Tools:
Dotting tool or bobby pin
Plastic end of the sewing pin stuck into a pencil eraser
Julep Colors Taylor, Hayden, and Sasha
Instructions:
Step 1: Begin by painting nails with your base coat and first color. Let the polish set, though it doesn’t have to be completely dry.
Step 2: Take your second color and place a few drops of it on a piece of wax paper. Dip the larger end of your dotting tool into the polish, and then use it to add 3-5 large dots of color near the tip of your nail. Make some of the dots go off of the edge of your nail. Repeat on all 10 nails.
Step 3: Take the smaller end of your dotting tool and dip it in the same color you used in step two. Add 3-5 smaller dots traveling down the nail, making them less concentrated as you get closer to your cuticle.
Step 4: Repeat step two with your third color. This time, make some of your dots overlap the first set of dots that you made. This helps create depth and visual interest.
Step 5: Repeat step three with your third color. Keep an eye out for balance on your manicure as you do this last step! If one area looks too sparse, add a small dot to fill it out.
Step 6: Continue to add more dots if desired (see photo below.) And then let your nail art set before finishing with topcoat.
About the Nail Artist: Chalkboard Nails
Sarah entered the world of nail art about a year ago when she found a leopard print manicure online. Today she owns over 800 nail polishes and provides tutorials on her own instructive, quirky and inventive blog, Chalkboard Nails. Sarah has mastered both simple and complicated designs and, let’s be honest- she really knows her stuff!
Her number one tip is, “to clean up your manicure before top coating! It’s a simple step that can really make your nails look a lot more professional. All you need is a small makeup brush, like an angled eyeliner brush, and nail polish remover. Dip the brush into the remover, and then gently sweep it along the edge of your manicure, just above your cuticles. It will give you a smooth and even polish line like you’d get from a salon!”
Her nail painting ritual includes, “a glass of wine and Netflix” and even more specifically Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sarah shares that “[It is] such a great 90′s throwback — the perfect combination of teen angst and campy special effects.”
Sarah’s Julep Maven Style Profile is It Girl.
Interested in being featured? Contact Alexandria at blog@julep.com.
