How to Perfectly Polka Dot Your Nails

5 easy steps to mastering the nail art trend

Have you ever wanted to try the new nail trend but are afraid it will look horrible?

Have no fear. Nail art looks more difficult than it actually is. You just need the right tools to help you create a stylish nail design.

Polka dots are the easiest nail art design for beginners because you only need the head of straight pin.

Below are 5 easy steps to creating perfectly polka-dotted nails.

1. Paint your nails with a base color

Choose a bright color that matches your mood. Polka dots are supposed to be fun and preppy. Paint your nails like normal with two coats. You will want a solid, even surface to work with.

2. Pick a contrasting color for your dots

Choose a color that stands out from your base color so that your manicure will really pop. I generally try to pick a lighter color than my base color because I want my manicure to have a pop-art feel to it. Place a drop or two of your chosen color onto a plastic surface like a disposable lid or spoon.

3. Find a straight pin

This is the important step because you need a straight pin to make your polka dots. The key is finding a straight pin with a flat end instead of a round end. The flat end will produce better dots.

4. Start in the middle

Depending on the length of your nails, use the flat end of your straight pin to make three to four dots up the center of each nail. Make sure to evenly space the dots. You may have to add more nail polish to the end of your straight pin as you go.

5. Evenly space the sides

Fill in the empty space on the sides of each nail. Try to place the dots in the windows of the center dots. You should end up with two to three dots on each side of the center dots. Finish with a top coat if you want, but make sure the dots are dry first or your manicure will smear.

See? Nail art is easy. Once you master these 5 basic steps, experiment with different designs, and create your own look.

How to Paint Your Nails Like a Professional

5 quick steps to looking polished

Painting your nails may seem like an impossible task, and if you are anything like me, you end up with more nail polish on your fingers than on your actual nails.

With more than a decade of practice, I have learned many helpful tips for achieving that salon-manicure look that I will now share with you.

The following 5 steps will teach you how to paint your nails like a professional.

1. Skip the base coat and buff instead

I used to diligently apply a base coat every time I painted my nails, but I finally realized it did not make my manicure last longer. Instead, I buff my nails lightly with a fine-grain nail file to rough up the surface. This gets rid of my nail ridges and helps the nail polish adhere.

2. Apply polish in three strokes

There is a specific process to applying each stroke. Always start at the base of your nail near the cuticle and drag the brush outward toward the tip of your nail. Paint the first stroke up the center of your nail. The second and third strokes go on either side of the center stroke. Repeat for all 10 nails.

3. Always apply two coats and seal the ends

After all 10 nails have one coat, apply a second coat for each nail. Then, drag the brush across the end of each nail to seal your manicure and prevent chipping.

4. Finish with a fast-drying top coat

This step is important if you do not want to smudge your manicure. I have a tendency to mess up my manicure because I do not have enough patience to sit still while my nails dry. A fast-drying top coat will help you avoid this problem.

5. Paint your nails at night

This is one of those handy tips that took me years to realize. After you paint your nails, and they are dry, take a shower to remove any evidence that you are not a professional. The hot water from the shower will loosen the nail polish around your fingers, and you can peel it off, leaving a fabulous manicure.

If you follow these 5 steps, you will learn how to paint your nails like a professional, and everyone will ask you where you got your nails done.

Why Neutral Nails are Sophisticated and Professional

A guide to appropriate nail polish for work

Sometimes it is hard to commit to a nail polish color. You have to consider many variables including your mood, your outfits for the week, and your work environment. Neutral nail polish takes most of the guesswork out of choosing a nail polish color, but that does not mean your nails will look boring.

Below are the many benefits to wearing neutrals on your nails.

Red is classic

I included red into the mix because when in doubt, wear red. A bright red nail polish is a classic color that can do no wrong. When you wear red on your nails, channel the glamor and style of old Hollywood. Pretend you are fabulous like Marilyn Monroe or Judy Garland, and wear red with style.

Neutrals go with every outfit

Neutrals come in many different shades, and you can coordinate your nail polish color with a neutral element in your wardrobe for the week. Neutrals allow me to experiment more with my outfits because I do not have to worry about anything clashing with each other. You can also choose a nail color that matches your skin tone. I have a fair skin tone so I like to wear neutrals that have warm, pinkish tones.

Neutrals hide chips

I hate when my bright or dark nail polish suddenly chips because I feel like everyone can see my messed up manicure. Neutrals blend with your skin, which make chips less noticeable. This will keep you from taking your nail polish to work for touch ups. As an added bonus, neutrals make your fingers look longer because your skin color appears to continue to your fingertips.

Neutrals are safe

Neutrals are safe to wear to work. Some work environments frown upon colorful nail polish trends like blue-and-yellow striped nails or hot pink polka-dotted nails. A nice neutral nail polish is a great way to stay fashionable and still look professional at work.

With these benefits to wearing neutrals and the occasional red on your nails, how could you not love this look? Your boss will love your new sophisticated and professional nails too.

The Importance of Caring for Your Nails

Why everyone needs clippers and a nail file

If you have ever had a hangnail that stings and drives you crazy, then this post is for you. Nail care is important because it prevents those pesky hangnails, and it keeps your nails looking clean and even.

Take a five-minute break from whatever you are doing, and read my words of wisdom. Your nails will thank me later.

Clip your nails

If you let your nails get too long, you might accidentally stab someone. That is a little over dramatic, but I think you get the picture. Long nails are bad. Short nails are good. Make sure your nails are all one length because you will look funny with one dagger nail hanging from your hand.

File your nails

Most people tend to skip this key step. Filing your nails gives you control over your nail shape and keeps the edges of your nails smooth. You will not snag your uneven nails on your new silk blouse if you take a second or two to file the rough edges.

Secret uses for clippers and nail files

If you are still unconvinced that clipping and filing your nails is for you, then pay close attention. Clippers are a handy tool for getting rid of those irritating strings you find hanging off of your clothing in weird places like the bottom of your sleeve. Just use your clippers to snip that annoying thread and you are good to go. As for nail files, I have won a handful of sword fights in my day with my trusty nail file. Though it may be but little, it is fierce.

Now that you know why clippers and nail files are an important part of nail care, I hope you spend the next five minutes getting rid of your hangnails. After all, you have to get your nails ready for battle. I know you want to try out the sword fighting.

Why Nails are Worthy of an Entire Blog

An insight into my obsession with nail polish

My obsession with nail polish began more than a decade ago when my mother allowed me to paint my nails next to her at the table. The table ended up with a very nice manicure. Nail polish hooked me from my very first encounter, and it was love at first manicure. I love nail polish because manicures are a form of self-reflection, they add instant style, they relieve stress, and they look great in a rainbow of colors. How could anyone not obsess over nail polish?

Manicures are a form of self-expression

When I paint my nails, I feel like an artist. The creative world is quite literally at my fingertips. I have the freedom to paint my nails with dark, sultry polish or with bubblegum pink polish. Nail art designs like polka dots and glittery French-tips offer more ways to express myself. I love that I have so many choices.

Manicures add instant style

I love the way a bright pop of color on my nails pulls together my outfit. With a fun manicure, my look transforms from drab to fabulous in an instant. To me, the platinum shine of a manicure shouts sophistication because my nails looks polished and new.

Manicures relieve stress

There is something about the process of painting my nails that relieves my stress. I am a college student, and with finals approaching, taking a moment to paint my nails puts me back in control of my life. The key to knowing my stress level is counting how many manicures I go through in a week.

There are so many colors

I am obsessed with nail polish colors. My roommates all think I am crazy because I have different hues of the same color of nail polish. I would just like to clarify that all of my nail polish colors are unique and special in their own way. Plus, I could not leave them to a sad life on the drugstore shelf. I had to rescue them.

Obviously I have a nail polish obsession, and it might be borderline addiction. My quirks about nail polish make me who I am, and I would not trade a single nail polish color for bare nails.