I love the idea of neon in winter! Just a pop of color in combo with one of the hottest trends in nail art - the negative space manicure - and you've got yourself something exciting and chic. It feels good to see just a slice of something bright on a dreary winter day.
This look takes two of the most bold nail looks — neon and nude (because not doing your nails is definitely a statement look, too!) — and marries them in a modern, geometric way. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes! By the time you're done reading this post, you might have unlocked the secret to #manimondays for the rest of your life, just saying. Have fun!
Prep It:
Office tape or painter's tape Neon Coral Nail Polish Nail Polish brush Gel base coat Gel top coat UV Light Kit
Do It:
- Prep your nails by shaping them and applying a base coat.
- Once the base coat is dry, use small (about 1 inch long) pieces of tape (could be clear paper tape or painter's tape) to section off the parts of your nails that you'd like to stay bare. It's important to use the straight edges of the tape, as opposed to the ridged edge where it was torn. But, if you'd like an edgier, rougher look, playing around with the line texture could be cool!
- Make sure the tape is tight on your nails, and there are no visible air bumps around the edge. It helps to press it down and rub it a few times. I chose to place my tape in varying horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines on each nail.
- Now let's bring in the color! Use a nail brush to paint on some of the neon (or whatever color you'd like) polish. Make sure to always paint in the grain of the tape edge — down and away, never up and towards. I found it helpful to use the nail brush because it's more exact and doesn't hold as much polish, so the chances of goops or some stray seeping under the tape are minimized however the tape does allow you to be sloppy so don't get stressed!
- Let this color dry and remove the tape to reveal a nice clean line. Seal with a coat or two of top coat to prolong the life of your manicure.
