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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You Get a Gold Star!

You go Glen Coco! Today's nail art is another variation of my sugared stars technique, except instead of a textured polish, I used a dense glitter. Make sure to visit the tutorial for details, and read on for the polishes that I used in this specific look!

Press Sample

I began with a base of Precision Nail Lacquer Pur-fect FX, a pretty rich purple shade. This was my first experience with Precision Nail Lacquer and I have to say I was really impressed! The formula was nice and the color was really pretty, plus the polish dried super glossy on its own.

Then, after letting the base dry completely, I applied painter's tape that had been punched with the stars. I sponged on a couple of rounds of Cirque Helios, a sparkling gold with holographic glitters. I chose to leave it without a topcoat, which gave it a sandy, finely textured effect.

The final step was using OPI Matte Topcoat to add some dots in the negative space. As you can see, this matte topcoat is SUPA DUPA MATTE, providing a great contrast with the base of the manicure.

I don't do enough matte and glossy combination manicures. They look so legit! They're subtle but bring that extra bit of oomph.

Shop the look:
Precision Nail Lacquer - Pur-fect FX
Cirque - Helios
OPI - Matte Topcoat

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