Hi! My name’s Leanne and I’ve been writing a beauty and nail blog, Do Not Refreeze, for almost 3 years now. What started out as a little hobby has (not so slowly) blossomed into a full on passion that grows every day. I’m always learning something new, and one of my favourite things to learn is new nail art techniques. I was absolutely astounded to be asked to write some nail tutorials for the amazing Motel Rocks blog – I mean, I just like to play around with my nails a bit, you know? But if I can help someone learn something, then that’s just the cherry on top.
The first design I’d like to share with you is inspired by the gorgeous Winter Bloom Print, found on this beautiful Heidi Fit and Flare Dress.
Okay! First thing’s first – gather all the bits you’ll need before you begin.
:: Clear base coat
:: Black nail polish
:: Lilac nail polish
:: Coral pink nail polish
:: Bright orange nail polish
:: Peach nail polish
:: White or cream nail polish
:: Clear top coat
:: Small nail art brush (you can get these for a matter of pennies on eBay)
To start, prep your nails with a clear base coat to maximise the wear of your design and to prevent any nasty staining. Once your base coat is dry, paint your nails with a black background colour. I used Scorn by Illamasqua.
Once the black polish is dry, drop a blob of your lilac polish onto a palette, dip your nail art brush into the polish and begin painting a few purple flowers. My method for this is simple – to create each petal, apply light pressure at the beginning of the petal, press a little more to make the middle of the petal larger, and release pressure again towards the end of your brush stroke to taper the other end. Make sense? I hope so. Repeat this 4 or 5 times in a circle, and the starfish shape you’ve created is passable as a flower!
Next, whilst the lilac polish is still a little wet, add a drop of your white or cream polish to your palette – I used Load by Illamasqua. Don’t bother cleaning your brush of the lilac before dipping it in to this new colour, as we’re going to use it to add highlights to the lilac petals and a little mish-mash of the colours on the brush will only help make a smoother transition between the colours on the nail.
You’ll need to clean your brush now before the next colour. The easiest way to do this is to dip the brush into nail polish remover and wipe it on a paper towel – repeat this a few times until no colour remains on the brush. The next colour you’ll want to add to your palette is the coral pink shade. I used Lament by Illamasqua. Repeat the flower painting process as before, adding highlights again with the cream shade.
Clean your brush again, and repeat the flowers with your bright orange polish. I used Florida by Sleek MakeUP. I didn’t add highlights to this colour, since it’s the brightest colour of the Winter Bloom print and I didn’t want to detract from its brightness!
You know what to do – clean your brush again. Repeat the flower process one final time with your peach polish. I used Purity by Illamasqua. Don’t forget to clean your brush a final time when you’re done!
Phew – all done! Apply a clear topcoat to seal your design and help it to last as long as possible. Now all you have to do is sit back and admire your handiwork, and eat up all the comments you’ll get! I never tire of nonchalantly saying ‘oh, I do them myself’ when people ask me where I got my nails done!
I really hope you enjoyed my tutorial. If you give it a go, be sure to tweet your pics to @motelrocks and @donotrefreeze!
Leanne x
