It feels like a different lifetime ago, even though it was only in January that we went to Hawaii. Getting seven people ready to be in paradise for a week made it crazy around our house. Then when we made it back home to the snow and ice and had mountains of laundry, I completely forgot to post this manicure idea.
Step 1: Prep Nails
View my post on Nail Polish Prep.
Step 2: Paint Nails
Paint the thumb, pointer, and pinky nails with TWO coats of pink polish. I used the Shellac color called, Pink Bikini.
Paint the ring and middle nails with TWO coats of white polish. I used the Shellac color, called Cream Puff.
Gel Polish: Apply polish and cure in light (cure after each coat). Cure 2 minutes in the UV light, or 1 minute in an LED light.
Step 3: Stripes
I free-handed painting three medium stripes with two thin stripes in between with a very small stylus as I did here, but I used pink acrylic paint instead of gel polish. Note: If you don’t feel comfortable free-handing the stripes you could use tape as a guide as I did for this design.
After the stripes were dry, I painted little white polka-dots on to the three medium size stripes.
Step 4: Hibiscus
Now on my ring finger I painted a pink hibiscus flower with pink acrylic paint. I attached a video below to show how I did my hibiscus flower.
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 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 it into the skin.
Gel Polish: Remove sticky residue on top of nails with a little alcohol or polish remover and apply cuticle oil.
