British Nail Art
All you need is:
1x Red nail colour
1x White nail colour
1x Blue nail colour
1x Red glitter nail colour
1x Gold glitter nail colour
1x Bobby Pin
1x Sponge
1x Post-it note/piece of paper
1. British Flag
A perfect Union Jack is a very hard to achieve, so have fun with it and create an imperfect, punk-inspired one instead. Paint the nail an all-over base colour of blue and wait to dry. Next, take your red colour and draw a freehand cross in the centre of the nail, before daubing freehand white diagonal stripes in the corners. When it’s all dry, accent the red stripe with some red glittery nail colour.
2. Glitter Tips
Paint the nail all-over with your red nail colour and wait to dry. Next, dab some glittery red onto a piece of paper, and dip your sponge into it. Gently press the glitter from the middle of the nail towards the top, building it up towards the tip to create a more densely glittery effect. Add some golden glitter for an even more glamorous, textured effect.
3. Polka Dots
Paint the entire nail with your white nail colour and wait to dry. Next, daub your contrasting blue nail colour onto a piece of paper and dip the end of your bobby pin into it. It is better to do this with paper, as dipping your pin straight into the pot of nail colour will overload it with too much product and make things messy. Finally, gently press dots onto the nail in a grid pattern.
4. Crown
This one is created entirely freehand, so make sure you have a steady hand at the ready. Paint the entire nail a dark, sumptuous blue and wait to dry. Next, draw a small horizontal line halfway up the nail using your gold glittery nail colour. From this line draw five short vertical stripes, the tallest one in the centre, and then join then together into a crown shape. Build of the intensity of the glitter, and then wait to dry. Finish by dotting three red glittery gems onto the design.
5. Bunting
This is the look that requires the most effort, so save it for when you have a bit of time on your hands. Start by painting your entire nail with your red base colour, and then wait for it to dry completely. Next, draw freehand dark blue triangles diagonally across the nail and wait to dry. Rip the sticky part off your post-it note and lay it diagonally across the tops of the bunting triangles. Take your white nail colour and draw carefully along the line. Wait to dry before peeling the post-it note away. Finish by accenting the top segment of your nail with red glitter, and dotting a little golden glitter onto your bunting.
Emma is a fashion blogger with a passion for DIY. She writes for Escentual.com, a British beauty website. From Bare Minerals to Avene and Givenchy, they stock the best brands in skincare, haircare and perfume.
