tutorials

NAILED IT!

Photos: pinterest.com, thehalloweentree.blogspot.com, highonlacquer.tumblr.com

October is here and that means that the countdown to one of my favorite holidays has begun.  I absolutely love halloween!  Carving pumpkins, dressing up in costumes, candy apples… I look forward to it all year.  So I was excited when I found these halloween-inspired manicures.  Hoping these inspire you pretties to create some spooky nails of your own.  Next week I will be posting a step-by-step tutorial on how to do a candy corn manicure.

XO Lauren

tutorials

NAILED IT!

photos: jenna day post designed by kristin ess

And the winner of our “Nail It” contest is… Jenna Day! We absolutely loved this mixed metals manicure. So, congrats to you Ms. Jenna!!  We can’t wait to try this one out for ourselves… and now you guys can too!  Thank you to everyone that entered our contest. Going through all of the submissions was really fun and I was very impressed all of your entries.

XO Lauren

MIXED METALS MANI:

TOOLS

Base & Top Coat Nail polish

Dark Gold Nail polish

Light Gold Nail polish

Gold Glitter Nail polish

Tape

STEPS

1. Start with bare nails shaped and ready for your manicure and apply a base coat.

2. Once the base coat has dried, apply 1-2 coats of your darker gold. If it has good coverage just stick with one coat because it will dry faster.

3. On your ring fingers, apply the light gold.

4. Get your glittery gold and apply it on top of the light gold on your ring finger. I like the look of the sparkles on the light gold. It’s totally up to you if you want to keep the darker gold as your base. {Make sure your dark gold nails dry completely before the next step! This can sometimes take up to 30 minutes}

5. Take a piece of tape and put it on your nail at an angle of your choice. It’s easiest to tape all of your nails at once so are not messing around with tape with wet nail polish.

6. Apply the light gold as if you are painting your whole nail. You do not want the paint to be too thick so try to stick to just one coat.

7. Let the paint dry for about 5 minutes and then remove the tape slowly.

8. Apply a top coat and your manicure is complete!!

XO Jenna

tutorials

NAILED IT!

photos: kristin ess + thebeautydepartment.com post designed by kristin ess

Last week I posted a tutorial on a traditional french manicure, but this week I wanted to do something a little different.  Here is something a bit edgier… a half moon manicure. I have been seeing these on both the runways and in editorial spreads.  Instead of highlighting the tips of your nail, like a french manicure, this one focuses on the moons of your nails (the half circle on the base of your nail). I love this technique when it’s done with two complimentary colors, but didn’t know how to do it myself. I did a little research and found the answer lied in the most under-used item on my “school supplies” list. Remember those white reinforcement stickers used to fix a tear on 3 ring binder paper? If not, it’s probably because, like me, you never used them… but now you can! And here’s how…

TOOLS

Silver metallic or glitter polish

Navy polish

10 reinforcement stickers

Clear top coat

STEPS

1. Start with clean, bare nails that have been filed.

2. Apply 1 to 2 coats of the silver polish (depending on the coverage of the polish). Be sure to paint your whole nail. If the color ends up showing through the navy polish it will just add a little sparkle, but it is important to have a smooth first layer. Let the polish dry for at least 30 minutes.  It is important your nails are dry before placing the reinforcement stickers on them or else the stickers will peel off the polish and you will have to start all over again. Oh no!

3. Once nails are completely dry, place a reinforcement sticker on each nail with the outside of the sticker mimicking the shape of the moon of your nail.  Cutting a slit in each sticker will allow the stickers lay more evenly on each nail. You can decide what size you would like the moons to be, but it is important that the size stay consistent across all your nails for it to look right. Once they are all placed where you would like them, apply pressure to each making sure they are secure to your nail.

4.  Now paint the top half or your nail with 2 coats of navy blue polish. Let this coat dry for at least 10 mins.

5.  Once that’s dry, carefully pull the reinforcement stickers off of each nail.

6. Finish with a clear top coat.

Hope they turn out great! Don’t be afraid to try out different color combinations.  Just remember to use the lighter shade for the moon of your nail. And as always, send us pictures!

XO Lauren

tutorials

NAILED IT!

photo: kristin ess + thebeautydepartment.com post design by kristin ess

Hey pretties! Time to fill our next guest post spot! Last time the lovely Taylor Nick won with her beautiful boho braid hair tutorial. This time it’s all about my favorite– D.I.Y nails!!! Grab a friend, a camera, and some nail polish. Just like last time, the idea is to create your own tutorial and then email it to us. The person who creates the best all-around nail tutorial will be getting their own post. Your tutorial can be as wild, classic, pretty or funky as you want it to be. Just get creative! Here are the requirements + details:

  • Your tutorial must include 4-10 visibly clear photos (any size) + step by step instructions on how to execute the look. Your photos should be plain and without graphics.
  • The person in the photo must be doing the tutorial on their own nails!
  • You will be judged on originality, technical skills, how easy your instructions are to follow, and the over-all look.
  • Entries must be received by Friday, September 2nd, 2011 @ 11:59pm pacific standard time.
  • All of the photos should be individually attached in ONE email. Write instructions for each photo. No need make the photos into a blog post… we’ll do that for you if you win!
  • Email all entries to KE@TheBeautyDepartment.com
  • One entry per person.
  • Please include your name and your proper return email address so we can notify you if you win.
  • Previously published tutorials do not qualify.

The winning tutorial will be posted on Wednesday, September 7th. Good luck, friends! You’ve got just over one week to submit your entries. Can’t wait to see what you send in!

XO Lauren

tutorials

NAILED IT!

photos: lauren conrad + thebeautydepartment.com post desgined by kristin ess

Last week we asked you whether you preferred a traditional french manicure with white tips or a new take on the classic style. To say the results were close is an understatement. Over 25,000 of you voted and the traditional french manicure won by only 7 votes! So as promised, here are step-by-step instructions on how you can achieve this lovely look at home.

TOOLS

White polish

sheer pale pink polish

clear top coat

small paint brush

nail polish remover

STEPS

Don’t be frustrated if this doesn’t turn out flawless on your first attempt.  It can be a little tricky, so just have fun with it and practice!

1. Start with clean, bare nails that have been filed.

2. Using the white polish, paint the ends of your nails slightly thicker than you would like the white tips to be.  Don’t worry about being too exact. Depending on the polish you may need to apply 2 coats to achieve solid white tips.

3. Let the whites air dry for a few minutes before starting the next step.

4.  Dip your paint brush in nail polish remover and drag it along the inside of the white strip you have painted. Remember to mimic the shape of your nail with a slight curve. You will have to repeat this several times to get a smooth line. Slowly thin the line out until it is the width you like. Continue this on each nail, trying to keep the width of the white tip consistent. Note: Even with a lot of practice, your right hand can be difficult to do (or your left hand if you are left handed).  This step might require a little help from a friend. Manicure party!

4.  Once you are satisfied with your tips, apply one coat of pale pink polish over the entire nail.  It is best to use a more sheer polish for a more natural look.

5. Add a clear top coat and your done!

Let us know how it goes! We love getting your pictures. Also, if you want to have a little more fun with this manicure, you can swap out the white polish for any color you like.  This week I tried both sage green tips and navy blue tips and loved them.

XO Lauren