Essentials in Nail Art

If you know me well enough, you would've known by now that I am a HUGE fan of nail art. Some people would ask me how I do my nails, so I thought I'd share with you some of the must-have tools when it comes to nail art. To take a peek at some of my creations, visit my nail art page here.

First off, here are the main things I use to create my nail arts:

These are the tools I use when it comes to painting my nails and creating patterns. Lets take a closer look, shall we?

Here, we have the best and most useful tool of all when it comes to nail art. Its light, disposable and its SUPER easy to create nail art with these babies. Yes, I'm talking about toothpicks.

What you can do with them is to create little dots or easy patterns with them. You can even control the size of your dots by either using a sharp toothpick to create tiny dots or squeeze the tip of the toothpick down to make it blunt to create bigger dots.

Here's an example of creating dots using toothpicks:

Awesome eh? Gotta love the power of the toothpicks! 

Next we have the bling bling. A.K.A, nail jewelry.

Obviously, you can use these shiny things to brighten up your nails! Just use some clear polish and apply it on your nails as glue for the jewels and stick it on your nails immediately. Or, you can just stick the jewels on your nails right after you have just painted your nails.

I prefer to use nail jewels that are neutral in color because it can match with any color you own like this nail art:

Once again, toothpicks are awesome because it helps to apply nail jewels on your nails! Just dip your toothpick it a tiny bit of clear nail polish or water and it can easily get a hold of  the jewels for easy application.

And then we have the Konad stamp.

Notice the little prints engraved on these mirror like objects? This is just like a print and stamp method of creating a nail art. Awesome stuff. Here's a demo video on how its done:

See? Its that easy to create professional looking nail art even if you're a noob! Unfortunately, I haven't found that special nail polish for this Konad stamp so I can't use it just yet. Anybody knows where I can find it in Malaysia?

Moving on, here we have my brushes!

Obviously, I use them to create different patterns using different sized brushes. Its exactly like painting a picture. The only difference is I'm just painting a really small canvas.

Ok, this is definitely my favorite way of creating a really quick nail art;
OPI Black Shatter nail polish!

Its one of the most simplest, super, super easiest way of creating a beautiful nail art. For those who don't know a shatter or crackle nail polish is, its a kind of nail polish that cracks up as soon as it is applied onto another base nail polish when it dries up, giving it a 'shattered' look. Its so cool to watch it crack when it dries, I love it so much!

All you have to do is to pick a base color and you paint the black shatter nail polish all over your nails as usual and watch it crack!

For this nail polish, I recommend using a Gold nail polish as your base to give your nails this rustic look:

After applying the black shatter nail polish, apply a top coat for a shiny finish and to make it last longer.

Of course, we can't forget about the glitter and the shimmer!

You can use glitter nail polish to give some bling to your nails. If however, you're not the glitter type of person but would like some shine nonetheless, you can use a shimmery nail polish as its not as harsh as glitter.

You don't necessarily have to apply glitter all over your nails. You can apply it at certain areas just for emphasis on your nails. Like this one:

I added a little bit of glitter at the tip for that shiny finish.

If you like doing things manually, then try looking out for these kinds of nail polish.

Its just ordinary nail polish, nothing too fancy like the Black shatter. The only difference is its brush; its very, very thin!

See? What I love about this brush is that I'm able to create thin lines and curves using these little brushes. And its not very hard to use either! With one quick swipe, you've got yourself a perfect line! Here's a design I created using these nail polish:

Its one of my favorite designs! Unfortunately, it was short lived because I had to go for an interview the day I created this design and so I had to clean my nails before I left :(

Well, you couldn't possibly create long-lasting nail art without clear polish, can you now?

Most people don't realize that a base coat for your nails is important because it helps to protect your nails from being stained from the colored nail polish especially the red ones. If you keep painting your nails without a base coat, you will notice soon enough that your nails will turn yellowish in color. A top coat is also just as important to protect or 'encase' your nail art so that it can last longer!

This is optional, but if you like doing your pedicures as well, try using a toe separator.

This pimped up toe separator is a victim on one of one of my doodles. What? I get bored!

And there you have it! These are the tools I use to create my nail art. Its a fun hobby and it exercises patience and steady hands. If you have a lot of time like me, this hobby is surely your thing.

Good luck and have fun!