Sunday Funday: DIY Nail Art

Alright ladies, I have a funky DIY for your nails today!

I spent 23 years of my life biting my nails down to the cuticle.  It was such a terrible habit.

(You can even ask Anthony.  I know he could tell you about it)

Lucky for me, a couple months ago I just stopped doing it.  Now I have long nails that I am obsessed with painting and keeping pretty.

Have any of you heard of or seen the Ciate caviar manicure?

               

I especially love the first picture there.  It looks like rainbow sprinkles.

When it comes to nail polish though, I'm a bit frugal.  I have spent more money on brands like China Glaze and Essie, but I personally don't see any great difference in their quality.

So I am definitely not going to spent $15 on one bottle of Ciate.  

To get a cheaper, at-home version, I actually considered dumping some rainbow sprinkles on my nails. After thinking about it some more, I realized the dye from the sprinkles will get everywhere and make a gross mess.  So I did some crafting research.  Pinterest led me to microbeads, which I know we carry at Michael's.  After my shift last night, I picked up a bottle and raced home to try my new manicure idea.

Here is what I used.

Essie - No Chips Ahead

Wet n' Wild - I Need a Refresh-Mint

Wet n' Wild - On a Trip

Recollections Clear Microbeads

I'm a huge fan of the accent nail, so I painted my ring fingers with the mint color and the rest purple. 

I did two coats of polish and let dry for about an hour, just to be sure they are completely dry.

Then, I painted a thick clear coat on my ring finger and sprinkled some of the microbeads on top.

(I did this over a plate so I didn't make a mess on my table).

I repeated that step on the other ring finger, and let dry.

I was worried that the beads were going to fall off my nails easily, so I painted a clear top coat over the beads to keep them in place.

This is what I ended up with.  I'm sorry for the poor quality.  

Microbeads are a terrible thing to get a good photo of.

I took this photo about 30 minutes ago, so the beads even stayed on as I slept.  I thought for sure I would have a bed full of beads and none on my nails.  

We'll see if the manicure lasts after a night at work.

So what do you think of the caviar manicure?

Is it something you would try?

Let us know!

XO

Christina

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