NAILS I Shibori Tie-Dyed Everything This Summer, Including My Nails

by Allison
I love this perfectly imperfect manicure.

Do you ever see something once and then all of a sudden it is everywhere?

That was me this summer with Shibori-style tie-dye. I saw one tutorial, tried it, and then I go to Target or wherever and everything is tie-dyed. I was pretty obsessed with the process and the results and I ended up dyeing far more fabric than I could ever need. 

So, obviously, I had to figure out how to do it on my nails, too.

I want to preface this saying that I tried several more highbrow ways of doing this tutorial using nail polish tools and techniques, even busting out a clear plastic thing to use as a palette, but this super-easy one with markers ended up giving the most authentic-looking results.

You will need permanent markers — one in a blue and one in a slightly darker blue — rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, white nail polish, and a top coat.

My Foolproof Technique for Making Nail Polish Last Way Longer Than It Should

by

Christina

And no, it's not "get a gel manicure."

Is there anything that makes you looks more put-together and polished (awful pun intended) than a good manicure or pedicure? It's like the ultimate finishing touch on a makeup look or outfit. 

The problem with beautifully painted nails, though, is that they can be work. The main issue isn't necessarily in the painting itself — although that can be pretty time-consuming and annoying, depending on the nail polish and your patience level — but in the way nail polish just doesn't seem to last. Like, going to all the effort of painting your nails (or having them painted) only to have them chip and look kinda gross in two days? Not cool.

Is this a good look?

The best thing about beauty problems, though, is that they're pretty much always solvable, and this isn't the exception. When I actually do my manicure right, it takes a really long time before it starts chipping.