Fun with Nails

I love nail polish - making the little flowers with the ends of a toothpick, doing half and half, making hearts, etc. So when I saw a thing for water dipped nails on Pinterest - of course, I had to give it a try.

The one I found had you putting tape around the nails and picking your colors and dipping your nails. I liked the look - but that whole tape thing was no where near as easy as it looked! And honestly, getting it back off was kind of interesting too.

I did it about three times till the lightbulb in my head finally went off... I wondered if using vaseline would work, it made sense that it would in my head and it was worth a shot... it'd be a lot easier than putting tape around each nail and trying to cover all my finger tips.

And guess what... IT DID! So if you've done your nails with tape and water - try it with vaseline. A huge time saver and so much easier!! And if you're just looking for a new way to do your nails and you're interested in trying something new... here's what to try :)

First it's good to put a base coat of paint on your nails

Then pick out your colors, put some cool water in a container you don't mind getting polish on, grab a toothpick, some vaseline, and a paper towel or two.

Put the vaseline around your nails - along the edges of your nails and over your fingertips. Be willing to go down a bit because if you dip your fingers into the water past where your vaseline goes, then you run the risk of getting nail polish on your skin. Easy fix - but an extra step that you don't really need :) You can see the shine of the vaseline on my nails in the base picture.

Next you'll take your colors and dip them one by one into the water - allowing each drop to spread and adding the next color in the center. You'll want to do this quick as the polish can start to dry.

Next drag your toothpick through the nail polish on the water to create your design.

Next you can dip your fingers in the water - pick out the part of the design in the water you want on your nail and aim for that spot. I've dipped two nails at a time, but never any more than that. And if you're being really specific about the designs, I suggest only dipping one at a time.

Now you can either just hold your hand there for a little bit or lightly blow on the surface of the water. This will help the nail polish on the surface dry. Next, use your toothpick to gather up the rest of the polish - you can't pull your nails up without getting the rest of the polish on them on your way back up. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this as I didn't have the camera on a tripod to be able to get a picture while using both hands. Once the surface of the water is clear, you'll be able to see the design on your nail.

If you're like me and get a light nail or dip in the wrong spot - you can redip at this point if you want. You'll have to put new polish on the water, but you can try again... or else you can remove all the polish on the nail you don't like and start from scratch. Sometimes I like the look of the double dip too - so it's completely up to you. 

Next all you have to do is wipe away the vaseline from around the nail and you're ready to go :) 

Repeat this process until all your nails are done and enjoy your swirly or striped dipped nails.