i heart nail art

if you didn't know, i have a fascination (more of an obsession) with nail polish...  i make a point not to swing by nail salons, sephora, or any cosmetic sections/aisles in department stores, pharmacies, or grocery stores.  the reason being, i end up purchasing nail polish 9 out of the 10 times i'm there.  yeah, i know, brutal... lol.

so today, i wanted to share with you my very simple and recent nail art creation.

here are the steps for re-creating this look:

• apply one layer of essie base coat or any base coat you have
• apply two coats of ocean love potion - sephora by opi (for the main shade or any shade you prefer, let each coat dry for a couple of minutes each)
• apply the dots with a toothpick, i used "a la jade" - a custom concoction i made:  green-wich village by opi mixed with baby's breath by essie.   it has a light mint shade. (you can also use any contrasting shade for this step)

i like creating custom polish shades.  once a bottle is half-full, i mix it with another.  you'd be surprised with the great shades you can create.  it's also a great way to recycle your polish!

• apply seche vite top coat - this is the fastest drying top coat in the market and an ultimate must have!  specially for those of you who don't have a lot of time to spare. (i washed a full sink of dishes, 15-20 minutes after application!)

(source)

• you can also use a quick drying spray / drops for nail polish.  this is available in any brand. 

have fun with this diy nail art!!!

here's the finished nail art / weekend nails:

i really liked how it turned out!

here are more nail art images that i love.  they are painted, stencilled, glued on, stamped... some subtle, and some extreme (3D nail art), but all of them amazing!

(all images found at we heart it, unless indicated)

louboutin - by zoe pocock
featured in grazia magazine - read the online article here
(i would love to try this one day!)

matte black - @ lacquerized by michele

(if you are a nail nerd like i am, you are going to love this blog - she is great!)

aquarium - by: mae espiritu

(she is another "must follow" for all the nail nerds out there! 
her work is so inspiring!)

 corset - by haileycakes via f*#kyeahnailart

 fleur - @ f*#kyeahnailart

lace - by obsession mia

 stamped - by inspireplease

 tuxedo - via tumblr
 

 fast food nail art - by janet riffe via puru pururin

 super mario brothers - by janet riffe

 blood stained... dexter-inspired - by yaptus @ tumblr.com

 eye - by piercy

 hello kitty - @ stylepixie

 flight of the bumble bee - by the daily nail
(this is another great blog for nail enthusiasts)

 diamonds - by styletastic

 hello kitty 3D nail art - by of-fairytales

fish net - @ f*#kyeahprettynails

houndstooth - by styletastic

you can find lots of polymer clay canes ( as a nail art element, and also for various crafts), or pre-made nail art on etsy too.  here are some of them:

poly-clay canes - by miniaturesweets

aiko - by aya1gou 

(she used some polymer clay fruits on her pre-fab nail art)

the scream - by nevertoomuchglitter

(hand painted edvard munch painting replica)

if you want more nail art goodness, check out the wah nails website here.

happy monday!
xo, carla