Over the past year or so, the beauty industry has seen a surge in nail art tutorials and blogs, closely followed by retailers honouring our desire to build up huge nail polish and nail art collections. Nail art can bring colour and style to any outfit, and is a cheap and cheerful way to stay on trend with the latest colours, patterns and motifs.
Not only is nail art fashionable, but it’s also fun to do. It’s great to get the girls round for a pamper night and try out different types of nail art. Here are some of the items you’ll need to become a fully-fledged nail art guru…
Top and base coat
The most important thing to get you started with nail art is a good top and base coat. You can buy these separately or you can buy one that acts as both. It’s important to use a base coat so the colour sticks more evenly and has less chance of chipping. The same goes for the top coat; it will mean the polish is less likely to chip and will protect the polish. You can buy a decent top and base coat for around £5 in most beauty shops.
Colours
If you’re into nail art in a big way, it’s important to collect a wide range of colours. You can get good quality nail polishes in a variety of different colours for around £2.99, from companies like Barry M. You can also get glitter polishes in different colours which are good to have in if you fancy a bit of sparkle. Also, don’t be afraid of bold colours. Even if you’re not planning on painting all of your nails in bold colours, they can be useful to add accents or decorations onto more advanced nail art.
Nail art pens
If you have a steady hand and are looking for something more intricate it is a good idea to invest in a nail art pen. These are readily available from nail polish companies like Models Own or Nails Inc, but you can also get good versions from places like Topshop, for under £10. You can get these in a variety of colours and can use them to be really creative. Really easy designs that you can do with nail art pens are polka dots or stripes.
Transfers
Nail transfers have recently become very popular because they encompass what many nail art fans try to achieve but make certain looks very easy to do. You simply transfer nail stickers on to your nails with patterns, pictures and motifs already on them. You simply stick them to your nails and trim the outsides. This is a great way to get the look with minimal effort, and more and more designs are hitting the shops each week.
Shellac and Gelish
Shallac and Gelish nail varnishes are becoming more popular this year, simply because of their staying power. Shellac and Gelish varnishes are dried onto your nails by using UV light, hardening the polish and therefore giving them the chance to last, without chipping, for around three weeks (longer for toes). The equipment is expensive initially, but you can create some stunning nail art with Shellac and Gelish. What’s even better is, once you’ve completed the nail art it’s not likely to chip for a long while- perfect for holidays or multiple events.