Skitch-I-Y: Striped Tape Nails!

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I swear, I think I'm obsessed with painting my nails which is funny because I used to avoid doing them as much possible. I've been trying so many different techniques lately. It's like I've rediscovered nail art again. Between the day before yesterday and yesterday, I've re-done my nails three times. As of the moment I'm trying to master the water marbling technique. Not as easy as it looks, but when you get it, it's really neat! While I conquer that, I'll show you guys a really easy technique that has endless possibilities. Like in art, with nails it's all about techniques and how you apply them. I'm sorry I don't have a better picture other than the one I posted on Instagram, but I sometimes forget I have a camera (derp!). Anyways, this picture shows you how well the technique works. Let's get started!

You'll need:

At least two different colored polishes

Tape

Clear top coat

Base coat

Step 1: Prep and prime your nails. I really suggest you do use a base coat for this as you will be working with tape and it might pull off the base color if not prepped correctly. I recommend CND's Stickey. Color your nails with the base color of your choice. I went for black with Sephora's "Reglisse". 

Step 2: After your base color has COMPLETELY dried, cut some strips of tape and layer them over your nails as you wish. Wherever you have put your tape is where your base color will peek through. I used masking tape for mine but any tape should do as long as it is well pressed in place. Make sure you don't leave any corners of the tape unadhered or the polish will seep in through there. You want to make sure you get crisp lines.

Step 3: Cover the unmasked areas with another color of your choice. I used Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Celeb City. 

Step 4: Remove the tape very carefully and slowly. Don't wait until it dries out or you will ruin your work. I usually wait about 30 seconds after I paint them to do that. When you remove it, you will have your striped pattern. Retouch if necessary. 

Step 5: Wait until it dries completely and add a good top coat. 

And you're done!

This is a really easy technique that you can definitely experiment with. Play with different color combinations or mask off really intricate tape patterns. You can also mask off the base of your nails with band-aids to get half moon effects. The possibilities are endless! I love how mine turned out. They kind of remind me of little Sephora bags. As for my nail art obsession, well... it's bordering on insane! Here's some of the marbling I've been able to achieve:

If you guys would like a tutorial on this (or at least a run through of my experience with it), let me know in the comments or via Facebook. I'd love to see if you tried the technique so don't be afraid to post in the comments below, my Facebook wall or tag me on Instagram. Don't forget to Like and also follow on Tumblr and Instagram. I'm LilaLane!