DIY Four Step Glitter Manicure

If there’s one thing Pinterest has been great for, it’s making me feel like I am capable of having incredible nails.  There are so many photos of inspiration collected there, from colors and french tip ideas to actual miniature photos and all sorts of designs with tools that look a bit like torture instruments.

When I went to visit Alyssa in Tokyo last year, I noticed that (like a lot of fashion ideas) Japan is way ahead of the US curve.  Sure, there are some things that are easier to find here.  Alyssa tells me that you won’t find too many alternative colors in Tokyo at a good price since pinks and reds are most popular.  But they have so many stickers to help the coordination-challenged (me) and slim brush polishes!

One of my favorite manicure ideas is the glitter tip look.  I’ve looked high and low for an “easy” option since, let’s face it, ANY option not labeled “easy” is going to be impossible for me to manage.  But each tutorial involved executing lots of layers and waiting several minutes in between coats and sometimes even TWEEZERS.  TWEEZERS.

So I came up with my own glitter manicure tutorial, using only three items and involving only four steps.  I promise you can do it too. 

For these nails: start with clean, polish-free nails and round up the following:

– your favorite neutral/nude base polish (this is OPI Bubble Bath)

– glitter glue (Martha Stewart’s is most fabulous since it has SO MUCH GLITTER in it.)

– your favorite top coat (if you’re worried about ruining an expensive bottle with errant glitter, you can definitely substitute a cheap clear polish) 

Step One: Apply one coat of your neutral/nude polish.  Wait about a minute for it to dry slightly once you reach your last nail. 

Step Two: Apply a strip of glitter glue to the edge of your nail.

Step Three: Immediately (while the glue is still wet), use your top coat to run from the tips of your nail to the base, pulling the glitter down the nail slightly as you go.

Step Four: After allowing a minute or two to dry, finish up with another coat of top coat.  This time, brush in the normal direction (from base to tip).

THAT’S IT.

Look at those nail you painted!  On your own!  In just a few minutes!  (Excuse my cuticles, please.)