DIY Nail Art Hacks

When it comes to nail art we obsess over the pretty designs, but we never imagine we could pull off such precise technique. Well, we were wrong. Nail art is easier than it looks, thanks to these clever hacks, or “cheats” as we’d like to say. To try all of the tricks, you’ll need toothpicks, band-aids, tape, scissors, metallic sharpies, glitter, and an eye shadow brush.

• For simpler nail art, like solid nails with a heart or flower on each finger, use a toothpick. Once your bottom coat is completely dry, dip the toothpick in the polish and carefully place dots where the edges of your design will be. Then, with less polish on your toothpick, bring the polish together to complete the design. For example, if you want to draw a heart, draw two dots next to each other and one below and in between the top two. Then use the toothpick to fill in the center.
• The next trick is to create interesting lines. Cut a piece of tape to begin. You could try cutting chevron stripes or a jagged line on just one side. Place the tape on your finger and paint the remaining part of your nail. Once this section is completely dry, remove the tape and paint the rest of your nail very slowly. You can also use tape to draw straight, even lines for geometric patterns, or cut thinner pieces for tiny stripes.
• One of our favorite looks is a sparkly ombre nail. To do this you’ll need some glitter and an eye shadow brush. Once you paint a nail a solid color, use the brush to add glitter to the tip of the nail and less as you go further down the nail. To get the best ombre, make sure you leave the part of your nail closest to the cuticle untouched by glitter.
• Band-aids are a surprising tool to use for nail art, but they happen to be the perfect stencil for creating polka dots. Once your nails are dry with a solid color, place the end of a band-aid on your nail and make sure there are holes that you can see through. Paint the holes in a different color and let dry. After drying, remove the band-aid to see perfectly circular polka dots.
• Lastly, a metallic sharpie is the greatest and easiest nail art hack. If you want to add gold stripes to a black manicure, simply let your nails dry then gently draw your desired pattern. Silver looks fab too!

Nail art is booming in the summer. With so many fun patterns everywhere you look—fruit, flowers, and bright-colored stripes, it’s hard not to want crazy colorful nails this season.