NOTD: Easy Polka Dot Nail Tutorial & How to Give Yourself a Lasting Manicure :)

Alright guys First things First, Grab a clipper and take care of your cuticles! Trim those puppies up! Next you're going to file down and shape each nail, followed by a base coat.  Trimming your cuticles will give your nails a polished look, and apply a base coat to a shaped nail, will smooth over the nail bed preventing the polish from settling into any ridges. 

So now you get to choose a nail polish! Oooo tough decision, but I chose China Glaze in the color Audrey (my favorite) & Essie polish in Rase Awareness. You want to choose colors that will stand off from one another when you apply the polka dots!

So I love Polka dots, and even went to Sally's Beauty supply to buy one of those fancy shmansie Dot tool things :p But when I got there I realized it was like $6 for the darn thing. Being a cheapo, I decided my coffee money was more important, and I needed to find a way to make my own dots. Thus, I figured out a way to use a bobby pin and get the exact same effect! All you have to do is find a bobby pin (come on you know you have one on the floor of your car, or behind the toilet in your bathroom) WHAM! You just saved $6, mind blown. Take the nail polish of choice and take the brush out, drop a dot of it onto a scrap piece of thick paper. Then take one of the little bobby pin rubber tops and dip it in the polish, this is how you will make your pattern. First I applied my base color (the pink) then used the blue polish for the polka dots. 

This is my left hand finished (always better than my right :O) 

Here is the look of my right hand. I like to alternate nail colors, so one hand is pink with blue polka dots, and the other blue nails with pink polka dots. You guys can do what ya' like, I just thought this looked super spiffy. 

Once both hands are finished completely drying,  I will apply a top coat in order to seal the paint in. After that, apply ANOTHER top coat. This is key for a lasting manicure, because it will prevent chipping. I then apply this drying spray over my nails, it will seal in the top coat quickly and this particular kind actually smells like cabbage patch dolls (baby powder) which is amazing. Lastly I take this eld nourishing cuticle oil pen, which was like a dollar, and go around my nails it keep the skin soft and smooth.

Finishing Touches: You guys can always go in and take a little love out on yourself (sounds dirty) and grab some lotion and give yourself a hand massage. Just like the ladies do at the nail salon. On a funny note, it always seems the second I finish my nails, my mom calls me because she wants me to help her with something, or I have to pee! I always do this and end up smudging a nail...I mean aint' nobody got time to fix dat' ! 

-I got the two nail polishes from Sally's Beauty Supply $6 each
-I got my base coat from CVS $4
-I got the Insta Dry crap from The Christmas Tree Shop $1
-I purchased the Elf Nourishing oil pen from eyeslipsface.com for $1
-Cuticle clippers and file were from Five Below $2
-The bobby pin was FO FREE