This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Minnesota chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a bunch of different nail polishes (okay, let’s be real… TONS of
different nail polishes) but sometimes you get bored with solid colors. Even if your collection boasts
shimmer, sparkles, or glitter, sometimes it’s fun to spruce up your nails and treat yourself to a fun DIY
manicure. Here are three ways you can give your run of the mill manicure a boost without breaking the bank at the nail salon!
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1. Use shatter polish
Last year, OPI released their first shatter polish – something pretty unique to the polish world. Other
brands like China Glaze and Sally Hansen have caught on and released their own versions of the now
uber-popular polish. I must confess, I have a few of these shatter polishes and I absolutely love them!
They are a fun way to give your nails some personality. Shatter is also an easy way to prolong any
manicure – once your plain jane polish starts chipping away, paint on a layer of shatter to hide those
bare nail tips! You can find shatter polishes at any Sally Beauty or beauty supply store for about $7, but be warned – these sell out fast when stores get them in!
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2. Use nail decals
This may be the cheapest option to sprucing up your boring nails. Nail decals are super easy to use and
are a really cool way to make your nails look really stylish! They’re not often in stores anymore, but eBayis a great resource to find super cheap decals. They’re usually under $1.00 for a set, and they come in a crazy wide variety of designs! Just search nail designs, or nail decals and start bidding! All you have to do to apply them is press them on your nails, and then paint a clear top coat over them to make them last as long as possible.
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3. Use design polishes
These polishes come in smaller, leaner, bottles that have long, thin brushes for more precise application.
These are a bit tricky. Often when I use then, my left hand comes out looking far better than my right
hand. I haven’t quite mastered applying designs with my left hand, but practice makes perfect. Use
these polishes to draw flowers, decorative lines, or patterns for a fun and impressive manicure! These
can be found at any beauty supply store, but if you want to test these out without dropping any serious cash, try the Dollar Tree. They have some you can practice and play with before buying some of the more pricey brands more pricey brands.
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4. Newspaper Print
This new DIY is a fun and creative way to show off your nails. Pretty easy to do, too. All you need to do is dip your fingers in alcohol after applying your base coat color and press strips of newspaper. For more detailed instruction, go here.
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5. Glitter!
This is perfect to get you into the holiday season! There’s a couple different techniques depending on if you are going for a more Ke$ha or a classy look.
1. Simply buy a nail polish with glitter in it all throughout for an easy, sparkly shine.
2. Paint your nails with a solid base coat and then add on a top coat that has flakes of glitter in it for a hint of shine
3. Throw some glitter, make it rain. This method adds the most pop to your nails. Paint your nails any base coat you’d like and then using craft glitter, pour the glitter onto the nail while it is still wait. For more detailed instructions, go here.
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6. Create your own!
There’s no rules to nail art! Grab all the colors you have, and let the inner 6 year-old little girl come out to play. Make rainbows, ninja turtles, ice cream, cows or whatever your heart desires-the skies the limit!
We just suggest not showing up to a serious job interview with puppies and kitties painted on your nails. But, the other styles will grab peoples’ attention, gain compliments and set you apart in a world of pink and red nails :)
