Nailed It!

A month or so ago, I was really loving weekly salon manicures. Freshly painted nails always cheer me up, but it's not a cheap habit, and I always felt guilty changing the color or going again before I had gotten my "worth" out of the mani. Lately I've been doing my own manicures, and trying lots of fun trends. Plus, I can redo them at first sign of chip or boredom with no guilt whatsoever. Now I'm no nail artist, but lots of these looks are super easy! See my tips below.

• Scotch tape manicure (above). When nails are completely dry, place small pieces of tape on nail to form desired pattern. Paint on second color, wait one to two minutes and remove tape. Add top coat, and wah-lah!
• Metallic Sharpie manis (below). Make sure nails are totally dry. Draw on desired pattern, trying not to use a ton of marker (too much will smudge when you apply the top coat). Finally, apply top coat.
• This one's super easy: Paint each hand with a slightly-different color (pastels work best) to play on the ombre trend.
• Glitter tips (bottom). Dab clear glitter polish on the tips of all or one accent nail. While still wet, smooth over with top coat.
• Invest in a quick-drying spray. This one (bottom right) was $5 at Walgreens, and really helps speed drying time. I've heard Pam cooking spray works as well, but haven't personally tried it.
• For more ideas, check out my manicure inspiration board on Pinterest.