5 Tips: Painting Nail Designs

Painting nail designs and embellishing little details has always been a toughie for me, especially on my left hand. Here are 5 tips I discovered that helped me a little...

1. Use the plastic, circular tip of a bobby pin to paint dots or little details. Toothpicks never worked for me, and cotton swabs were just a little too cotton-y. The tip of a bobby pin was kind  of the 2 in 1, best of both worlds deal.
2. Base coat does wonders. As stated in my previous Nail Care 101 post, my favorite base coat - ever - is the MAC Under Lacquer Base. When painting a pastel nail color, be sure to apply a base coat for the color to show through to it's max.
3. Add a layer of white nail polish, especially when painting neon colors. There's no need to apply two coats of the same color when you can easily pull the same shade off with a thin layer of white!
4. Don't go anywhere near a cotton ball. Cotton balls have always been the big, bad wolf whenever I painted my nails! Somehow, I would always touch one while my nails were still wet and they would COMPLETELY destroy my design - a total downer.
5. Tape works. If you're thinking of color blocking your nails, tape is the best way to go. Stick on when your first coat is dry, paint on your second color, and peel off when the second coat is completely dry. Also, make sure the tape is 100% secure! There's nothing worse than lifting off the tape and finding that your stripes are more zig-zagged than straight.