Nail art is a Birchbox obsession. One of the first places we look for inspiration is Glitter, She Wrote, Anna Norman’s cheery, imaginative blog, where she shares her gorgeous designs and muses about life in the Big Apple. This week, Anna takes us inside her nail guru world, and will show us how to get gorgeous, DIY art on our fingertips.
I often tell people that the top two things you need for nail art are creativity and patience—but having the right products and tools certainly helps, too. Here’s a peek at the items I keep on hand, so I’m ready to rock whenever nail inspiration strikes.
1. I love the look of short, well-groomed nails, so nail care basics like clippers, buffers, and files (including this adorable heart-shaped file from Birchbox) are essential.
2. A good top coat adds shine, smooths brushstrokes, and keeps chipping at bay. All year I’ve been using and loving Wicked Fast from the up-and-coming polish brand Cult Nails. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails is also a great, easier-to-find choice.
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New York Fashion Week might have come to an end, but we’re still gushing over our favorite manicures from the fall 2012 shows. We wanted to round up the highlights, so we came up with the five standouts that have inspired us to test out new designs.
Show: threeASFOUR
The Look: Gorgeous lacey, spider web nails by Color Club that were created to match the laser-cut pieces. Lead manicurist Alicia Torello used a specially made dove gray nail art pen to draw tiny stripes back and forth free-hand over the nail, mimicking the unique, romantic feel of lace.
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From the moment we came across Liz Marie’s blog, we knew she was a DIY genius. From organization inspiration to turning old objects into new treasures, Liz Marie has a knack for making anything and everything beautiful. This week, the super-crafty North Carolina resident is guest blogging for us and revealing some tricks of her trade.
If you are anything like me (I hope I’m not the only one because that would be embarrassing), you have a junk drawer full of nail polish and other odds and ends. I sometimes forget all the colors I have because I can never find them.
Recently though, I came across this spice rack and knew right away what I was going to use it for: a nail polish organizer. It makes your hues much more accessible and lets you see all of your polishes clearly. After neatly storing all my shades, I wondered how else I could use a spice rack. Perhaps to organize my foundation, lotion, or perfume? This is a great way to arrange any of your beloved beauty products — not to mention the samples you get from Birchbox!
Speaking of polish, we can’t get enough of Deborah Lippmann’s divine lacquers.
Nonie Creme is a busy lady these days. Butter LONDON, the brand she co-founded in 2005, is all over New York Fashion Week — Betsey Johnson, Ports 1961, VPL, Yigal Azrouel Cut 25, Calvin Klein, and The Gap, just to name a few. I caught up with Creme backstage at the Betsey Johnson and Ports 1961 shows and got some insider tips.
On making glitter polish really pop: I hate when you find a glitter polish that looks like it’s packed full of sparkles in the bottle but barely shines once you put it on your nails. Creme’s advice? “Layer the glitter polish over a metallic, which will intensify the glitter and make it stand out.”
On getting that glitter polish off once you’re sick of it: Patience is key. Creme advises soaking a cotton ball in remover and holding on your nail for about 30 seconds. Once the remover soaks in, you should be able to slide off the polish much more easily.
On the big trends in nails: “The trend is: be yourself and tailor your beauty story around yourself.” Creme says the proliferation of nail art in recent seasons and idea of polish being the finishing touch on an outfit has led to an broadening of what’s acceptable when it comes to manicure and pedicures. In addition to the “anything goes” trend, she’s also seeing lots of texture on nails, luxe grunge looks for fall, and matchy-matchy manicures and pedicures in unconventional colors.
-Lorelei
Jonesing for some new polish colors? Hit up our shop for all our favorites.
