Operations associate, Loren, has a thing for nails- and we can’t blame her. We love reading about new finishes and fun techniques, so we thought we’d give her a weekly slot on our blog to wax poetic about all things manicure (and pedicure!) related. Check back every Thursday for Nailing It, Birchbox’s dedicated polish series.
1. chalkboardnails 2. quitepolished 3. nailingit
It’s time to ring in the new year! While I don’t know what you have planned for NYE, I do know that this night usually means big things: an awesome outfit, sultry makeup, dancing shoes, and a great mani! Since I’m still not sure what polish I will be rocking tomorrow, I decided to round up some inspiration. From the classic combo of black and gold to matte ombre sparkles to colorful confetti glitter, these are a few of my favorite festive ideas.
What will you be wearing on your nails for NYE? Tell me in comments!
Love glitter polish? Check out Zoya’s Gems & Jewels collection.
We all know how big the dip-dye hair trend is, right? Well, combine that with nail art and it’s a trendpocolypse. I’ve seen some very successful ombre’d nails and it seemed easy enough to achieve so I grabbed a few of my favorite polishes and a camera. Trust when I say the final image doesn’t do this look justice.
1. Paint your nails one solid color. I chose Zoya polish in Shay but this looks lovely with darker base colors as well.
2. Dab a small amount of your second polish onto the edge of a disposable makeup sponge. Choose a contrasting shade like Deborah Lippmann’s Between The Sheets or a festive metallic.
3. Lightly dab sponge near tip of nail and work your way up. As the polish wears off the sponge, you’ll see a splattered effect. Apply as much or as little as desired.
4. Clean up any skin that your sponge may have inadvertently touched with a polish remover soaked Q-Tip.
5. Finish with a top coat.
6. Dip-dye other areas of your life too! I love this DIY Fluro Cutlery idea.
-Lorelei
Find our favorite polishes, including the ones I used today, in the Birchbox Shop.
Dip-Dye Nails
Left: Drew Barrymore in August of last year (Photo: Steeping Beauty). Right: Ombre nails (LesleyKat).
Last year Hollywood had a love affair with the grown-out ombre hair trend. Everyone from Drew Barrymore and Ashley Simpson-Wentz to Rachel Bilson and Alexa Chung sported this look on the red carpet at some point. It seems though that the enthusiasm the style has faded (get it? Ha!), but there is a new color gradation fad on the horizon: ombre nails. We first spotted one of our fave vloggers, Miss Glamourazzi, doing a how-to video during the holidays on a Nutcracker-inspired purple mani, but now it would seem that the trend is starting to really take hold. Prime example: earlier today OnSugar blogger LesleyKat posted her tips on recreating a Valentine’s Day-themed nails. Minus the hearts (Lesley, what were you thinking?), it is so pretty—and certainly no easy feat. She used four, yup four, different types of pink polish to get this effect and even a makeup sponge to help blend. Even though I am pretty adept with lacquer, I am secretly hoping Sally Hansen comes out with Salon Effects ombre polish strips so I can partake in the look with just one simple foolproof step.
—Meredith
If you love be crafty with your nails, you’ll love our selection of daring Deborah Lippmann products.
