It’s the most wonderful time of the year… if you like bad weather, busy roads and being forced to listen to Christmas music in every public space! I know I can be a bit of a scrooge, but I do love Christmas time really. Admittedly, highlights of the season for me are all the delicious cooked dinners, socially acceptable day drinking and of course… the Christmas nail art!
I’ve put together three looks that are perfect for any Christmas occasion. All three looks only use two shades of nail polish and basic nail art tools so they’re quick and easy to achieve on any budget.
Now you know I like to keep it classy so there’s nothing too flashy – although I have been spending a lot of time browsing through the crazy glitter collection at Ellisons so you will see a fair bit of the sparkly stuff. But that’s acceptable right? Glitter can totally still be classy when you do it right!
Glitter Candy Canes
All you need is…
A white creme and a dense red glitter.
I used… Barry M Cotton and Sally Hansen Cha Ching!
How to
1. Start by painting two coats of your base colour
2. Use a quick dry top coat and wait until it’s completely dry
3. Use strips of striping tape to mark off uniform stripes. Make sure the tape hangs over the edge of the nail.
4. Take a cosmetic sponge and apply your glitter nail polish generously to the surface. Dab this down on to the nail for maximum glitter transference! You can see the method in action on my YouTube channel
5. Immediately peel away the striping tape to reveal the white underneath
6. Top with your favourite top coat. The thicker the better to smooth it all over and get that perfect glossy surface
French Snowfall Dotticure
All you need is…
A blue creme and a white creme
I used… Morgan Taylor Flirt in a Skating Skirt and Barry M White
How to
1. Paint on your base colour and wait for it to dry
2. Using a dotting tool, pick up the white polish and start dotting!
3. Start with a spread out selection of dots all over the nail, then focus in and fill it out towards the tip of your nail to create the falling snow effect.
4. Top it all with your top coat
TIP: Keep your dotting tool clean by regularly dipping it in to acetone and wiping away the mess on a cotton wool pad or lint free nail pad.
Fancy Festive Glitter Gradient
All you need is…
A soft creme for your base and a festive glitter
I used… Barry M Pink Lemonade and Cirque Helios
How to
1. Lay down your base coat and let it dry (you know the drill by now!)
2. Protect the skin around your nails using a ‘Mani Mask‘ type product or make your own. Things are gonna get messy!
3. Paint a little gold glitter onto the edge of a makeup sponge and lightly dab near your cuticles. Repeat this a few times and move upwards, always dabbing gently, to create the gradient effect.
4. Finish with your top coat and voila!