Oh hey! Guess what!?! After scouring the nation (their words!), In Touch, Life&Style Weekly and L.A.COLORS chose me to be one of five bloggers to compete in their “BRUSH WITH FAME CHALLENGE! Every week I’ll be sent different challenges and judged against the other contestants for the chance to be featured in In Tough and Life&Style!!! Plus $500 worth of L.A. COLORS products and a dinner with their editor.
So with a box of L.A COLORS sent and received, last night I got my first challenge: BRUSH UP! That’s right, we’re talking nail polish! And if you’re looking for some nail-spiration Zoey Deschanel and Katy Perry take top accolades in my book! Although Kelly Osborne, Lana del Ray, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Alexa Chung, Kesha and Lily Allen, are also worth taking a cue from. And for men, of course, Neil Patrick Harris. (Check out my Pinterest board on Celebrity Nail Art if you have no idea what I’m talking about.)
Everything from crazy patterns inspired by art and fashion to stacked 3-d effects to simple twists like the reverse French mani have all been a thang and the ladies above are always above and beyond polished to perfection. Now I’m all about nail art, but my skills with a nail wand don’t match that of makeup brush. And lets be honest, I am void of the skills to freehand anything that remotely resembles the blinged out amazingness we’ve seen on Katy Perry or Lilly Allen; Zoey Deschanel and Alexa Chung have more of an approachable nail art aesthetic (most of the time) and there’s something flirty and playful that attracted them as my muses for my flower power mani! (Daisies are also hawt right now!)
From their hands to my bed spread to my LeSportsac backpack, I see abstract flowers everywhere. And you know what’s great about them, they are fun, work in a million different color ways and they don’t need to be perfect to look so cute on! They are also summery and perfect for any outfit. You can go neutral for something more conservative or bright to make more of a statement!
And while many of us rock at giving ourselves regular manis, most of us are beginners in the world of nail art (myself included!) so I wanted to pick something that was approachable, looks cool on, and was versatile! (That and something that didn’t involve needing tools or reinforcements since I think we’ve all seen that french manicure/half moon manicure tutorial on repeat). So here we go, here’s my how to for what I call the ‘Flower Power’:
Left hand: The double Flower Power: Inspired by Alexa Chung’s Instagram post as seen on her Instagram (picture above):
Step 1: Make sure nails are clean, dry, and void of any polish.
Step 2: Start with a coat of L.A. COLORS TRIPLE PLAY BASECOAT, TOPCOAT, HARDENER.
Step 3: Apply 2 coats of L.A. COLORS COLOR CRAZE nail polish in shade ATOMIC, and wait for it to dry.
Step 4: to create perfect petals you can use the striper brush in the bottle of L.A. COLORS ART DECO Nail Art Lacquer in shade WHITE. Start by gently dabbing 5 dots in the shape of a flower (don’t worry about getting white in the center — you can dab over it with the orange shade once it drys for the next step). Create 1-3 flowers per nail in either diagonal direction. Remember not all flowers have to be visible in their entirety, you can have them coming off the nail (as seen above), especially if you have a smaller nail bed or run out of space.
Step 5: Dab the left side polish of the L.A. COLORS FLASHPOP! dual nail polish in shade MAD DUO in the center of your flower and wait a few minutes for it to dry.
Note: If you’re concerned about using the brush to make the dab, use a bobby pin instead.
Step 6: Finish off with L.A. COLORS TRIPLE PLAY BASECOAT, TOPCOAT, HARDENER and you’re done!
Now I know it’s strange to do two completely different color sets, but I wanted to show you the versatility of a look like this and how you can take it from a summery bright place to a more neutral (but still fun!) one. Also some of you may find it easier to do one flower per nail. Please note both of these manis would look amazing in a black/white combo or any other color way that matches your style/wardrobe/personality so I encourage you to take this as inspiration and make it your own!
Right Hand: Flower Power inspired by Zooey Deschanel at the Golden Globes (as seen above):
Step 1: Make sure nails are clean and void of any polish.
Step 2: Start with a thin coat of L.A. COLORS TRIPLE PLAY BASECOAT, TOPCOAT, HARDENER.
Step 3: Apply L.A. COLORS COLOR CRAZE nail polish in shade GLAM, which is clear shade with gold glitter. Apply 1-2 coats depending on how sparkly you want to be and wait for it to dry.
Note: glitter is the longest wearing polish. So if you want your look to last or you work with your hands, reach for a glittery bottle.
Step 4: Use L.A. COLORS ART DECO Nail Art Lacquer in shade WHITE, only this time instead of dabbing 5 dots, make 3 straight lines diagonally (it can be uneven!) in the shape of a star — like the ones we drew when we were kids, and wait for it to dry.
Step 5: Dab a small, round glob of L.A. COLORS COLOR CRAZE nail polish in shade GLAM in the center of the star flower and wait for it to dry.
NOTE: Since we want a high concentration of the glitter make sure the polish is mixed well — but don’t shake it! That can cause bubbles. Instead roll the bottle between your hands from side to side.
Step 6: Finish off with L.A. COLORS TRIPLE PLAY BASECOAT, TOPCOAT, HARDENER and you’re done!
NOTE: Clear or glitter over clear nail polish nail art looks like the one above are great for trips or those who like their manicures to last for over a week since it’s next to impossible to tell when they chip.
Here are a few additional looks (Left to Right) from Rita Ora, Alexa Chung and Katy Perry that are super cool and worth attempting for beginners!
If you’re struggling with any of the looks, just do one as an accent nail until you get more comfortable:)
Now get your nail on! And check out the picture on Instagram @prettyconnected and let me know if you ‘Like’ it or what you think!
xoLara