TUTORIAL: Midnight Smoke Nail Art Inspired by The Sorcerer Heir

I'm happy to be a participant in the World of Weir Blog Tour today, leading up to the release of Cinda Williams Chima's new book, The Sorcerer Heir. Not only do I get to do some inspired nail art, but you guys get a new video tutorial! This magical, eerie smoke effect is really much easier than you might guess.


The Sorcerers are masters of material - they can create magical talismans, potions, poisons, weapons, and more. They are also known for their healing ability, and have strong ties to the color green. In my tutorial, I've combined what I know about the guild with some inspiration from the book cover, which shows a potion with mysterious smoke swirling around it. Who knows, you might even feel like a Sorcerer yourself with these nails!

For this look, you'll need black nail polish, light green nail polish, topcoat, 100% acetone, and a nail art brush or two.

1. Begin by painting your nails with two coats of black polish.
2. Apply a generous coat of topcoat to protect the black polish before we move on to the next steps. Let dry.
3. Using your green polish, paint loose, wavy stripes across your nails, roughly where you want your smoke to end up.
4. Using a nail art brush to lightly dab 100% acetone over your green polish. Don't dab too much or too hard, otherwise the acetone may begin to eat through your black base.
5. Repeat on all of your nails. I like to make it look like the smoke is most concentrated on my pointer and trails off as it moves towards my pinky.
6. Clean up your cuticles if necessary using an angled brush and nail polish remover.
7. Finish with topcoat.

Surprisingly easy, right? Now if only I could create magical potions with just as much effort...

ABOUT “THE WORLD OF WEIR” BLOG TOUR
Those with magical powers in The Heir Chronicles series by Cinda Williams Chima are known as the Weir. The World of Weir blog tour leads up to the release of the can’t-miss series finale, The Sorcerer Heir (in-stores October 21st) by celebrating the magical fantasy world and the five types of magical guilds. Follow along for playlists, nail art, and more inspired by the series, plus exclusive excerpts from the upcoming finale.

WEEK 1: THE WARRIORS September 14 – September 20
WEEK 2: THE WIZARDS September 21 – September 27
WEEK 3: THE SEERS September 28 – October 4
WEEK 4: THE ENCHANTERS October 5 – October 11
WEEK 5: THE SORCERERS October 12 – October 18

For more information, visit Cinda Williams Chima’s Official Site, follow her on Twitter, and check out Disney-Hyperion on Twitter and Instagram. Hashtag #TheSorcererHeir to join the conversation.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by representatives from Cinda Williams Chima's "The Heir Chronicles" series.