I have to admit that I've never been the girl that's really into nail art. In fact, if there was a "skip" button on Pinterest, the same way you can skip a song on Pandora, I would probably have skipped the entire category all together. However, I have been noticing lately that there are some simple nail ideas that I not only like, but that I would actually do myself at home. I've also been noticing the really cool nail decal patterns that are around now, and this is a simple way to use them to make a custom look without a trip to the salon.
Supplies:
-nail file and buffer
-base coat nail color
-patterned nail decals
-clear top coat
-small scissors
1. Trim and file your nails to your desired shape and smoothness. Paint 1-2 coats of your base color with adequate dry time between coats.
2. Lay the corresponding size of nail decal strip next to your finger and line up the beginning of the strip with your cuticle. Flip the strip over to the blank side and mark with a pen where the tip of your nail ends. Use your scissors to cut the nail strip into a triangle shape that comes to a point at that mark.
3. Peel the top and bottom backing off the nail decal triangle and stick the tip of the triangle onto the end of your scissors. Position the rounded bottom of the triangle just above your cuticle and press the bottom of the triangle in place. Slowly peel the scissors away from the tip of the triangle and smooth out the rest of the decal (you could also use tweezers to position the decal as well).
4. Finish your look with a quick-dry topcoat, and your new mani is done!
If you like to keep your nails on the shorter side like I do, you can actually get two manis out of one set of decals. Just cut your triangles from one end of the strips for the first manicure, and then use the opposite end as the widest part of your triangle next time. I think this look is really fun, and I like that it feels simple and modern as well. I guess there's a whole new world of nail designs out there, ladies, and I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to get on board!
