Manicure Monday! Featuring Frosty Purple Nails

Hello there loves!

Sorry I've been mia lately, I got caught up with a bunch of random things and the semester ending that I didn't get a chance to do any blogging :( Hopefully by the end of this week the commotion will settle down a bit. I have a bunch of posts I want to do before the end of the month and hopefully everything will be done by then. For now, here is a cute and frosty nail idea for the winter season!

I was staring at my nails after I cleaned them and could not figure out what to do. I actually started doing a blue french tip kind of nail which was a combination of these two past nail designs I've done: Springtime nails and French tips and bows. My sister said it was too springtime/Easter like, so I went back to the drawing board! 

I really wanted to incorporate shimmery/glittery polishes (because that's what holiday nails are all about!), but I wasn't in the mood for the typical holiday colors (burgundy, gold, deep greens/reds/blues/purples/etc). I ended up with one of my FAVORITE colors from Essie-Full Steam Ahead (Review here!). Yes... It is a summery color, but I really want to wear it now and even if it's not a holiday color...nothing's going to stop me! *insert evil laugh here* To make the color more festive for the holiday season, I added glitter and shimmer to have that glam/glitzy effect. I think it worked out pretty well in the end, and maybe this little idea of mine might spark some ideas for you! 

Things I used:

• Essie's Full Steam Ahead
• Icing by Claires' Crystal Heat (any glittery polish will do)
• Vernis Classique by Cherimoya- Purple Frost
• Seche Vite Top Coat

Steps:

1. Get your base polish color (Full Steam Ahead in my case) and paint all your nails with as many coats as you need to obtain the opacity you're happy with.
2. Now take your shimmery color (Purple Frost in my case) and paint to about 1/3 to halfway down your nail.
3. Using your glitter polish (Crystal Heat in my case), add it to about 3/4 of the way down the shimmery coat, and add little "icicles" down from the glitter coat. Be spontaneous!
4. Top coat your hard work and admire your work!

And there you go! I think the little shimmer underneath the glitter polish adds a nice subtle effect to the overall nail design. 

Overall, it looks like a glittery, semi-gradient french tip mani. It's a good excuse to use any of your favorite polishes from the summer (or spring even) and incorporate it into a look perfect for your holiday parties without going too crazy on the holiday cheer. Hope you enjoyed this little nail idea! 

Stay warm and take care!

Trying to catch the glitter from the nails in a different lighting.