Written by Brigid Farrell.
Christmas is a great time to jazz up our nails and add a little bit of glitter. Here are a few ideas that are simple, yet effective.
All you need is a fine paintbrush, some masking tape and some nail varnish remover nearby for any mistakes.
Sparkle tops
A little bit of glitter goes a long way during the festive period, but often less is more. This look is so simple yet it’s really effective. Apply a jewel toned shade to the nails and whilst waiting for the nails to dry, cut fine strips of masking tape. Once dry apply the masking tape along the top of the nail and apply the glitter polish above the tape.
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
If you’re feeling a little more creative, this is a cute manicure to try. Paint the nail with a grey or taupe shade and allow to fully dry. I decided to do the reindeers on only two of my nails as I think it gives a bit more impact. Using a fine paintbrush, paint on little red noses. Allow to dry and clean the brush. Dip the brush in a little black and paint on eyes and antlers.
The accent nail
Accent nails are great if you want something simple, but still want to get in the festive spirit. They are also very ‘in’ at the moment. Paint all but one nail with your chosen shade. Next, paint the nail you left blank with a metallic or glitter polish to bring the manicure together. If you want to add a little more to your manicure, then you can always go over the metallic nail with a bit of extra glitter.
With each manicure, finish with a coat of clear polish. A top tip for removing tough glitter polishes is to soak a cotton pad with nail varnish remover and to wrap this around the nail with kitchen foil. Leave this around the nail for a minute or two then wipe clean.