really helpful.  Take a piece of tape and cover your whole nail except for the tip. Paint the tip white, add a second coat.  When you are positive that it is dry, remove the tape carefully.  Repeat this step on all of the nails until you have french tips on ever nail.  Apply a clear coat on top of that.  Now, with the dotting tool, make a trail of white dots on the pink on all of your nails, make sure that it reaches the tip. Then, in pink, continues the trail on the white tips.  Ta da!  You have a cute polka dot trail!

Fancy Nails #4:

CASINO NAILS

These nails give gambling a softer edge, while looking sophisticated and sassy!  For these nails you will need green nail polish, white nail polish, red nail polish, black nail polish, and a toothpick.  Start off by painting your nails with a base coat of green, to represent the casino table.  Then, make part of a white rectangle on your nail, the rest of the rectangle should be cut off at the tip of your nail, it looks best diagonal.  Add more coats until no green is showing through.  Then, take your toothpick and black nail polish and outline the rectangles except for the edge that goes off of your nail.  On two or three or your nails (you can do every other nail) draw an A in the bottom left corner (the one on the side of your nail with an outline).  Then below it, draw three dots and a line in the shape of a club, or draw a diamond, or draw a spade, but make each nail different.  Once you have done that, wipe off your toothpick and put it down.  Draw however much of that shape would be showing if the card was cut off.  Apply a clear coat on top.  Now, with the red and the toothpick, do the same thing.  Voila! Lovely casino nails!

The colors that I normally use for these are listed below, of course, by essie.

Lace Nails: Intimate (beige/light pink) and little brown dress (the dark color)

Zebra Nails: silver buttons (metallic) and luxedo (off black)

Polka dot Nails: fiesta (pink), and minimalistic (white)

Casino Nails: Minimalistic (white), red label (red), pretty edgy (green) and licorice (black)