DIY nail art

Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Nail Art from Jin Soon Choi

February 1, 2014

Jin Soon Choi, Founder of the JINsoon Nail Lacquer line and Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spas created a beautiful nail art design for Valentine’s day. This manicure combines beautiful shades of pink and red for a romantic and sophisticated manicure that is sure to make you swoon. Here is a step by step nail art tutorial to help you get this Valentine’s Day look:

1. File and shape your nails in a natural square or roundish shape.

2. Apply a base coat like JINsoon Power Coat.

3. Apply a pink shade on the entire nail bed (here, Jin Soon gives you a sneak peek of Dolly Pink from her SS14 collection).

4. Apply JINsoon Coral Peony on one side of the nail, covering about 3/4’s of the nail bed and ending in a subtle curve to create half of the heart shape. Then repeat on the other side, taking special care to intersect the two sides at the center of the nail.

5. Apply JINsoon Coquette on one side of the nail covering about half of the nail bed and ending in the same subtle curve as you did when applying the Coral Peony. Repeat on the other side, again taking special care to intersect the two sides at the center of the nail. 6. Finish with a high-shine top coat like JINsoon Top Gloss.

Are you getting a special Valentine’s Day manicure?

Fall 2011 nail trend: Easy DIY nail art

October 2, 2011

I don’t know what it is about nail designs but I’ve been a tad bit obsessed with them. When I saw that nail art was a huge Fall 2011 nail trend I was a bit hesitant at first. I work in corporate America so nail art is not something that I can wear on a daily basis, but on the weekends I love to play with polish to see what colors I love and the manicures that I can create. I’m not usually an over the top girl but something sparkly is always fun!

While at the drugstore I came across some Kiss Catwalk In-Style Designs for nails and toes. Now I’ve had my eye on some loose crystals used for nail designs but this seemed much easier. You simply peel, apply and polish. How easy is that?

My test subject nail color was Zoya Petra from the Fall 2011 collection. This is a perfect Fall shade that Zoya describes as dark, smoky, dusky grey creme with strong purple undertones. This color is rich, creamy and opaque, it became an instant favorite the moment that I swatched it.

After applying my normal base + two coats of nail polish, I let my nails dry and got ready for the decals. I’m testing out the “crystal” designs first even though the florals are so pretty. The decals are made are constructed well and the colors are vibrant. Application was very easy, just be sure to place the decal exactly where you want it because if you remove it, it will lose some of it’s sticky backing.

So here I applied just a few crystals to the side of my nail bed in a triangular pattern. I think next time I might just apply the crystals on just one finger. But overall I liked how they turned out. If you’re unable to create your own designs from scratch this is the perfect option.

zoya petra nail art

What do you think of the nail art trend? Have you tried this at home?

Looking Polished: Mermaid Nails Interpreted

August 27, 2011

One of the biggest nail trends for Fall 2011 is nail art. Now I’ll admit that in the past I have not been a huge fan of nail art but I’ve come across a few DIY nail designs that are simply too irresistible to pass up trying at home. One design that I fell for was the Mermaid Nails design posted on Cupcakes and Cashmere. My take on this nail tutorial is to swap out the blue glitter for gold and try the design on all of my nails.

Dior Vernis St tropez and Duri nail polish in all that glitters — Dior Vernis in St. Tropez and Duri Nail Polish in All That Glitters

Step 1. Apply base coat, let dry.

Step 2. Apply watery-blue color of your choice, I chose Dior Vernis in St. Tropez.

Step 3. Add topcoat to glitter nail polish in a dish and apply mixture to the bottom half of your nail bed. (I wanted more graduated rather than intense gold sparkles ).

Duri-nail-polish-all-that-glitters — Duri nail polish in All that Glitters

Step 4. Apply top coat and enjoy!

Mermaid nails Fall 2011 nail trends and nail polish — Final result!

I’m still working on technique but so far I love it the combination of the a bit of glitter on top of a soft blue. Very beach-y and a perfect way to transition out of Summer into Fall. Would you give this nail trend a try?