New Year, New Nails, New You!

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The year 2014 is finally here, which means it’s time for New Years resolutions, wardrobe facelifts, and…exciting new nail styles! We can all agree that 2013 was a fun and fabulous year filled with an array of exceptional nail trends (ahem, we all went gaga over the eggshell, olive green, and magnetic polish fads!) and designs. However, all lovely ladies can now rejoice, because 2014 promises a variety of show-stopping new nail trends to try!

Add A Festive & Merry Manicure To Your Nails This Holiday Season

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The holiday season is here, which means you're probably gearing up for all of the festive gift-exchange parties and fun nights of caroling. Along with your fave Christmas sweater and Santa hat, make sure to add an extra dash of holiday cheer to your seasonal attire with a fab and festive manicure!  

If you're wondering how to decorate your nails for the holidays, not to worry! Below is a quick list of merry and festive manicures that will help you turn heads at all of the season's holiday parades and Secret Santa parties!  

Gleeful Glitter: Everything seems to sparkle during the holidays, and this should also hold true for your nails! Paint your nails red and green, alternating the colors on each nail, and let dry. Then, paint each red nail with a coat of red glitter polish and add a coat of green glitter polish to all of the green nails. Let dry and voilà! Your nails are ready to steal the spotlight at all your merry festivities!

Winter Snowflake Mani: Snowflake nail stamps are a fab and festive way to add pizazz to your holiday mani! Before you do this design, make sure you have blue polish, silver polish, clear topcoat, and a nail stamp kit with a snowflake stamping plate on hand. We like the Nail Art Stamping Set by Shany Cosmetics. Paint your nails blue and let dry, then place silver polish over the snowflake design on the stamping plate, and use the nail kit’s scraper to rid the plate of excess polish. While the silver polish is still wet, place the stamper over the plate so the snowflake design transfers, then press the stamper down on the nail. Do this until each nail is adorned with cute little silver snowflakes. Finish the look by adding a clear topcoat to each nail.

Christmas Tree Tape Mani: We all love gazing at dazzling Christmas trees during the holiday season. Celebrate this lovely holiday tradition with a merry Christmas tree tape mani! To do this nail design, have on-hand green polish, red polish, Scotch tape, scissors, nail glue, and gold nail gems. Paint the first nail red and let dry, then lay a piece of tape from the bottom left edge to the center of the tip, and place a second piece of tape from the right bottom edge to the center of the tip, making sure the pieces of tape intersect at a point below the upper edge of the nail. This will form a triangle "tree" of space in the middle of the nail. Cut several strips of tape and place them horizontally across the "tree," making sure they are not exactly parallel. Paint over the nail and tape strips with green polish and remove the tape strips while the polish is still dry. Let dry and repeat for each nail. Once all the nails are adorned with little green Christmas trees against a red background, add a clear topcoat to each nail. Once dry, use nail glue to glue gold nail gem "stars" at the top of each tree!  

Pretty Presents: Make sure your nails are like cheerful little holiday gifts this season! To do this mani, have on-hand red polish, green polish, purple polish, gold polish, and silver polish. Paint each nail either red, green, or purple, alternating the colors for each nail. Then, using a toothpick, paint a single gold "ribbon" from the top of each nail to the bottom, and add a silver line next to the gold. Let dry, then use the toothpick to draw horizontal gold and silver ribbons through the middle of each nail. Once dry, use a toothpick to add little silver and gold "bows" where the ribbons intersect. Add a clear topcoat to complete the look.

Cheerful Champagne Mani: Nothing says "Happy Holidays!" like a glass of bubbly with all of your closest friends and relatives! For this festive holiday manicure, paint your nails with a coat of shimmery gold polish and let dry, then add gold glitter polish to the tips. This fun holiday mani is sure to get you noticed this season!

Jubilant New Year Mani: This flashy nail design will help you look fabulous as you count down to the New Year! Paint all of your nails royal blue and let dry, then add a coat of multi-colored glitter polish on each nail. This is a fun and festive way to celebrate the New Year!

Christmas Lights Mani: Show off your artistic side with this lovely manicure! Paint your nails red and let dry, then, using a toothpick and black nail polish, draw a squiggly black “light cord” from the outer edge of your thumbnail to the outer edge of your pinky nail, making certain to only get polish on the nails. Let the polish dry, then paint little holiday Christmas lights both above and below the cord, using polishes of all different colors. Once complete and dry, add a final topcoat to complete the look!

Joyous Water Marble Mani: An eye-catching red and green water marble mani will look great with all of your holiday get-ups! To do this intricate and eye-catching design, start off with a cup of room temperature water, a bottle of red polish, and a bottle of green polish, as well as tape and several toothpicks. Place tape around the edge of the first nail, covering the cuticles. Add two drops of red to the water and let spread, then a drop of green polish in the middle of the red polish. Then, take a toothpick and drag the edges of the polish to the center of the circle. Press your nail into the design, use a toothpick to scrape excess polish away from the edges of the nail, and take the nail out of the water. Then remove the tape and let dry. Use a toothpick to clear the polish from the top of the water, and repeat the process with the rest of the nails. Add a final clear topcoat to complete the look. The end result: a jolly water marble mani that is sure to be the talk of every seasonal soiree you attend! 

If you are trying to figure out how to add merry manicure to your nails for the holidays, the above list should help. Have a joyous and festive holiday season! Images courtesy of Nail Model Diane Moran Graham.

Stay fab!

Katie Saxton, President of Custom Nail Solutions

New Year, New Nails, New You!

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The year 2014 is finally here, which means it’s time for New Years resolutions, wardrobe facelifts, and…exciting new nail styles! We can all agree that 2013 was a fun and fabulous year filled with an array of exceptional nail trends (ahem, we all went gaga over the eggshell, olive green, and magnetic polish fads!) and designs. However, all lovely ladies can now rejoice, because 2014 promises a variety of show-stopping new nail trends to try!

Year 2014 is all about being artistic and showing off your creative ingenuity. This means out with the solid dark polishes of Summer 2013 and in with bold and colorful designs, stripes, and sparkles! There are so many fresh and inspiring ways to style up your nails in 2014, that it will be tough to stick with one nail trend for too long!

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to jazz up your nails for the New Year, don’t fret! Use the below quick list of the top 2014 Nail Trends to ensure that your nails are ready to steal the spotlight at all of the year’s social soirees and high fashion events!

White With Flair: Solid white nails featuring small adornments, such as thin colored stripes, polka-dotted bases, or small gems, will be all the rage in Year 2014. White nail polishes exude elegance and class, and the small ornamentation adds just the perfect pop of fun!

Distinctive Metallic Polishes: Shiny gold, copper, and silver polishes were huge in the year 2013. This trend will continue in a whole new way in 2014! In the New Year, metallic polishes in unique hues like champagne and rose gold will pop up on the hands of fab fashionistas everywhere! This look goes great with your favorite little black dress!

Stylish Stripes: The year 2014 will be all about stripes. Whether they are wide or thin, glittery or matte, or vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, striped nail art will be one of the top nail trends of 2014. Use a nail polish pen or tape to make sure your stripes are sleek, straight, and stylish!

Petite Pastels: Pretty and feminine pastel polishes like lilac, lavender, light blue, pastel pink, and pale yellow will be a major nail trend in 2014. Any of these polishes will show off your sweet and fashionable side, and they will add a pop of stylish color to any everyday outfit!

Suspended Half Moon Mani: One of the biggest nail trends of 2013 was the half moon mani featuring a colored half moon base set against a contrasting background. This one-of-a-kind nail trend has a whole new look for 2014! In the New Year, paint your nails nude and let dry, add a white semi circle half moon base on each nail, and add a clear topcoat to complete the look. The white moon will look like it is floating against the neutral background!

Canvas For Creativity: In the New Year, a major trend will be using your nails as a canvas for your artistic imagination. Jazz up your nails to your heart’s desire and draw intricate nail polish designs (like cartoon characters or colorful tribal patterns!), glue on sequins and nail gems, add lace embellishments, and change the nail texture with matte polish! You can also add fun little adornments like rhinestones, feathers, and tiny buttons! This is your chance to show off your imaginative side and ingenuity with your nails!

New-Age French Tip: One of 2014’s biggest nail trends will be the modern French manicure, where the nail tips feature a thin stripe of color set against a contrasting-colored background. For the contemporary French manicure, you can also choose to keep the nails nude and add a thin stripe of any color along each nail tip. This is a sophisticated and elegant manicure that will go great with all attire, whether that be a business casual outfit or a colorful cocktail dress!

Barely-There Ombré: A popular nail style in 2014 will be an ombré manicure featuring an understated, barely-there transition from light to dark. Once others notice the slight change in nail polish hues, they will applaud you for your originality! 

Sparkly Splotches: Glitter it up in the New Year! In 2014, a huge trend will be painting the nails a solid color then adding a patch of sparky polish in the same spot on every nail. You can place the glitter splotch wherever you choose, but make sure it is in the exact same spot for every nail. This will create the most chic, fun, and fashionable effect! This look will surely get you noticed at all your social events!

New year, new nails, new you! In 2014, try out any of the above nail trends to give yourself a remarkable new look for the entire New Year! All of the trends will ensure that your nails always look ready for the runway in 2014. Images courtesy of Nail Model Diane Moran Graham.

Here's to a happy, healthy, and fabulous New Year!

Katie Saxton, President of Custom Nail Solutions