When I was in high school, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with doing my nails. As in I would do them once a week, generally while watching a Disney movie or the Food Network. Not just a solid colour though, I would go all out. At Christmas there would be snowmen, snowflakes or presents. I painted on fireworks and flowers, and even transferred newsprint to my nails. I found it a great way to relax and do something creative that I could still consider somewhat productive. Although I no longer do my nails that frequently, I still enjoy making them pretty every now and then.

The other day I was in the mood for something simple. I was thinking a French tip, but I also really wanted some pink in there. I pulled out my nail polish bag, and this is what happened:

I started by cleaning my nails up with nail polish remover. I’ve read that you should clean your nails with nail polish remover first, even if you don’t have nail polish on already. Something about it going on better. I then put on a clear coat.

Next I took a really light pink, and in two strokes starting from the either side of the nail up to the centre at the tip, I made an upside down “v”. This sounds a little confusing, but looking at my ring finger in the picture below will help.

Once this dried, I took a darker shade of pink, and repeated the same step a little higher up on the nail. Let this dry, and slap on a clear coat. Bam. Done.

You can clean around your nails as you go with a Q-tip and some nail polish remover, or if you plan on showering later, I find most of it comes off then.