The Tie-Dye Manicure

     A couple days ago, I came across an article on Fashionista.com about a new trend in nail art. People have started "tie-dying" their nails (however, the term is used loosely)! The article explained the basic process of obtaining this look and it was too hard for me to resist trying my hand at it! I knew it wasn't going to be as fun without an accomplice, so I turned my experiment into fun sister-time with Anya.

YOU WILL NEED:

• 3-5 colors of nail polish
• clear nail polish (or a base and top coat)
• a bowl of water
• tape or Vaseline
• toothpicks
• plenty of paper towels
• nail polish remover

THE STEPS:

First, prime your nails with a base coat and let dry for at least 3 minutes. Cover the area around your nails with tape (you can also use Vaseline but I found that tape works best when it comes time to peel away excess polish). I recommend also covering most of your finger in case unruly polish sticks there as well. Next, fill the bowl with water (not to the top, but enough to dip your nails in) and begin dripping nail polish in, one drop at a time.

Alternate the colors however you want, making sure they are applied one on top of the other to create a target formation. You'll want at least 10-12 drops before you move on to the next step.

Using a toothpick, carefully swirl around the colors to make the tie-dye effect. Sometimes the toothpick will begin to drag the layers and break them, so take your time with this step.

Next is the fun part! Figure out which section of your design you want on your nails and slowly dip your nails on top of it. As you take them out, push through the water, wrapping the polish around your fingertips. This part can be tricky because if you go too fast or bring your fingers up without going through the water, it can drastically mess up the design and you'll end up with sloppy looking nails.

Once you've mastered the technique mentioned above, you'll be amazed by the results! Now, peel off the tape to reveal clean fingers (this is when using tape is significantly easier than Vaseline, but if you did use Vaseline you can wipe it off and the paint should come off with it). Don't worry if some of your fingers still have polish on them (like in the picture of mine, above). You can wipe it off with nail polish remover later. Apply a top coat over your tie-dyed nails and you're finished!