TUTORIAL: Easy Sideswipe Nail Art with Negative Space

Who's up for a super quick and easy nail art tutorial? This look is a variation on the distressed nail art tutorial that you may have seen around these parts before. I changed the direction, added a bit of negative space, and made it matte. Easy, easy, easy. Perfect for the gal on the go. Hit the jump to check out the tutorial and see this technique in action.




For this look, I used:
Color Club - Je Ne Sais Quoi
Essie - Too Taboo
Julie G - Cabana Boy
Glisten and Glow - HK Girl Topcoat
Essie - Matte About You Topcoat
Kolinsky 777 French/round brush
Pure acetone

If you don't have a round brush, give it a go with whatever clean up brush you have handy! Of course, if you'd rather, you can always go for the classic hole-punch-reinforcement-as-half-moon-stencil method, too.

Mix things up by grabbing different color combinations, skipping the matte topcoat, or using a nail vinyl as your negative space stencil. The possibilities! Share your versions with me on Instagram by tagging @chalkboardnails and hashtagging #hellochalkboardnails.

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Inky Negative Space Nail Art Inspired by Donna Karan

Today's 31 Day Challenge prompt is "inspired by fashion." One upside to doing the challenge in September is that this day always follows New York Fashion Week, so there is plenty of inspiration to browse. I flipped through a massive Harper's Bazaar slideshow and fell in love with this Donna Karan dress. I made sure to include not only the inky shapes, but also the black detailing and negative space of the neckline.

Nail polishes used:
Polish My Life Birthday Suit
American Apparel Hassid
Painter's tape

I taped off skinny triangles at the base of my nail, and then painted on the cream shade. I removed the tape, and used the distressed/dry brush technique to add the inky shapes in black. Then, I used a small nail art brush to add the delicate black V details at the tips of the triangles, as well as a few smaller splatter details.

I love the graphic, splattered look of this, and the black and white palette only enhances the graphic effect.

Previously, on "Inspired by Fashion" day:

• Max Azria spring look
• Betsey Johnson bright gradient with "silly string"
• McQueen textured skull scarf

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Pop Punk Skittlette with Glittery Skull and Distressed Accents

Back in 2002, Avril Lavigne's song "Sk8er Boi" ruled my world. Can you believe that song came out over a DECADE ago? I don't know about you guys, but I was all about that unbearably catchy tune. Maybe not the most poetic single, but I don't mind admitting that I rocked out to that many times as my mom drove me to the mall.

Avril came into the style spotlight for her heavy eyeliner and stick straight hair, plus a propensity for clothing and jewelry that incorporated symbols like skulls and stars. The glittery skull and distressed accent nails in this manicure, plus the combination of rich purple and black, really make me think of the Pop Punk Princess.

Products used:
Indigo Bananas Moonlight (Clair de Lune)
Misa Loveliest of Lilacs
American Apparel Hassid
Joby Skull Glitter Nail Art Decal
Cirque Vectors

I was very excited to play with the silver flake polish by Indigo Bananas (psst...the shop also has a rose gold version). It was less dense than I expected, needing four coats for the opacity here, but it didn't get thick on the nail so I didn't mind so much. It is really beautiful and reflective.

The glittery skull decal came as a part of a sheet with gold, black, and additional silver glitter skulls. I was really impressed with these. They're way easy to use; just make sure you let your base dry before you stick it on. A great accent and it looks really clean.

The ring finger was done using my distressed nail art technique. Cirque's black glitter polish, Vectors, provides a similar effect but with a little bit more geometry.

I think Avril would have been all over this manicure back in her heyday. A little punk, a little glam... Anyone else have "Sk8er Boi" stuck in their head?

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Party Perfect: Black and Gold Nail Art Ideas

I have been wearing a lot of black and gold manicures lately, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to highlight one of my favorite party pairings. Black and gold make a stunning combination: chic and glam, strong and bright, deep and dimensional. They're the perfect pair for all of your holiday soirees, and, great news, you can stretch them out through New Years!

I've got five looks to share with you today, plus I'll give you some quick breakdowns on how to achieve them yourself. Some are harder than others, but even beginner nail artists will find something to try here! Don't be shy... get your glam on!

The Polka Dot
Polka dot nail art is easy to achieve and a great place to start if you are just getting into nail art. All you will need is a tool to dot with! I used a nail art dotting tool, but DIY options include a dull lead pencil or the rubber tip of a bent-open bobby pin. Dip the tool into black polish and dot it onto your nail in an alternating pattern. Finish with topcoat. Instantly adorable!

Polishes shown: China Glaze Mingle With Kringle, China Glaze Liquid Leather

The Distressed Effect
Maybe you're not a traditional "glam girl" but you still want to rock some awesome, easy nail art at your holiday parties! My distressed effect tutorial will show you how to achieve this punky, grungy look that has all the edge of crackle but with added control and a more refined finish.

Polishes shown: OPI Goldeneye, American Apparel Hassid

The Cuticle Glitter Gradient
There are two ways to do a glitter gradient: from your nail tip and from your cuticle. I personally prefer the look of the cuticle glitter gradient, but both of them are sure to give you a chic and on-trend manicure. I like to put a drop of glitter near my cuticle, wipe off the brush entirely, and then gently drag the glitter out towards the end of my nails. You can add more glitter at the base of the nail to boost the gradient effect, too. Beginners will have an easier time doing this effect if they use a denser glitter, like the one I've used here!

Polishes shown: Cirque Ica Valley, Color Club Where's the Soiree?

The "I'm Feeling Ambitious" Foil/Gel Combo
Nail foils let you achieve brilliant, mirror like effects, but most regular topcoats will crinkle the foil and ruin the effect. But did you know that sealing foil inside of gel can help keep the chrome finish intact? For this manicure, I started by applying and curing a black gel polish. Then, I painted a ruffian shape with nail foil glue, let the glue turn clear, and applied sheets of gold foil over the glue. After letting the glue and foil dry a bit longer, I finished the manicure with one final layer of gel topcoat. Instantly blinding!

Polishes shown: Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish in Black Tie Optional, Sally Hansen Salon Gel Starter Kit
Foil used: Gold Spectrum from Dollar Nail Art, nail foil glue

The Stamped Manicure
Nail art stamping definitely has a learning curve, but it produces some amazing results. If you are unfamiliar with how to stamp, check out my stamping tutorial! It's an older post but the process hasn't changed since then. Layer gold swirls over black for an elegant effect!

Polishes shown: American Apparel Hassid, Essie Good As Gold
Stamped with: Nailz Craze plate NC02, Konad stamper

Which of these effects do you like best? Are you a fan of black and gold together?
Share your black and gold manicures with me on Instagram using the hashtag #hellochalkboardnails! 

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TUTORIAL: Distressed Nail Art (Punk/Grungy Effect)

Sometimes you want to do awesome nail art but you just don't have the time to sit down and do something complicated. Or maybe you're just starting out in the world of nail art and feel a little intimidated by all the techniques and tools (understandably!). Perhaps you just like edgy nail art that can be swiped on in seconds. No matter what your situation, I hope this nail art tutorial speaks to you.

You don't need any special tools, and imperfections are totally encouraged. Pick a few colors, grab a black polish, throw caution to the wind, and let's get started!

I originally debuted this effect during the 31 Day Challenge and later did another version in neons. Today, I'm tackling the style in bright, girly shades, and this is my favorite version yet!

As I mentioned, you don't need any special nail art tools for this effect. You will, however, need a few colors of polish. For this particular manicure, I'm using:

OPI Alpine Snow
China Glaze Rose Among Thorns
China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle
China Glaze That's Shore Bright
American Apparel Hassid


The gist of this technique is that you wipe almost all of the polish off of the brush and then use the almost-dry brush to apply uneven swipes of polish. Be sure to watch the video tutorial to see it in action!

I really like this style. It's so fast to do, creates really eye-catching results, and looks great in all sorts of color combinations.

I've had a couple people mention that it creates a look that is similar to the effect you achieve with a shatter polish. I totally agree, but I think this technique has the upper hand! Doing this distressed effect by hand lets you control how much black polish goes on top and where it ends up. Shatter can be inconsistent and will oftentimes cover up all the beautiful color work that you put underneath it! Think of this as shatter for a more refined audience.

So what do you think? Will you be giving this beginner nail art technique a try? Come share your results on my Facebook page or by hashtagging #hellochalkboardnails on Instagram/Twitter!

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Punky Neon Grunge Nail Art

I've got a quick nail art bite for you today! This punky, bright, grungy combo uses the same technique that I used in my distressed metallic gradient manicure. I thought it would be fun to combine a harsh, distressed black with some bright neon shades, so I grabbed five polishes from the Precision Nail Lacquer Get Loud Collection and got started.

It's important to begin this look with a white base to make sure the neons pop! After letting the base set, I used the following shades from Precision Nail Lacquer to create the neon layering: Lime a Dozen, I'm Berry Shocked, Electric Daisy, Razzmatazz, and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

I created a kind of rough linear effect with the neons by wiping the polish brush most of the way off on the neck of the bottle, then using the mostly-dry brush to swipe on stripes of color. Be careful not to layer the shades too much or your manicure will look muddled.

The final step was to use the same technique with the black polish for the grungy finish.



I wasn't too sold on this look as I was doing it, but the more I wore it the more I grew to totally love it. It's kind of a freeing technique -- you can't always control what the polishes are going to do. I had to learn to let go!

Precision Nail Lacquer polishes can be purchased on precisionnaillacquer.com, where individual shades retail for $5.95. I was really pleased with the way they worked in this nail art, and readily available neons at that price are nothing to sneeze at!

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31DC2013 Day 08: Distressed Metallic Gradient

Though I've had some trouble coming up with designs for previous 31DC days, when I sat down to do my metallic nails, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and exactly which polishes I wanted to use.

The polishes I used are all a part of the new China Glaze Autumn Nights collection. The shades are:
China Glaze Gossip Over Gimlets - A sparkly, flecky silver
China Glaze Goldie But Goodie - A sparkly, flecky gold
China Glaze Strike Up a Cosmo - A sparkly, flecky blushing bronze

I applied Liquid Palisade to my cuticles and the surrounding areas of skin to protect them from the oncoming sparkle hurricane. TIP: You could also use Elmer's glue in the same way! Just be sure to let it dry first.

Using a triangle makeup wedge, I sponged the polishes on to the nail, creating a gradient effect.

I peeled the Liquid Palisade off to reveal nice, clean fingers that needed only minimal cleanup (thank goodness).

The final step was to add the distressed effect using a black polish. It's really easy -- all you need is the polish brush! Wipe it off very well on the neck of the bottle, then use the brush to swipe some semi-dry strokes of polish over the top of the manicure. The effect takes care of itself!

These final two photos are the lovely polishes in direct light. They're pretty and sparkly while still retaining a metallic finish!

The China Glaze Autumn Nights collection is available now in salons and beauty supply stores.

More 31 Day Challenge
View upcoming prompts!
My metallic nails from 2012!
My metallic nails from 2011!

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