Skitch-I-Y: Gilded Nails!

Instagram: LilaLane

It's kind of sad to see my turquoise leopard print mani go, but as fantastic as that nail varnish formula turned out (day 5 and STILL NO CHIPPING) the top coat was cracking and I've got a job interview tomorrow so I'm opting for something a little more formal. Well, formal but still me. If you know me well enough, you know about my love affair with gold leaf. I use it on just about everything. Makeup, art work, crafts... you name it! I'm covering it with gold! And this obsession with gold started just a little over six months ago. I used to be an all silver type of girl. So, I got a hold of my gold leaf once more and got nifty with my nails again which is kind of strange because I'm usually the type of girl that avoids getting her nails done because I neglect them after I get over the mani and just let them crumble away. While I'm on a roll, I'm going to take advantage of it.

You'll need:

A base coat of any color of your preference

A glossy top coat

Gold Leaf

A nail file and a cuticle stick

Let's get started!

Step 1: Prep your nails. Apply two coats of your base coat color. I chose Sephora's "Reglisse" because honestly, what better combo than black and gold? It looks utterly classy and elegant. You could really try with any color you wish. I recommend you could also try it with any turquoise, red, white, dark purple or brown colors.

Step 2: Once you apply your second coat of base color, wait until the varnish gets a bit tacky. Tear little pieces of Gold leaf and apply them carefully to the tacky nail color. I like them to look like little gold nuggets. It doesn't have to be perfect. The more irregular, the better! I applied mine only to the tips of my nails. Watch out not to press too hard or you might get your finger prints all over! Make sure you only press over the gold leaf so you don't ruin your base coat. You can get a packet of gold leaf at your local art supply store for about $8-9. 

Step 3: Once you've pressed on the gold leaf, take your nail file and file off the excess leaf off the edge of your nails ever so gently. 

Step 4: You might need to use your cuticle stick to push in any gold leaf that might have creeped onto your cuticles. Clean the area up. 

Step 5: Cover with a good swipe of clear top coat and... 

 You're done!

Sorry for the messy cuticles! I took the picture before I cleaned them up!

Instantly chic nails that will have everyone wondering how you did it! I am loving this very, very easy mani. I'm hoping this will help my outfit for tomorrow's interview rock! Try it out for yourselves! Remember to subscribe to the blog with Google Friend Connect to get updates and to follow me on Instagram! I'm LilaLane.