Black & Gold Aztec Nails

This tutorial shows how to make this black and gold aztec print nail design, perfect for the party season :)

1)

For this design you only need two colours; black and gold. I used Barry M Foil Effects #320 and Black #47

2)

Begin by painting your nails black or gold, they can be all one colour or alternating (it'll look the same in the end), but if you find one of your varnishes easier to do intricate patterns with, then use the other for the background. 

3)

Aztec nail patterns are all about lines and dots, zig zags, diagonal lines etc. You can choose whichever you like really, so I will demonstrate how I created the middle finger design and then you can pick and choose from these what to do on the remaining nails. For this nail start by painting a straight line just under the top of your nail, then paint diagonal lines from this upwards.

4)

Next, paint two more black lines in the middle of your nail.

5)

Between these two lines, use your black polish to paint thick zig-zagging diagonal lines, which will create the little gold triangles between them. Then paint another straight line just below this part and paint straight vertical lines between the two.

6)

Next, paint some tiny dots just under the last part of the design, and finish with a straight black line across the tip of your nail.

7)

For your remaining nails, use any combination of lines and dots that you like, they are all fairly simple to do, just make sure you only have a tiny bit of varnish on your brush! 

8)

Next, do the same with your alternate colour on your remaining nails if you alternated your base colours.

And this is the finished black and gold aztec print nail art design :)

Reindeer Nails

This tutorial shows how to create this festive reindeer nail design, with four regular reindeer and Rudolph on the accent nail :)

1)

For these nails you'll need five varnishes: black, white, dark brown, light brown and red. I used (l-r) MUA #2, MUA All Nude, Max Factor Coffee Brown, Barry M Mushroom and a red from a nail art set. 

2)

Begin by painting two thin coats of your white polish on all of your nails.

3)

Next, using your light brown shade, carefully paint these arch shapes on your nails - paint them to just over half way down your nail. 

4)

Next, using your red varnish, paint a smaller arch at the tip of your accent nail for Rudolph's nose. Then use your dark brown shade to paint noses on the rest of your nails.

5)

Next, using your light brown varnish again, paint small oblongs on each side of your larger arches to create ears. Then carefully paint two white dots for eyes, with two tiny black dots inside for pupils.

6)

Finally, using your dark brown varnish, paint two lines sprouting from the large arches to create antlers. Add two smaller lines extending from these to finish the design off.

And this is the finished festive reindeer nail art design :)

Christmas Tree Nails

This tutorial shows how to make this colourful, stripy christmas tree design :)

1)

For this tutorial you will need black/darkbrown, green, red, white, clear topcoat and silver polishes. You'll also need some yellow and red nail gems (available on ebay pretty cheap :) )

2)

Start by painting your accent nail with your white varnish, then paint your remaining nails silver.

3)

For the first part of the christmas tree design, paint a small square shape at the tip of your accent nail with your black/dark brown varnish.

4)

Then, take your green shade and paint a triangle on top of the square up to just under half-way down your nail. 

5)

Next, paint another slightly smaller green triangle on top of the first one.

6)

Paint one more triangle on top, slightly smaller again. Then carefully paint lines on the edges of your triangles to make them less sharp and more tree-like. 

7)

Paint over your tree with your topcoat, then using tweezers apply a gold/yellow gem to the top in place of a star. Next, add as many red (or any colour you prefer) gems to the actual tree as decoration. 

8)

For the other nails, start your stripes from the top corner and work downwards. Make sure you let one stripe dry before painting the next or they will run into each other and you'll get a black smudge between them. Continue all the way across your nail. 

And this is the finished sparkly christmas tree nail art design :) 

Festive Holly Manicure

This is a nail tutorial on how to create this festive diamante holly manicure :)

1)

For this tutorial you will need two colours: nude/beige and white, as well as a topcoat and some red and green nail gems. I used MUA #18 and MUA All Nude. The gems are available on ebay. 

2)

Begin by painting all your nails with your nude shade.

3)

Next, paint on these white french tips. Try rolling your nail toward a broad brush stroke to create a smoother line. 

4)

Next, apply your clear top coat to create an adhesive surface, then (using tweezers), apply your nail gems. The amount of green ones you use will depend on your nail, but put more on one side than the other, with the red berries slightly off centre.

5)

Repeat this step on your thumbnail.

And this is the finished festive holly berry diamante manicure :)