I discovered the most wonderful things today, and by wonderful, I mean life changing. For me, anyway.
Today, I realized, that instead of spending a ton on nail art pens, there is a MUCH simpler solution.
PERMANENT. MARKERS.
Which happens to not be permanent when you use a clear base coat to protect your nails.
This magical discovery is something that I must share with you.
Obviously you need some kind of permanent marker. Most people choose Sharpie, but I choose whatever is the cheapest and what gives me the most bang for my buck. Lots of color choices help, though. I got this pack of BIC permanent markers at Walmart for around $12. There are 24 in this pack. I would choose fine tipped markers but you can choose thicker to fit what you would like them for.
I chose the two markers that I wanted, you can use as many as you want. I like the peach and the grey. Different color chevron stripes were what I was going for. I also grabbed a tub of Vaseline and a paintbrush. Why?
Paint around your nails with the Vaseline! You could also use Elmer's glue but I have found that while Elmer's Glue makes painting nails a lot less messy, Vaseline works just as well.
To use Elmer's Glue you have to wait for the glue to dry around your nails, then paint them.
For Vaseline, all you have to do is put it around your nails and go. No peeling off or waiting, the polish just washes right off along with it (not to mention it moisturizes instead of dries!)
I decided that I wanted a white background under the marker.
HOWEVER.
Make sure you use clear coat if you are NOT using a color under the marker.
It WILL stain your nails!
After the clear coat or color, you can draw your design in the markers on your nails.
You can either let the marker dry so it doesn't smear and put another clear coat on
OR
Apply clear coat right away to give a smeared look.
Obviously I wanted the smeared look.
(It was my first time doing this so please pardon how messy it looks)
Also, here's another little hint: PAM spray dries your nails instantly.
Just spray right over your fingers and nails.
(This is why my fingers are slightly shiny.)
I am so pleased with how this has turned out. There are endless color possibilities and endless design ideas.
The best part is, if you feel like you messed it up, just wipe it right off before it dries!
COMPLETE MAGIC.
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