Category Archives: Tutorials & Tips

Nail Art Tutorial: Owl Nails

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Nail Art Tutorial Owl NailsIt has been a long time since I did freehand nail art with eyes (hehe), and you know what? I missed it so much! (There’s something really fun about looking at your nails and having them look back at you. Or maybe that’s just me.)

As you know, I’m on Pinterest (it’s so addictive!), and the minute I saw these cute little owls, I knew I had to recreate them on my nails. It was exactly the inspiration I needed to get cracking! Release the Kraken! (Felt like saying that.)

Whether it’s nail art, lunch bags, necklaces, or artwork, I have a thing for owls!

So, for today’s post, I have an Owl Nail Art Tutorial for you with step-by-step written instructions and photos.

Although I used similar colours like in the original design I was inspired by, mine turned out slightly different because of my nail-painting style. Also, I have narrower nail beds. But, this just shows you that you can recreate any look, even if your nails are small. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!  ;)

I think it’s important to remember that when recreating a look, it doesn’t have to be an exact replica of the original. It’s fun to keep the general vibe of the design, but to still be comfortable with putting your own spin on it.

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Reader Requested Nail Art Tutorial: Violet Beauregarde Nails

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Violet Beauregard Nails Nail Art Tutorial & PhotosOne of my readers, Annika, e-mailed me her ideas for a Violet Beauregarde nail design and asked if I could do a nail tutorial based on the character from the original 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory character.

Since I haven’t done freehand nail art in some time, I thought I’d give it a go.

You’ll remember that Violet was the one who chewed the same piece of gum for a long time. And when at the factory, she can’t resist trying the new chewing gum that Willy Wonka has come up with that includes flavours such as appetizers, main courses, and even desserts!

Haha, she grows bigger and bigger, turning blue/violet as the seconds pass! Finally, the Oompa Loompas have to take her to the Juicing Room to squeeze it all out.

Here is my version of Violet Beauregarde Nails.

Instead of making the buckle sideways on the red belt, I wanted to give it a twist, so I painted them very similar to the buckles in the Santa Nails I did before on here.

If you want to take a completely literal and accurate approach, paint the red belt and buckles horizontally.

In this post, I’ll show you more photos of this quick design as well as step-by-step instructions with photos for how to recreate it.

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Nail Art Tutorial: Football Nails

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Football Nails Nail Art Tutorial & PicturesWow, last night’s Super Bowl game was crazy intense just like Beyonce’s Half Time performance! (And it was really cool to see Destiny’s Child reunite!)

With the lights going out in the second half and the close scores in the final minutes, I was on the edge of my seat!

Touch dowwwnnnn! (Sorry, I just had to say that somewhere in this post!)

This was the first Super Bowl that I ever watched the majority of, and boy did I pick a good one! This was really exciting, even for someone like me who doesn’t follow football.

On game day, I was sporting these Football Nails! I rushed to whip them up, and they’re so simple, anyone can recreate them. Plus you only need 3 different colours. It’s a great look for someone who doesn’t have patience to do more a more complicated nail design.

So…the Baltimore Ravens won! I’m neither a fan of the Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers, so I knew I’d be happy for whoever won. But I know that a lot of people were really disappointed because the 49ers were the favourites. (In a way, though, I’m a little glad that the Ravens won just because the 49ers won more Super Bowls. It’s nice when the underdog wins.)

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Holiday & Winter Nail Art Ideas

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Winter & Holiday Nail Art Ideas & TutorialsThis year I haven’t had time to do Christmas nail-art tutorials prior to the big day.

But, since I know that a lot of nailphiles will be busting out the lacquer, I’ve put together this post on Holiday & Winter Nail Art Ideas featuring some looks I’ve done in the past.

In this post, I’ve also linked each manicure to its corresponding nail-art tutorial, which features step-by-step written instructions and photos. All, except for one, have tutorials. Plus within some of the posts are links to reviews of the individual nail polishes.

Hope that you’ll come up with something great for your holiday manicure! (I actually have been juggling a few designs in my head, but I still haven’t decided which to paint. I’ll be sure to share my Christmas manicure sometime after December 25th.)

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Nail Art: Blue Flocked Nails (Plus My Experience & Application Tips)

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Blue Flocked Nails Nail Art SwatchesDon’t rub your eyes. Yes, my nails in today’s post are indeed fuzzy! These are Blue Flocked Nails that made me feel like I was the Cookie Monster…or Fuzzy Wuzzy (the bear)!

You saw me try this look most recently on a guy for fun, except I used pink flocking powder in that case.

To achieve this extreme nail art, I used blue flocking powder and secured it to my natural nails with a regular (and beautiful) nail polish (Orly Royal Navy).

I wore this as a full manicure and went about my normal routine to test it out.

It’s definitely not a practical manicure. This is best suited for a special event like Hallowe’en when you need something ‘out there’ and don’t require it to last as long as nail polish. When worn for such an occasion, I think it’s a really cool novelty!

After ‘surviving’ a full day of wearing this, I’m really excited to share my experience with you. This was like nothing I’ve ever tried before, and I’ve never heard many people talk about it, either.

Come see more swatches of this fuzzy manicure, and allow me to tell you all about what it was like to wear flocked nails!

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Nail Art Tutorial: Jack Skellington Nails (Nightmare Before Christmas Nails)

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Jack Skellington Nails Nail ArtAre you a fan of Tim Burton or of The Nightmare Before Christmas? Then you might like these Jack Skellington Nails!

When I sat down to paint this, I didn’t have much time, so a nail-art design that was fast and that didn’t use too many colours was imperative.

I’m so happy to share this look with you because it’s perfect if you’re just painting your nails tonight and need something easy. This is also a design that doesn’t require too much concentration. It’s okay if the lines aren’t really straight and even. It all goes together.

I want to wish you all a very HAPPY HALLOWE’EN! Please be safe no matter what you decide to do, and HAVE FUN! :)

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Nail Art Tutorial: Sheep Nails (I Did This Look on a MAN!)

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Sheep-Nails-Nail-Art-TutorialYou’ll remember that I blogged about painting my guy friends’ nails before. Well, ever since then, I’ve been itching to do it again. And I did! ;)

The Sheep Nail Art you see was the result of a very fun painting session!

I actually had this design in my head for quite some time and had wanted to do it on my own nails, but I was just too busy.

(In addition to having a full-time job, I’m also a professional freelance writer on the side. Haha, it feels like I’m always working! But when I have spare time, I squeeze in socializing with friends, daily blogging, and knitting.)

So when I was chilling with this guy, I was thrilled when he agreed to not only let me paint a sheep nail design on him, but also publish it on Swatch And Learn. Also, he wanted to confirm that he could remove it immediately after. (Haha, no, nail polish isn’t permanent!) So, just a few seconds after this little sheep was born, it was axed. Poor baby!

Keep reading this blog post because I show you step-by-step with written instructions and fun photos of this man’s thumb nail to help you recreate the look (or to help you convince the guys in your life to not take themselves too seriously). ;)

P.S. Funny thing is that he actually pointed out that I got some of the blue polish on his skin. And then he also mentioned that the sheep was missing its ear. Hahaha! Sorry that your first nail-art experience wasn’t perfect, Mr. Brawny Man! :P I’ll do better next time. Because…oh yeahhhh, there’ll be a next time…and another time after that…and another….Hehehehe! Practice makes perfect, right? Right! (He’s actually a professional artist, so that’s why he was very observant of my nail-painting flaws. Haha, he’s not a jerk.)

P.P.S. I would make a terrible nail technician. The entire time, I was smiling and giggling! I just couldn’t keep quiet no matter how hard I tried.

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