I love when Spring is in the air; the smell of flowers, the sound of buzzing bees under a blossoming crab apple tree, I even love a spring rain shower! So here is what I decided to do for a spring nail design this year . . .
Note: I will be providing instructions on how to achieve this look with plain polish, along with Gel Polish.
Step 1: Prep Nails
View my post on Nail Polish Prep.
Step 2: Paint Color onto Nails
Paint all of the nails with two coats of blue polish. I used the Shellac color called, Cerulean Blue.
Gel Polish: Apply two coats of polish. Cure 2 minutes in the UV light, or 1 minute in an LED light.
Step 3: Paint Daisies
I painted partial daisies on my ring finger and my middle finger with white acrylic paint. I then added a yellow dot for the center of the daisy. To paint a flower, follow my tutorial Spring has Sprung, but do the petals thin and long for a daisy.
(Note: When hand painting images on your nails use acrylic craft paints, not polish. You will get crisper lines and much more pop than you would with polish. Some polishes can sometimes dry almost transparent which makes the image hazy and you won’t get the wow factor you are going for.)
Step 4: Paint Polka-Dots
Now on my pinky, thumb and index finger I painted small white polka-dots. After the white was dry, I went back and added a few (maybe 3 per nail) random yellow dots on top of the white dots.
(Note: I also did the dots with acrylic craft paint. Here is a tutorial on how to paint perfect polka-dots.)
Step 5: Apply Final Top Coat
Now apply your top coat. Make sure the paint is completely dry before adding top coat to help avoid smearing.
Gel Polish: Apply top coat and cure in UV light for 2 minutes or 1 minute in an LED light.
Step 6: Allow to Dry and Apply Cuticle Oil
Allow your polish to dry completely. Apply a cuticle oil just around your nails on the cuticle and rub into the skin.
Gel Polish: Remove sticky residue on top of nails with a little alcohol or polish remover and apply cuticle oil.
Remove gel polish after 2-3 weeks, check out Gel Polish Removal for the quickest, easiest and best way to remove gels.