You may remember a few months back, I entered an eye makeup competition that the lovely Roch and Tash kindly asked me to take part in. I didn't win but I enjoyed creating and getting my entry together so when the ladies popped up in my DM's on Twitter for the second time asking if I'd like to partake in their brand new 'favourites' competition, I didn't hesitate and whipped out the equipment and the camera. The competition involves a mixture of favourite hairstyles, make up looks and nail designs. As I'm still a novice in the beauty department, I decided to stick with the easiest option and show off my current favourite nail design using the basic pastel colours from Barry M, combined with some spots and one statement bow to finish off the look. My ideas for nail designs are usually spurted from Google images and my own thoughts ticking away on what would match the best. I'm not exactly an expert but I thought I'd do a step by step tutorial on how you can achieve this simplistic but pretty design in just a short amount of time.
What you'll need:
1 | Nail tools (a file, buffer, cuticle pusher/nipper etc).
2 | A base coat/top coat: I used Collection 2 in 1 Top Coat Gloss Enhancer.
3 | Two colours of your choice: I decided on Barry M in Rosehip and Huckleberry as they pair really nicely together.
4 | A third colour for the small detail: I used my Barry M Silk as the purple contrasted well with the two block colours.
5 | A dotting tool/nail art pen: I went for the DIY version and used the end of a bobby pin and dipped it into my nail polish.
2 | A base coat/top coat: I used Collection 2 in 1 Top Coat Gloss Enhancer.
3 | Two colours of your choice: I decided on Barry M in Rosehip and Huckleberry as they pair really nicely together.
4 | A third colour for the small detail: I used my Barry M Silk as the purple contrasted well with the two block colours.
5 | A dotting tool/nail art pen: I went for the DIY version and used the end of a bobby pin and dipped it into my nail polish.
Step one | Prep the nails: This is what I usually do before I paint my nails just to ensure they're clean and maintained. I soak my hands in warm water for a minute or so to get rid of the oils and then file and shape, followed by cuticle pushing and buffing to raise the shine. I then add a base coat and let that dry for 5 minutes.
Step two | Paint all nails in your chosen base colour. Make sure the colour is opaque as you need it light enough to be able to see the detail/pattern at the final stage.
Step three | Use a pen, a striper or the tip of your brush (which I did) to mark 1/2 way across your base colour with your second chosen colour. It doesn't have to be precise as you can neaten that up once you carry on painting.
Step four | Glide your brush across the remaining space where your second colour should be. To make sure it is smooth, it is best to add a couple of thin coats instead of one large thick coat. Once again, this doesn't need to be absolutely perfect as the spots will be covering the middle, just as long as the two colours meet parallel.
Step five | Take your chosen dotting tool and dip it in your nail varnish. I used an ordinary bobby pin and poured a small amount of nail varnish onto paper ready to plunge.
Step six | Carefully dab the end of the dotting tool into the middle of your nail and do this for each finger. Mentally make note of where you want to place the row of spots to make sure they're all level.
Step seven | Once this is dry, you can start to add your bow. Use the tip of your brush or a thinner cut brush to draw a small triangle about a 1/4 across the nail. Make sure you leave enough room to complete the bow.
Step eight | Do the same as above for the other side of the triangle to form a bow. It should end up mid nail with a couple of spots still showing in line. Once that is dry and you apply a top coat (and tidy up your nails if you're like me and have the unsteadiest hands possible), you're done and ready to see the end result!
Whatever colour you choose (as long as the colours are similar tones) and whether you leave them blank without a bow and just the spots, or even try out different patterns as an alternate, this is an uncomplicated nail design that looks as though it's taken much more effort and time than it actually has. It's a sheer design that would work well in all seasons, particular summer when you can match your nails to your clothes and accessories.
I hope you managed to follow my mini tutorial and feel free to let me know if you've tried the design yourselves! I would be extremely appreciative if you took the time out to vote for me here, I'm number 12 and there's only a few days left to vote. All you need to do is leave a comment with my name 'Bridie Kirsopp', or the number 12 and voila that's it. Thank you so much in advance if you do!
P.S. I treated myself to some new lenses for my Nikon (thank you Argos for your buy now, pay later scheme!) and I've been out in the sunshine today with the family trying them out. I'm absolutely loving the 35mm lens and I can't wait to play around with the blog side of things and insert much higher quality pictures into my posts.
Step two | Paint all nails in your chosen base colour. Make sure the colour is opaque as you need it light enough to be able to see the detail/pattern at the final stage.
Step three | Use a pen, a striper or the tip of your brush (which I did) to mark 1/2 way across your base colour with your second chosen colour. It doesn't have to be precise as you can neaten that up once you carry on painting.
Step four | Glide your brush across the remaining space where your second colour should be. To make sure it is smooth, it is best to add a couple of thin coats instead of one large thick coat. Once again, this doesn't need to be absolutely perfect as the spots will be covering the middle, just as long as the two colours meet parallel.
Step five | Take your chosen dotting tool and dip it in your nail varnish. I used an ordinary bobby pin and poured a small amount of nail varnish onto paper ready to plunge.
Step six | Carefully dab the end of the dotting tool into the middle of your nail and do this for each finger. Mentally make note of where you want to place the row of spots to make sure they're all level.
Step seven | Once this is dry, you can start to add your bow. Use the tip of your brush or a thinner cut brush to draw a small triangle about a 1/4 across the nail. Make sure you leave enough room to complete the bow.
Step eight | Do the same as above for the other side of the triangle to form a bow. It should end up mid nail with a couple of spots still showing in line. Once that is dry and you apply a top coat (and tidy up your nails if you're like me and have the unsteadiest hands possible), you're done and ready to see the end result!
Whatever colour you choose (as long as the colours are similar tones) and whether you leave them blank without a bow and just the spots, or even try out different patterns as an alternate, this is an uncomplicated nail design that looks as though it's taken much more effort and time than it actually has. It's a sheer design that would work well in all seasons, particular summer when you can match your nails to your clothes and accessories.
I hope you managed to follow my mini tutorial and feel free to let me know if you've tried the design yourselves! I would be extremely appreciative if you took the time out to vote for me here, I'm number 12 and there's only a few days left to vote. All you need to do is leave a comment with my name 'Bridie Kirsopp', or the number 12 and voila that's it. Thank you so much in advance if you do!
P.S. I treated myself to some new lenses for my Nikon (thank you Argos for your buy now, pay later scheme!) and I've been out in the sunshine today with the family trying them out. I'm absolutely loving the 35mm lens and I can't wait to play around with the blog side of things and insert much higher quality pictures into my posts.
Looks lovely xx
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