Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Nail Art Wednesday: Neon Polka Dotted Nails

Ideas can hit you at the most inopportune moments sometimes. While brainstorming for Easter nail art designs, I knew I wanted to something that had dots and incorporated neon colors instead of the usual pastels. I already had an existing mani that was due for a change so I thought to paint over it just to see how neon polka dots would look like. I ended up liking a lot how it all turned out that I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of photos without realizing that on one finger, the older color was peeking through at the cuticle area. Oops. So yeah, just disregard that particular finger, will you? I didn't want to waste the photos so here they are in their (albeit, flawed) neon glory:

Why yes, highlighters and neon nail polish go very well together!

What I Used:
Neon coral: China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy
Neon purple: China Glaze Flying Dragon
Neon orange: China Glaze Sunworshiper
Hot pink: China Glaze Pool Party

How I Did It:

Step 1: After applying your favorite top coat, apply the neon base color. For our purposes, we'll be using a neon coral pink.


Step 2: Using a dotting tool (or a makeshift one, I used the blunt end of a bamboo skewer), take a bit of the neon purple and dot randomly all over each nail. Make sure you don't make it too crowded to leave some space for the other colors we'll be using.


Step 3: Clean your dotting tool before proceeding and make sure your previous dots are already dry. Next, take some of the neon orange and dot randomly all over each nail, making sure to overlap with some of the purple dots you've previously made.


Step 4: Again, clean your dotting tool before proceeding and make sure the previous dots are dry to the touch. Like the previous steps, dot the hot pink randomly all over each nail, taking care that it overlaps with most of the dots already present on the nail.


Step 5: Finish it all with top coat to seal in the design. Now go enjoy your handiwork and blind some random stranger with your neon polka dots!


I can't get enough of these polka dots! They're so easy to do and yet look how fun they turn out! The best part about this design is you can interchange the colors and come up with so many different variations of the same design. Admittedly, dotting randomly was a big part of the fun behind doing this design. There's something to be said about letting your inner child loose with some neon nail polish and a makeshift dotter. I probably should have gone more dot crazy as I see some areas (especially on the thumb) that aren't as dotted as I thought (funny how you notice these things more with supersized photos of your nails). Other than that, I highly recommend trying your hand at this easy peasy dotted design!

 Sorry about the overexposure but while looking for something that mimicked the colors I chose, I chanced upon these fabric hibiscus flowers that matched my nails perfectly!

 While I generally prefer darker backgrounds, these neons stood out more against white.

...So it's pretty unsurprising to see a photo of the neon nails against a white fabric flower.

But I loved even more how it looked against this teal scarf!

Are you on board the polka dot trend? Or do these nails look too...disease ridden? What's one pattern you'd love to translate onto your nails (plaid, paisley, etc)?

PS. I actually wore a version of this to the Ingrid Michaelson concert last night! It was such a great show and because I have this encore song stuck in my head, I have made it my personal mission to have it stuck in yours as well. (And no, I'm not a Grey's Anatomy fan, just an Ingrid Michaelson one looking to convert more. :P)

14 comments:

  1. I love this Carmela, Flip Flop Fantasy is my favorite every summer, I love to wear it on my toes with yellow polka dots.

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  2. Oh this is stunning, I am in love with the neon combination here!

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  3. such a happy-go-lucky design, love it! ^^

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  4. I am loving this Carmela, I love Flip Flop Fantasy on it's own but when you add the dotties it so special, I may have to recreate this one ;D

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  5. This is amazing!!! I love the fun colors you used.

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  6. I loved her first album-but none of hers since-she changed and I just didn't like it. Love these dots though!

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  7. Thanks, Carolina! It's definitely one of my faves as well! It's so bright that wearing it makes me look tanned even when I'm not. :D Yellow dotted toes sound awesome!! I think I might just give that a go. Thanks for the idea! :D

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  8. Thanks, Stephanie! It was one of those "I don't know if it's going to work but oh look, it did" moments. :D I honestly doubt that you can go wrong with anything neon right now. I'm definitely loving the brights this season! :)

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  9. Thanks, Macha! :) The happy go lucky part was the most fun aspect of it. Or maybe it's the bright in your face neons. Either way, it makes for an all around easy to replicate and fun to sport mani! :D

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  10. Thanks, Jo! Flip Flop Fantasy is one of my faves as well. Oh, wow, I'm so excited to see your take on this!

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  11. Thanks, Marisa! The colors made the mani in this one, I'm thinking. Can't go wrong with neon! :D

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  12. Thanks, Fingers! Hmm, I guess she did have a more indie sound in her first album (wait, you do mean Slow the Rain and not Girls and Boys, right?). I didn't even know till recently that she wrote Parachute for Cheryl Cole (which I didn't particularly like) although I liked her version of it more. Have you heard it?

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  13. Love the neons you chose, and the polka-dot pattern is easy to replicate, which is great! :) Now others can enjoy this wonderful manicure, too.

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  14. I love both the colours you chose and the polka dot pattern!
    I use my dotting tools mostly to accent stamped nailart... I haven't really played around with creating an actual look just out of dots!
    You did a really awesome job! And if you think these are disease ridden then I want to be infected ;)
    I also have to say that I LOVE your photos :D I Do!!! You have such lovely slender fingers and I really enjoy looking at your creative spin in the photos.

    i wish i had a steady enough hand to create a plaid freehand look :D Maybe one day

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