While you might be used to a French manicure or the occasional rhinestone, the world of nail art is constantly changing. It’s grown in new and exciting ways, many of which you can employ easily at home. Add sparkle, shine and design with some of these cool tools to both exercise your creativity and insert a little more glamour to each day.
Show Your Stripes
Striping tape comes in a host of colors and tones (metallics, glitters and more!). With a sticky backing, it is used to create colorful line designs with the tape itself on the nail. To make stripes using striping tape, choose the tape of your choice and lay it out on dry nails that have already been painted with at least a clear base polish (add a color if you like), then trim with nail scissors and place in a design of your choosing with tweezers. Press it down to make it stay, then seal it in with a top coat.
Stamp It Out
A clear jelly stamper can make nail art exciting in a multitude of ways. Use it to reproduce images from nail polish stamping plates, or paint on it directly to create swirled designs with dabs of polish you can then press onto your nail. You can also add several brushstrokes of your favorite polish and then dip your nail into the stamper to create French manicures. Added bonus: Most jelly stampers can be found online for less than $10.
Design With Decals
Decals might not be new, but there’s a whole new wave of designs to choose from, some even from designer brands. Add rhinestones, line drawings, letters and so much more to your nails for some fun and flair. Nail tattoos can also be applied with water. No matter which you use, just remember to seal everything in with a top coat so it stays in place.
Do It With Dots
Dotting tools, metal tools with rounded ends that produce dots when dipped in nail polish, can allow you to create a host of dotted designs, from daisies to marbleized looks, from leopard print to pointillist masterpieces. All you have to do is dip the rounded tip into a small amount of polish and create dots on your nails in whatever design you choose. The pen creates perfectly round dots, plus, many dotting tools have two ends in different sizes so you can pick your dot size as well.