Half Moon Manicure

Flash back to the 1920s and 1930s with this vintage, elegant, and simple half moon manicure design. Half moon manicures were very popular back then, but like many fashion trends, this manicure design is coming back! Half moon manicures are also known as "reverse french manicures".

WHAT YOU NEED:

**From left to right** base coat (NailTek), white nail polish (China Glaze's "Snow"), fine silver glitter nail polish (Konad's Sliver Glitter Top Coat), black nail polish (Color Club's "Where's the Soiree"), silver glitter striper (Kiss's Silver Glitter), fast drying top coat (Seche Vite), dotting tool, rhinestones, hole reinforcements

ESTIMATED TIME: 45 minutes-1 hour

STEPS:
1. Ready your hole reinforcements on the edge of a table before painting your nails.

**It works best if you cut your reinforcements in half** 

2. Apply a base coat to protect your natural nail. Then paint your nails with two thin coats of China Glaze's "Snow".

3. Paint over the white with Konad's Sliver Glitter Top Coat, or any fine silver glitter top coat, then apply one coat of a fast drying top coat like Seche Vite.

**Let your nails dry for 5-10 minutes**

4. When you can run your finger over your nail without smudging, place your half hole reinforcements on the bed of your nail. You can show as much or as little of the white as you would like, it's up to you!

**Again, cut your reinforcements in half!! Do not leave them whole like I did!**

5. Make sure your reinforcements are sticking to your nails. Then apply one coat of a black nail polish, like Color Club's "Where's the Soiree". Let your black polish dry for 5 minutes, then use tweezers to lift the reinforcements.

6. Use a silver glitter nail striper to create a thin line of glitter to separate the black and white polish. DO NOT do this on your ring finger, or whichever finger you choose.

7. Use your dotting tool to create a tilted bow on tip of the nail of your ring finger. Then apply a second coat of your fast drying top coat to all of your nails EXCEPT your ring fingers.

8. Get out your rhinestones and dotting tool. Finally apply that second coat to your ring finger. Take your dotting tool and dip it into clear nail polish. Apply rhinestones to the knot of the bow and also on the line that separates the black and white. WORK QUICKLY!!

9. Add one final coat on your ring finger to seal your rhinestones, and you're done!!

Tribal Nails

These nails are for the experimental girl who loves a bit of an edgier look or for anyone who loves print nails like I do!!

ESTIMATED TIME: 1 1/2 hours

WHAT YOU NEED:

**from left to right** base coat (NailTek), gold nail polish (Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure's "Gilty Pleasure"), black nail striper (Kiss's black), black nail polish (Sally Hansen's "Black Out"), fast drying top coat (Seche Vite), dotting tool and/or small detail brush

STEPS:
1. Start off with your choice of your favorite base coat. Then paint your nails with two coats of a gold color (or any color you prefer). I really like Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure's "Gilty Pleasure" because it isn't a tacky gold color, in my opinion.

2. Use a black nail striper and create thick "X"s on your nail.

3. Again, take your black nail striper and create a "V" on the openings of the "X" you created.

start on the tip of your nail...

then the left side...

then at the bed of your nail...

then the right side...

4. Then use a dotting tool or detail brush to fill in the side "V"s with black nail polish, making triangles. You can have fun with it and alternate the "V"s you fill in on each nail, or keep them all the same.

I alternated them!

5. Now take your dotting tool and some black nail polish, and create a black dot in the "V"s you did not fill in.

6. Clean off your dotting tool, then take your gold nail polish and create a gold dot in the center of the black triangles you filled in.

7. Once you have filled in all of the dots to your design, apply 2 coats of a fast drying top coat.

8. And you're done!!

I hope you liked this design!

Print Nails, WOW!!

This fun and edgy print design is sure to "wow" all of you friends! It's super easy. All you need is a little bit of patience and the proper materials!

WHAT YOU NEED:

**from left to right** base coat (NailTek), red polish (Revlon's Top Speed "Fire"), black polish (Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails "Black Out"), white polish (SinfulColors "Snow Me White"), fast drying top coat (Seche Vite), and a detail brush

**Feel free to change up any of the colors! If you'd like, and have the patience, you can have the print design on all of your nails**

Estimated time: 45 mins-1 hour (it really depends on how steady your hand is)

STEPS:
1. Start off by painting all of your nails with a base coat. Then use your red polish and paint your pinkie, ring, and index finger. Then use your black polish to paint your thumb and middle finger. Apply two coats of each color onto every nail. Then apply one coat of your fast drying top coat to all of your nails. Let your nails dry for 5 minutes.

**Feel free to change the fingers that are painted black! You can also paint only one nail black, if you'd like**

2. Once your nails are dry, take your white polish and create a small puddle of white nail polish. It is best to keep those puddles small, because they will dry and you don't want to waste your polish. Once you've created a small puddle, take your detail brush and dab it into your white polish.

3. With your detail brush and white polish, carefully paint your print on your nail. Be creative! You can use "WOW" like I did, or you can use something else like "OMG", "LOL", "HA", etc. It is best to use a word or acronym that is three letters or less, so it can easily be repeated. Paint this on your middle and thumb finger. The letters do not need to be perfect! Clean your detail brush with nail polish remover (I think acetone works best).

**Your puddles of nail polish will dry during this process, and as they dry, your polish will also become stringy. If/when this happens, just create a new puddle and clean your brush**

4. Like step 2, again you are going to create a small puddle, but with red polish this time. Take your cleaned detail brush and dab it into the red nail polish. Choose random letters to highlight with the red. Simply trace those letters with the red polish. You may need to trace over twice, depending on how thick your red polish is. Try your best to stay on the the white.

 5. Once you are done highlighting your design with red polish, apply a second coat of your fast drying top coat to all of your nails to protect your design and add extra shine.

6. Let it dry and you're done!  

Glitz and Stripes

WHAT YOU NEED:

(from left to right) base coat (Nailtek), dark gray polish (Essie's Power Clutch), glittery sliver and white nail stripers, fast drying top coat (Seche Vite), and an **optional** anti-chip top coat (Sally Hansen's No Chip top coat)

Estimated time: 30-45 min

STEPS:
1. Start off with a base coat of your choice (I used Nailtek). Then paint your nails with a dark gray nail polish, like Essie's Power Clutch.

2. Take your glittery silver nail striper, with a thin brush, and paint a thick stripe down the center of your nail.

3. Take your white nail striper, with a thin brush, and paint two thin lines on the sides of the glittery stripe.

4. Add a fast drying top coat and an optional anti-chip top coat, and you're done!

Enjoy this super easy and glamorous design! 

Classy Checkerboard Nails

MATERIALS NEEDED (from left to right):

base coat (Nail Tek ridge-filling base coat), your choice of nail color (China Glaze-Diva Bride), black nail striper (Kiss-Black), black nail polish (Sally Hansen Hard as Nails- Black out), fast drying top coat (Seche Vite), and *an optional* anti-chip top coat (Sally Hansen Acrylic Top Coat)

Estimated time: 1 hour

**Feel free to mix it up and use your own colors!**

STEPS:
1. Paint your nails with 1-2 coats of a base coat. A base coat helps protect your nail from staining. It also gives your nail color something to hold onto, so it's not spilling over your cuticles. I love using this Nail Tek base coat because my nails are very thin from getting fake nails.

As you can see, it dries so that it looks like my natural nail.

2. Paint your nails with two coats of your choice of nail color. I used China Glaze's Diva Bride.  I like this color because it provides a softer and more elegant touch to the design.

**Make sure to paint the tips and sides of your nail!**

3. Use a black nail striper (picture on the left showing nail polish with a thin brush) and create a checkerboard pattern (picture on the right). Simply draw 2 vertical lines and 3 horizontal lines on all of your nails. Try to make the lines as evenly spaced as possible.

4. Put a glob of black nail polish on a piece of paper. You can also use and index card, paper plate, or sheet protector. I love using a sheet protector because it works as a convenient place mat to do your nails, so you don't make a mess. Fill in every other space using a dotting tool or small, square paint brush. Be very careful filling in the squares.

5. Once you are finished filling in the squares and your black polish is dry, use a fast drying top coat to finish your design! Seche Vite works amazingly fast, completely drying the nail in about 20 minutes, and adds an incredible shine!

**6. Lastly, and this is optional, add an acrylic anti-chip top coat. This adds a salon-finished shine to your nail. This is crucial for me because I am a server and my nail polish chips very easily if I do not add this step. This is also great for those who also use their hands often or for moms! No one likes chipped nail polish!!**

Enjoy your classy design!