Playing Card Nails

Welcome to the first edition of the Nail Art Bank feature! In these self-satisfied nail art posts I'll be posting ideas, tips and tutorials, and talking about inspiration for potential future projects. First stop: playing card nails~

I love the aesthetic and atmosphere of the 'haunted/spectral circus' you find in a lot of things these days. The Night Circus had me hooked from the very first page (to be fair, it's not often that a novel addresses you, yes YOU, directly), and Alice Cooper's Last Man On Earth is one hell of a catchy song. I've been known to dabble in magic and burlesque myself, and the former was the main inspiration for these playing card nails.

For this one, I used:

- White (pearl) base: OPI - A48: Fit for a Queensland
- Red: Ciate Paint Pots - 013: Dangerous Affair
- Black: Rimmel London - 800: Black Out


Nail Art Tip #1: Toothpicks are a popular tool in nail art, but they're not ideal as they're too sharp to have any real painting surface. I find a broken comb tooth, or even the corner of a card (oh the irony), do a much better job as makeshift paintbrushes for intricate nail art. 

Nail Art Tip #2: Always add a layer of clear polish/top coat after you're done to ensure the detailing doesn't rub off, BUT wait an hour or so first to make sure it's completely dry. Smudging your work after so much effort = not cool.