Nail art 101: Power at your fingertips

Check out Ms.T’s ideas for some fun and flirty nail art that will keep you on top of the fashion scene.

The days of the simple and straightforward nail polish are done and dusted. The fashion world has moved on to using nails as canvases for tiny works of art and with celebrities and youngsters the world over jumping the bandwagon, we recommend you do too. This fall, instead of decking up in jewellery or makeup, let your nails do all the talking. From the classic French manicure to fur nails or newspaper nails, everyone seems to be following just one rule when it comes to their talons: the bolder the better!

French Manicure with a French Twist:

If you are apprehensive about being able to pull off fancy nail designs, then it is best to stick with the basics and indulge in a quick French manicure. This type of manicure barely needs an introduction — everyone has had one at least once in their lives. But how about you keep the white nail colour aside and do your tips up with neon red, green or gold instead? Or match the tips to the colour of your outfit and voila! The results will be simple and chic, yet edgy enough to make you stand out from the crowd.

Polka dot princess:



Another super simple yet effective idea would be to go down the retro route and cover your nails with bright polka dot print. All that is needed are two contrasting shades of nail colour. After painting your nails with the first (base) colour, pour a little bit of the second shade onto a non-absorbent surface. Dip the tip of an old ball pen in the latter and use it to draw tiny dots over your nails. Your nails are now sorted!



Awesome in Ombre:

Bored of the basic stuff? Take your nail art up a notch with this complicated but oh-so-amazing technique for ‘shaded nails’ which go from one colour to the other without an obvious transition.  Invest in a tiny sponge and at least two different shades of nail polish. Paint your nails with the first colour (your choice!) and allow it to dry. Once the initial coating has settled, pour a wee amount of the second colour onto the tip of the sponge and dab it onto the lower halves of your nails so as to give the first colour a ‘transitioning’ effect. Note that the sponge will splash some colour onto your skin but this can easily be wiped off using a nail-polish remover around the edges. Remember to seal this masterpiece in with a top coat of clear nail polish and you are all set for the next big night out!

Breaking News:



 

Attention, book-lovers! This just in: newspaper nails are the hot new favourite with the nerdy bunch. After all, what’s better than having the news at your fingertips? The design is easy to do, looks great and gives an intellectual edge to any outfit. Save some old newspaper, buy a few alcohol swabs from a pharmacy and some white nail polish and you are good to go. Start off by painting your nails completely white (or any other colour, so long as it is light enough for the black text to be conspicuous) Next, cut the newspaper into thin strips and press the strip onto your nails and adjust the placement accordingly. Once you have achieved the right positioning, press an alcohol swab over each strip, allowing the moisture to seep through to your nail and the text to be stamped onto it. Repeat the process for each of your nails (usually takes about 30 to 40 seconds per nail) and your amazing manicure is done.

Chase the Cheetah:



If animal print bags, shoes, clothes and hair accessories have already become style statements, why should your nails be left behind? Cheetah-print nails are incredibly easy to do and the colours can be customized as you please. The key to the cheetah manicure is that you don’t have to be too careful or precise with the nail polish; the spots always differ in shapes and sizes so there is never any room for errors. All you need to do is fetch three different shades of nail polish, a dried-up pen and a toothpick. Step one would be to paint your nails with the first colour and allow it to dry. Top this up with tiny dots of different sizes and shapes on your nails by a ball point dipped in the second colour (as done in the polka dot manicure). To add more definition to the cheetah’s spots, dip the toothpick in a third colour and draw wobbly C-shaped blobs around the spots. Remember that you do not need to have a firm hand for cheetah nail art — just do whatever feels and looks right to you. At the end of the manicure, you will be left with an envious set of nails that every other girl will be drooling over.

A splash of colour:



This quirky style requires a bottle of white nail varnish, other fun and any different shades of polish you may have and one plastic sipping straw. As always, begin this colourful nail ritual by coating your nails in white nail polish to serve as the base. Once the first coat has dried, all the fun begins! Pour little bits of the colourful polishes onto a non-absorbent surface, place the tip of the straw onto each one by one (keep it there for about 5 to 10 seconds) and then start blowing the colours onto your nails from the other end of the straw. You can even make this manicure a fun family activity by asking your younger siblings or children to work with the straw. Repeat the procedure with each of the shades you have and try to use contrasting colours like electric blue and mint green to make your nails stand out. A word of warning though: the procedure can lead to colour flying over your furniture or walls so make sure the surrounding area is covered properly to avoid staining. As always, rub off excess nail polish with a remover.

Beads and feathers:



Want to go all out and shock the world with your nails? Do away with the typical nail polish and indulge in some cool accessories like micro beads, feathers and jewels (all available at local lace shops), to do the trick. The best part is that you can accessorize just one (the ring finger) or alternate fingers and keep the rest simple with a standard colour. Paint your nails one shade as you normally would, leaving out the finger(s) which you want to accessorize. Once the remaining nails are dry, paint the finger(s) you have chosen and sprinkle some micro beads on top immediately  — the wet nail polish acts as glue to help the beads stick. Top it off with a layer of clear nail varnish and you are done. You can substitute the beads with almost anything else, be it glitter, flocking powder, sequins, little bows or studs. If you are working with feathers, follow the same process but remember to cut the extra bits of the feather off once your nails have dried.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, September 29^th, 2013.