Fine Feathered Phalanges

I had planned on doing this manicure for Thanksgiving, but because Thanksgiving week was busy, and I was lazy then, it just didn't happen. So, here is a manicure I'd seen a while ago, that I loved for its unique look. 

However, most tutorials I saw seemed to be geared towards those of us who do nails regularly. Not all followed the KISS principal. That being said... here is my go at it! 

First off, you will need feathers... I got a bag of them from the craft store for just a couple dollars. 

You'll need small scissors, and cuticle nippers. You will also need a thick, quick drying top coat. I used Seche Vite. (Which, I just found out is carried at CVS, and probably other regular drug stores with beauty sections... so no need to go out of your way to a special store like Ulta for just that. Unless you want to, which, I would totally understand!)

You'll be putting several coats on each nail (at least 3) so make sure you have enough. I used clear, but other than clear could be used. (Micro glitter or shimmer could give you an interesting effect. Just make sure that since we are adding many layer it doesn't totally obscure the feather)

You'll also need a fine grit nail file. I rarely will use anything more rough than the roughest grit on a 3 way buffing stick. Too rough of a grit will cause uneven edges that can chip, peel and flake, as well as get caught on things and tear. 

Start with painting your nails a base color. I used Princesses Rule! by OPI (A very pretty, very girly pinky color I got from one of my bestest friends, Mags) 

Select the feathers that you would like to use, that somewhat fit your nails. Look at patterns and placement, and pick what you think will look best. It doesn't have to be just the tip, you can use the sides or center, whatever will produce the look you are going for. 

 Using the small scissors, snip off the part of the feather to be applied on your nail. You'll end up with a large section for your nail, and several smaller sections as well. Save the small sections, they are good for filling in blank spaces, or fixing "oopps" moments. (I'll have an example of that momentarily)

Coat one nail with clear top coat, wait no more than a few seconds, and place the feather on your nail. It is ok to have over-hang, we'll fix that later. Press the feather into the polish, to make it stick and lay smooth.
Now for our first coat of top coat over the feather!
Use the brush with top coat to smooth out the feather. I occasionally brushed UP the nail, to make things lay how I wanted them to.

 Now use your small scissors to cut off most of the over-hang. You do not need to get it perfect, we're just getting rid of the part that will be burdensome while trying to do your other nails.

 Repeat this process for all nails.
To recap: to this point you have base polish, clear coat, feather, and then your first layer of clear coat.

 Once the first layer of polish is completely dry, use your cuticle nippers to clean up the edges. Trim the over-hang as closely to your nail as you can. In trying to trim mine super close, I slipped and ended up taking a chunk out. This is why saving tiny pieces is good.

 I simply dabbed a little top coat onto the blank spot and wedged that little snippet of feather into the hole. Once it was pressed into place and trimmed, it was hard to tell here my gap had been.
*one note about trimming, make sure you SNIP all pieces, and do NOT tug! Tugging will cause the feather to pull up off the nail. I used several small snips per nail, to make sure I didn't pull the feather out of place. (after the first time I pulled it out of place)

After trimming, (be sure to trim around the cuticle area, so you get all the little stray feathery pieces) it is time for the second coat of top coat.
When the second coat is dry, use the file to smooth away all of the rough edges, and do another trimming if necessary. File downward only, as side to side or up will possibly tear the feather and pull it up.
*one note about trimming, make sure you SNIP all pieces, and do NOT tug! Tugging will cause the feather to pull up off the nail.

Now, with everything smooth, you're ready for the 3rd layer of top coat.
Normally, each time I dip my brush in polish I will cover about two nails, because you want thin layers usually. This is not a usual case. Dip your brush in polish for each nail, you want each coat to be a good solid layer. This is why you should use a good quality quick dry polish... you can make the layers thick without having to dry for hours.

And there you have it! Naturally decorated nails in a custom pattern that you've done yourself!

I think this is my favorite nail of all of them! (the pointer finger on my right hand)

Tips for perfect Tips

One of my favorite looks is colored Tips, like the French Tip, but with colors. Red with black tips, black with purple tips, light pink tips with darker pink tips, and probably my ultimate favorite, natural nails with colored tips... the combination possibilities are only limited by your color selection and likes. So, in this post, I am going to give a few tips on how to get perfect tips. 

One way to make sure your lines are straight and even is to grab yourself a rubber-band, and tie a loop in one end. You want your loop to be tight enough to stay on your fingers without falling off, but not so tight you can't take it off without messing up your paint. 

Slip the loop over the fingertip of the nail you are wanting to paint. Using your other fingers, lightly pull down on the rubber-band to get it tight against your nail, so no paint sneaks under.

Once you've filled in the color relax your pull on the rubber-band, and gently slip over and off the nail. If you are concerned with messing up your paint, you can use one rubber-band per finger.
And that's all there is to it!

In the picture above, I actually used black sharpie marker to color in my tips. As long as you already have a good coat of paint on your nails, you can use sharpie without damaging your nails.
This is helpful if you're wanting a nice paint job, but don't have time to wait for the first color to dry. Just paint your nails the base color, then while on break at work, or on the bus, or where ever you can grab a few minutes, just whip out your sharpie and complete your manicure. Cover it with a quick dry top coat (NYC's In a New York Minute quick dry polish is cheap, and dries very quickly) and you're all set! You'll look like you put in more effort than you did. (Black sharpie marker is also a godsend for hiding scuff marks on your nice black boots and heels, if you're on your way to an interview and don't have time to polish. Or the shoes are too cheap to bother with, but you need them to look nice. Yup, I am that redneck.)

Sometimes, you want a colored tip, but you want it a little more subtle than your basic brights. One trick I use is to paint the tips a bright, fun color...

Then paint over the whole nail, tip included, with a frosty or shimmery neutral color. It mutes the bright color, yet leaves you with something that looks like it took more effort. The plus side to this method is that typically you only put on one coat of the tip color, which usually dries quickly, and you use one coat of the top color, which usually dries quickly as well. Again, looking like you put in more time and effort than you really did.

After the samples I did above, I decided I'm in love with this new blue I got. It is Zoya's Song, which is a little more pricey than my average $2 bottles, but it is from their Christmas collection and is simply a beautiful brightly rich blue. Blue tips, with some snowflakes & a clear coat are all I need to channel a good festive seasonal mood.

Now go do some festive holiday tips of your own!!