Have you ever sat down to paint your nails and had the end result be completely different than your original idea? That's just what happened to me when I created this Japanese Cherry Blossom look. I've actually wanted to do a manicure like this for quite some time but just never seemed to get around to it. I've either had other ideas come first or just haven't been inspired to sit down and actually create it.
Now I could get all philosophical and say that fate stepped in and in its way pushed me to finally create this nail art but I think it was more of a case of being inspired by the colors that I used.
Back in February I rushed out to Walmart to find the latest core colors from Sinful Colors and have had them sitting on my desk ever since. We all know by now that I have a habit of doing this and I'm really trying to get better about it but old habits are hard to break I guess. Anyway, I've been looking at Violet Riot and Strike a Pose for months thinking that they would look great in a gradient. Which I finally put to the test last week and I was right. They go together beautifully. So beautifully in fact that they created a canvas that just begged to have nail art applied. And that is how my 4-step Cherry Blossom nail art was created.
Step 1: Paint a layer of Sinful colors Strike a Pose and let dry. This doesn't have to be a thick layer or even have full opacity since we will be doing a gradient over it. You just want to get a layer down so that you'll have better coverage on the gradient.
Step 2: Crate the gradient using Strike A Pose and Violet Riot. I like to use a sponge to create my gradients because I tend to get a better blend of the colors but you can do yours however you're comfortable. (The one I use is from Born Pretty Store and if you use code LAUNX31 you can receive 10% off your order.) Remember to use a liquid latex barrier around your cuticles to cut down on clean up. If you don't have liquid latex or are allergic you can always use scotch tape. Add a layer of topcoat and allow to dry fully.
Step 3: Stamp your desired image onto the nail. I used Clear Jelly Stamper plate Cjs-05 and Sinful Colors Body Language from the Naughty Nudes collection to create my branches.
Step 4: Using a small dotting tool you can create the blossoms. I used the smallest of my dotting tools and Hit the Bottle Drunk Tank Pink to create mine. I randomly placed dots along the branches and in bunches on my nails. Another layer of glossy topcoat and you're all done.
I've also included a step by step video tutorial for those of you who like to see how manicures are done.
And there you have it. My 4 easy steps to create a Japanese Cherry Blossom manicure. Pretty simple right? I actually loved how this turned out and didn't want to take it off. But like all nail bloggers know, the switching must go on and I was only able to wear this for about 8 hrs.
Have you ever had a manicure just sort of come together as you were doing it? Does your base color ever inspire your nail art? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for Stopping by and Happy Polishing!
