I love doing Valentine nails! What nail art is easier than painting hearts? Hearts are one of the easiest nail art designs to paint on yourself. Last years nails were very simple (Simply in Love) with a single big heart and glitter. I loved last years and I wanted to do something simple again. So I chose to do pink with an accent nail.
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, except ring fingers, with two coats of pink polish. I used the Shellac color called, Gotcha. Paint the ring fingers with two coats of white polish. I used the Shellac color called, Cream Puff.
Gel Polish: Apply two coats of polish. Cure 2 minutes in the UV light, or 1 minute in an LED light.
Step 3: Hearts & Polka-Dots
On the ring fingers, I began by painting two medium size light pink hearts. I then filled the spaces with dark pink small and tiny hearts. Then add a few tiny light pink polka-dots in the empty spaces.
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: 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 5: 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.
