That mushy-gushy holiday is right around the corner, and we collegiettes need to dress the part—having hot nails on Valentine’s Day is a must. HC has your back with eight lovely nail art ideas and simple instructions for how to recreate each. Check them out, get your girlfriends together and throw a V-Day Eve beauty bash!
1. Hot Pink With Gold Hearts
Aren’t these nails gorgeous? Start by painting all of your nails hot pink—try Pop Beauty Nail Glam in Pinky ($10). After the coat is dry, paint a sparkly polish like Ignite the Night by Essie ($8) on your ring fingers. Finally, stick gold heart stickers in a vertical line on your pinkies. Check out BMC Gold Color Hearts from Rakuten.com ($1.99 – 6.99).
2. Nude Pink Ombre
Not all V-Day nails have to be heart-themed! Go for a more elegant look by painting a base coat of nude pink, then paint gold glitter polish on your cuticles. To get the ombre just right, dab a good amount of gold glitter right at the top of your nail, then ease up as you continue painting down your nail. Stop halfway to the bottom. Can you say chic?
3. Sparkly Red With Shimmery Hearts
These red-hot nails are fierce and easy to recreate. Just paint a couple of coats of sparkly red nail polish. After it dries, paint another coat of glittery hearts—try If I Only Had A Heart from Etsy.com ($8.50). If you have trouble fishing the hearts out, use a toothpick to place them on directly.
4. Purple Pop Art
This delightful pop-art design is perfect for a Valentine’s Day celebration! Simply begin by painting a coat of purple polish—try Are You Jelly? by China Glaze ($7.50). After allowing it to dry, paint small, white hearts near the base of your nails. Use a toothpick or a nail art brush to get the hearts just right.
5. Balloon Hearts
Artsy ladies, these nails are for you! First, paint your nails with a white base coat. After drying, paint on red and pink heart-shaped balloons with black ribbon. Try using a toothpick or nail art brush (click the link in number four above) to paint the thin ribbon. These nail art brushes will also help you paint on the red and pink balloons; the tiny tips make for cleaner painting jobs and fewer mistakes. Finish off with a clear topcoat to ensure that your artwork doesn’t chip.
6. Baby Pink With a Bow
We can’t get over how darling these nails are! Paint your nails with a baby-pink base coat. Put a dot of nail glue on your ring finger, and then place a rhinestone nail bow on top (you can order these from Aliexpress.com for $10.69). Do the same on your other ring finger. You can also add small rhinestones to amp up the adorableness. Your ring finger will look so cute, your boyfriend will be prompted to pop the question (okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but never underestimate the power of awesome nails!).
7. Stylish Stripes
If cute and unconventional is your style, try this design! Begin by painting a white base coat. After it dries, use a small polish-painting pen brush to paint a red heart on one of your nails, and then use a toothpick to outline it with black polish. Use the same toothpick to paint vertical black stripes down each nail.
8. Elegant Roses
Roses are awfully romantic; they fit the V-Day theme wonderfully. And great news: these are actually nail decals from Etsy.com, so you don’t have to paint them yourself! Begin with a baby-pink base coat. Cut out the decal you’re going to be using for an individual nail. Soak the decal in water for 30 seconds, then peel away the backing paper. Place the decal on your nail and allow it to dry. Paint a clear gloss on top, and voila! Instant nail romance.
9. Pastel Hearts
Who says all hearts have to be red or pink? Mix it up by beginning with a clear base coat. When that coat’s dry, use a nail art brush to paint light yellow, mint-green and baby-pink or lavender hearts on top. Using a toothpick, outline the hearts with black polish. Finish off with another clear coat to make your hearts glow.
Be sure to polish off your V-Day look by doing one of these stylish nail designs! You’ll be grateful for your adorable hands when holding your champagne glass, reaching for chocolate-covered strawberries or holding your valentine’s hand.