Summertime Highlighter Nails
My friend Viviana from vivianarchy asked me a few days ago about my nails in my profile picture, so I thought I'd write up a little tutorial for those of you who've have bad experiences with highlighter/neon nail polish.
First of all, let me preface this awful series of photographs by saying that I absolutely cringe at the sight of hand-pictures, so this is a big deal for me. I truly find every single picture of hands disgusting. Maybe it's just me, but I have never seen a picture of a hand, no matter the camera's lens, angle or effect, that is attractive. With that said, here's a ton of pictures of my ugly hands and stubby, chubby fingers!
1. Yikes. I'm a nail-biter, so I usually don't have nails to start with, making painting pretty tough.
2. Fixed that by adding some nail glue and fake nails. Doesn't take too long and I actually found some glue (kiss pink gel glue) that lasts a little while.
3. The key to good highlighter nails (which can turn out transparent, even with 10+ coats) is a solid base coat. I bought this Sally Hansen polish from The Dollar Tree...yes, they sell awesome products like that. The shade isn't my favorite, but "Chartreuse Chase" dries solid and fast, working as the perfect base for highlighter nails.
4. See, this color definitely isn't the prettiest. Makes me feel like I have a fungus. Nevertheless, paint one or 2 coats of your base and let it completely dry before adding any neon.
5. I found a great line of neon polishes at Walgreens by "Sinful Colors" while I was visiting Hawaii in April (gah, I miss that place!) I picked up a "Neon Melon" and a shade of pink (for only $1.99 each, I might add).
6. Even with a great base coat, you may need to use the neon paint for two or three layers. The first one probably just won't cut it. Just remember to wait until every coat is dry before painting another.
7. Top it off with a clear coat, if you have some around and enjoy your bright Summertime highlighter nails.
Just because there's an engagement ring on your finger, doesn't mean you need to run out and get french tips like every single other person on the planet. Dare to be bold, different and fun! Happy painting!
