Valentine's Day: Polka Dot Manicure

Polka dots are back, beautiful people! This simplistic pattern gives a girly touch to your nails, perfectly suited for Valentine's Day. Mmm hmm, the day that many of us girls rush to get ready to look the best we can for a fun day out with friends or significant others. Polka dots nails are flirty and feminine, and it shows that you put a little extra effort to dress up ;) And, it's one of the easiest nail art to do!

Tip: Start with dotting the middle dot. That will provide bearing so your dots won't look lopsided.
Alternative colour combinations:
Pink with gold dots; black with white dots; red with black dots; blue with gold dots; dusty rose with white dots; turquoise with white dots and a list of endless possibilities ;) it's all up to your creativity! Mix around with matte and glossy finishes, dark and light colours, metallic and solid colours.
Go with more romantic or feminine colours like pinks, golds, white, beigh, nudes, creams, or reds if it's for Valentine's Day <3

My dotting tool was the rounded end of a sewing pin. You can use a toothpick, a pen which has ran out of ink, rounded end of a bobby pin or any object with a small rounded tip.

 

 

Polishes used:
Background: Essense Cut Off The Beigh
Dots: Revlon Vixen

Tell me about: Crackle/Shatter Nail Polish

Crackle/shatter nail polish is one of the most popular trend of late. From shades of black to white and brands from OPI to Sasa, crackle nail polish has certainly made its way into the world of manicures. Not only is it easy to apply, crackle nail polish gives a fun edge to solid manicures.

OPI Shatter in Black

How does the crackle polish function?
First of all, one must apply a base color in which this color will show through the cracks. Upon drying the base color, paint on the crackle polish. The trick is to paint a good amount of crackle polish with swift brushing motions.

Using too little polish will create scratches, not cracks; painting too much will result in a muddy mess. Be as quick as possible so the polish to dries as whole to create nice and obvious cracks. You do not have to be neat while painting this coat, because when the crackle polish dries it will form a broken, cracked like pattern on the base color.

As the coat of crackle polish dries, it will automatically crack to form the desired pattern. Don't worry if it doesn't look significantly cracked at first because the polish cracks as it dries. The secret ingredient of the crackle formula is ethanol which allows the polish to dry so rapidly it produces an appearance of a shattered surface. It is also formulated so the polish dries unevenly to produce the cracked effect.

This youtube video provides a clear demonstration of the use of the shatter polish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcyDVIRrZqw

What color should I buy for my crackle polish?
It depends. What color makes up the majority of your nail polish collection? If you own mostly light colors, go with a darker crackle polish like black and vice versa. The key here is to create contrast when compared to your base color.

How do I match the base color with the crackle polish?
This is by no means the way you should do your crackle manicure but I recommend pairing a light base with a dark crackle and vice versa. Matching metallic base with a solid crackle and vice versa works well too. It looks good when both colors get to stand out together without one overshadowing the other.

Hm I personally love turquoise and gold; deep red and gold; black and yellow, red and black; silver and black. Oooh looks like black is the most versatile color for a crackle polish!

Polishes used:
Base coat: Faceshop
Top coat: Sasa
Shatter polish: OPI Black (credits my cousin <3)
Base colors: self-made gray frankenpolish with a layer of duo-chromatic glitter on top

Enjoy! ;)

Trending: Gradient/Ombre Manicure

My twist on the Ombre Manicure made popular by fashionista Lauren Conrad ;) Gradient nails have also been seen on the runway of Jen Kao for Spring 2012.

My version :)

Painted my entire nails a deep green. Proceeded to paint the top 2/3 of my nails a dark blue. Finally, painted the tips a dark brown. So freaking easy, no tutorial needed ;)

Polishes used: 
Green: Elianto Deep Sea Green
Blue: Elianto Blue Splash
Dark brown: Elianto Dark Purple (looks like dark brown)
Base coat and top coat by Faceshop

Tutorial: Half Moon Manicure

Gray is the current IT-colour for the fall/winter season! Spotted on runways, all the way to hit shows like 90210, this elegant colour is back! If gray is too dull a colour for you, pump it up with a metallic colour as shown in this half moon manicure technique ;)

Steps:
1. Paint whole nail the base colour (gold). Leave to dry.
2. Place reinforcement tape/ round labeling sticker on bottom 1/3 of the nail securely. Paint the other colour (gray) on the exposed 2/3 of the nail.
3. Allow some time for it to dry partially. SLOWLY remove the tape.
4. Seal in with top coat.

Tips: 
A solid color paired with a shimmery/metallic color works best. Two solid colors work well too.
Possible combinations: turquoise & a nude color; liquid silver & black; deep red & beigh; sea green & gold

Polishes used:
Gray: self-mixed frankenpolish
Gold: Faceshop GL111
Base coat and top coat by Faceshop

Sorry about the poor lighting and smudges around the skin. Trust me when I say it looks way better under the sun ;)