How to: nail care and polka dots

 

I got so many compliments on my blue andwhite polka dot nails that I decided to dedicate a whole post to polka dots and nail care.

The colours I’ve gone for this time is mocha and white – a neutral colour choice that will go with most outfits.

 

All you need is a couple of different coloured nail polishes, a dotting tool, and a good top coat.

I’m using ‘Mocha’ by Seventeen, ‘Blanc’ by essie, and a top coat from No7. My dotting tool was bought from ebay. Although, if you don’t have one of these you can simply use the little ball on a hair pin to create perfect polka dots.

Start by painting your nails with your chosen colour. I always go for two coats, and in this example I’ve opted to do one nail in the opposite colours just for a bit of fun.

 

Wait until the coats are properly dry, and then take out your dotting tool. Get a piece of paper or something and put a few drops of nail polish on it. Dip your dotting tool in the nail polish and start making your designs. Tip: dip your tool in the nail polish between every dot to make them the same size.

Wait until you’re 100% sure that the dots are dry (this could take quite a while) and then add your top coat. Do quick strokes when applying this thought so that you definitely won’t smear the dots.

And that’s it! Simple! :)

I’ve talked about the importance of taking care of your nails before, but it’s always worth pointing this out again though. You can’t just slap a coat of nail polish onto badly maintained nails and expect it to look good. Grooming and moisturising is oh so important. 

 

You can see my top tip items in the collage above. These include some good nail clippers and cuticle nippers (I got mine at Superdrug), hand scrub and hand cream, cuticle oil (mine is not pictured, but it’s from Boots own brand – brilliant!) and a good nail file with different strengths.

Other products to think about when caring about your nails is a whitener pen, and a protein base coat to strengthen your nails. And should you have problems such as a fungal nail infection – please make sure to treat it! Excilor is one of the leading brands when it comes to these sort of nail problems.

I hope you find my nail care tips useful.

What products do you use to take care of your hands and nails?