As you can see it is mix and match. Definitely a look that wouldn't pass a fashion inspection a year ago, but today I keep seeing this concept everywhere. Fun nail designs and colors are definitely a hot trend this summer and fall. It was a very simple look to achieve, I will give you the deets on what it took to make it work.
I started out with my Essie Sand Tropez completely covering my thumb, index finger and pinky. I then added my OPI Ski Teal We Drop as an accent to those three nails. The thumb is a simple french manicure. I didn't use a stencil, so it wasn't perfect, but it is up to you if you would like to perfect the look. The index finger is just simple dots I added using the OPI brush, but again you can use a toothpick for a more precise dot. As you can see on that finger one of my dots got a bit smudged. Still, perfection isn't supposed to be the goal here. The pinky was done using the same OPI brush and I just painted vertical lines along the nail. Generally, you can do any kind of design you would like to achieve this fun mix and match look. However, I am sure you are curious about how I got that abstract swirly look on the pointer and ring finger. This is actually very simple.
Items needed
- Two nail polish colors
- Small, wide tub, such as a shallow bowl, filled half way with water
- Toothpick, bobby pin, needle, or something else thin and cylindrical
1. Position yourself in an area where you can sit for a bit since you will need to wait for your nails to dry. I would opt for your bathroom or an area you don't mind getting messy or wet if an accident occurs.
2. Start by pouring a blob of your darker color polish into the water first. Make sure you pour slowly rather than allow droplets of polish to fall. If this occurs, they will just bead at the bottom and make your bowl more difficult to clean later.
3. Follow by pouring your lighter color in a smaller blob next. As you can see, I made a little design with mine, but this really will not matter due to the next step.
4. Next you will want to take your mixing tool (i.e. bobbypin, toothpick, etc.) and drag the tool throw the colors so that you get a nice swirl. You can zigzag through it, or make lines through it, whichever you fancy most. Make sure you do this step quickly after pouring the polish colors in because they will dry quickly and make a film at the top that will create issues.
5. Once your swirly pattern is made, you will want to dip your finger in the mixture parallel to the top of the bowl so that only the top of your finger is covered with color. If you dip your finger straight in, this will not work. Again, make sure you are doing this quickly before the polish dries or else you will need to start over.
7. You are done. Yes, your finger will be covered in polish, but once it dries, you can use a q-tip or cotton ball and some nail polish remover to get rid of the excess. Once you removed the excess polish, put two thick coats or three thin coats of your favorite top coat over your nails since the designs will be slightly raised and easier to chip. If you have thick enough coats, you shouldn't have an issue though.
Note: The bowl pictured in my examples is not what I used to get the look. This is far to small to dip your finger in effectively, which is why I suggested the bowl. The item in this picture is a rubber cupcake holder I had in my kitchen just for giving you a visual concept.
Good luck and have fun. Bring any issues or questions back to the blog and I can try to troubleshoot with you.
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