Nautical Nails

So, I have this bad habit of not changing my nail polish until I absolutely HAVE TO. Meaning, chips, cracks, or out growth (Too much visible natural nail) etc. So needless to say, I'm thankful that I have some girls in my life with pretty nails so I can practice my designs. 

These nautical nails were done on my awesome sister-in-law April. Bless her for sitting through a couple of hours worth of painting and drying (and fixing! My niece is only one, so changing, bathing, feeding, ... all of these are not "wet nail polish friendly" activities)

Enjoy the pictures! I'm still trying out different styles to capture the nails in the best lighting.

I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat

The blue is Sinful Colors Sinful Shine with Gel Tech "Break Away" (Exclusive to Walgreens)

The red on the accent finger is Pure Ice Siren (I adore this red, it applies smoothly and it the perfect bright red)

The gold is L.A. Colors Art Deco in "24k Glitter" I applied this using a small art brush to make the anchor and the "buttons" but I used the actual striping brush that comes with the nail polish to create the faux french tip on the red nail. The art brush is not a nail specific one, just one that can be picked up at a local craft store.

The white is L.A. Colors Art Deco in "White". To make the strips on the pointer finger I used the actual brush that comes in the nail polish because it is a striping brush.

Tip: Instead of trying to draw straight lines to make stripes, try placing the finger being painted on a flat surface and steadying the hand holding the brush next to it. Instead of moving the brush along the fingernail, place the tip of the brush at one end of the nail and rotate or "roll" your finger under the brush. So the nail being painted it moving, and the brush stays still. 

To make the heart, I used the art brush and added a small bit of the white polish to create a glossy effect and the black polish is Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in "Black Out."

These nails are topped off with a coat of Sally Hansen "Clear'd for Takeoff."

Hope you enjoyed these, maybe I'll try to coordinate with a patriotic holiday next time I do a Red, White and Blue theme. :)

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