Wednesday 8 February 2012

Nail Art Interlude - Love Letter Nails


Whew!  So, that "I'm going to post something at least every other week and take my new blog seriously" thing went pretty well, yes? 

Okay, once more with feeling!

Valentines day is coming up, and usually I am pretty "meh" towards this particular holiday.  I don't despise it like a lot of people do, but I don't particularly care to observe it either...most years, my boyfriend and I just watch some movies (or one year the Daytona 500...haha!) and hang out together. 

And unlike christmas, I don't even really like the decorations for Valentines day...I never was much of a fan of pinks, reds or hearts, so that kinda explains that.  This year however, for some reason, I am just loving all the pinks and reds and hearts showing up at work and in stores.  So, tonight I sat down with my nail polishes and made myself some Valentines-day themed "love letter" nails, and I'm sharing how I did it with you!

You Will Need:
Nail polishes in white, blue, red, and clear (or any colours you like.)
A very fine paintbrush you don't mind dipping in nail polish
A black fine-tip Sharpie or other pen
A toothpick or other small poking device

1) Start by painting all your nails, except one, white.  You can use another pale colour, (I think pale pink would be pretty) or leave them plain if you want to.



2) Paint your remaining nail blue, or another dark colour that will contrast very obviously against white.  I chose my middle nail for this because it has the most surface area - this will be important! - but is more visible than the thumb.

3) On one of your white nails, make a small red dot.



4) Use your toothpick to pull it down towards your skin, into a teardrop shape.  Work quickly, before the paint dries!



5) Do the same thing on the other side of your nail.  Tada; you've just made a cute little heart!



Mine turned out kind of pinkish, and since I decided I was not into doing a second coat at that scale, I decided I was okay with it.  However, if you want your hearts to be red, I reccomend doing it with a red polish you know and trust to be RED and not need a second coat to look that way.

6) Repeat for all white nails, and once dry (very important!) add a coat of clear to seal.



I very strongly suggest doing this with a friend - do not be like me and try to do your non-dominant hand by yourself!  You will be screaming by the time you are done.  Besides, nail-painting with a friend is a fantastic way to get some Valentines love!

7) Now it's time for the blue nail.  Take your very fine paintbrush and dip it into the white paint:

8) Veeerrrrrry carefully, make a white rectangle (or as close to a rectangle as you can) in the middle of your blue nail.  Let it dry, and clearcoat it.



9) Drip a drop or two of your red paint onto some scrap paper, and use your toothpick to make a tiny heart on top of the rectangle.  At this size, it does not have to be a true heart: a "V" will do.  It will look like a heart no problem.  Let dry, clearcoat.



10) Using your black finetip pen, draw very carefully around the little heart and around the square, adding two diagonal lines from the heart tops to the corners to make it look like an envelope.  Now you have an envelope sealed with a heart on your nail!



Enjoy those love letters!!!



And remember: Valentines Day isn't just about love between romantic partners; it's a day to show your love for ALL the people dear to you.  So if you are feeling left out this Valentine's Day, arrange a friend date and have some cookies and nail art!



Have a fantastic day!

Love, Emily.

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