Hey guys, I am squeezing in a quick manicure tutorial for the Christmas tree nail art post I did earlier this month. So if you looking for a last minute Christmas manicure idea, why not give this a try!
Before starting your manicure, smooth out the edges of your nails with a fine nail filer, then rub your cuticles generously with either hand lotion or cuticle oil. Before you apply your polish, make sure to wipe the lotion/oil off of your nails either with an alcohol pad or a cotton ball soaked in some polish remover. This helps clean the surface of your nails, removing any oil and dirt.
For the step by step directions, click.......
1. Apply a neutral base color (and a base coat if you like), I used a polish called “Alyson” from Julep.
2. Apply a pretty glitter over the neutral base, this helps make the manicure more glamorous. I used “I’m Not Lion” from China Glaze”
3. When the polish is completely dry, use two pieces of scotch tape and make out a triangle shaped stencil for your little tree. There is no need to press down the tape too hard, as long as it is adhered to the nail, some raised edges won’t matter.
4. Using a makeup wedge sponge, paint a green gradient on it using three polishes. I used (from lightest to darkest) “Fantiastico Lime” from Borghese, “Leah” from Julep, and “Popova” from Julep. Dab the colors on the sponge onto your nail before the polish dries, repeat this process until the colors are opaque.
5. Immediately remove the tapes, peel towards the cuticle to preserve the sharp edges and the pointed tree top.
6. Top your tree with a star stud, no tree is complete with a star on top. I adhered a star stud from Born Pretty Store to my nail using some top coat.
7. Now for the ornaments! Apply a layer of top coat over the tree portion of your nail, use a orange stick and place on some glitter pieces. I used some holographic diamond shaped silver glitters from Born Pretty Store.
8. Add a top coat to secure on the star and ornaments and you are done! Once your manicure is completely dry, nourish those cuticles some more with some hand lotion to keep them nice and healthy!
What I used:
The end result:
