Tutorial and Images - Debbie Page-Wood
For this pink, silver and white Valentine’s Day heart and stripes nail art look, you’ll need:
- Nail polish remover
- lint-free wipes or cotton pads
- an orangewood cuticle stick or cuticle pusher
- 180-grit buffer or a buffing block (the ones with 4 different sides)
- a nail file
- base coat
- pink, white and silver nail polish
- top coat
- dotting tool (or straightened out bobby pin)
- a mini striping brush (small paintbrush or clean eyeliner brush)
- cuticle oil and hand cream.
Start off by prepping your nails; remove any old polish, push back your cuticles, file your nails into the desired shape and then buff them lightly.
Cleanse your nails again with nail polish remover to remove any nail dust and natural oils that will have come to the surface of the nail. Apply a thin layer of base coat and cure it according to the instructions on your lamp (for gel) or wait for it to dry (for traditional polish / lacquer).
Apply a thin coat of polish to each nail, making sure to cap the free edge (guide the brush along the very tip of your nails). Cure or wait for it to dry.
Apply a second, thin coat of polish and cure or wait for it to dry.
On the white feature nail, paint your heart shape by using a dotting tool and small brush. To paint a nice even heart shape, start with two dots right next to each other. This will form the top of the heart, then use the small brush to drag polish down into a point to create a “v” shape that forms the lower half of the heart.
If you don’t have a dotting tool, straighten out a bobby pin and use the rounded bit on the end. A few other things that work as dotting tools are a pin stuck into the eraser on the back of a pencil or the rounded end of a small brush handle. Look around and see what you have available that may work.
After you’ve created your hearts and have cured them or left them to dry, start painting your silver stripes. These can be done freehand with a small brush or painted with the help of striping tape or thin strips of sticky tape as guides.
Another variation would be to do the stripes first and then just pop the heart on top of the stripes. I didn’t do it that way, as I wanted my stripes to end with a small gap around my heart.
Cure your stripes or allow them to dry before applying top coat.
Finish off your manicure by rubbing cuticle oil onto your nails, cuticles and skin around your nails. Cuticle oil applied daily will nourish your nails and help your polish to last longer by keeping it moisturized and flexible. Apply a nourishing hand cream and you’re good to go.
If you do attempt this at home, please post a pic on the PhotoWall, as I'd love to see it!
Love
Debbie xx
Thank you so much Debbie - we can't wait for the next one ;)
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Those hearts look so perfectly done! I'd have guessed nail sticker or stamp if you hadn't said freehand.