31 Day Nail Challenge: Week 11 - Polka Dots

So here we are at week 11! Polka dot nails can be really fun. For the dots you can use anything, cremes, glitters, jellies of all colours and the same is true for the background. You could even polka dot onto a gradient or 'Saran wrap' (cling film) mani. I chose to mix mine up a bit and did my polka dots onto a funky French. For the base I used Barry M Nude, which is a common theme through these posts I'm noticing but it really is so versatile! I then did the tips in Stargazer Silver Chrome which is a gorgeously shiny silver. Not quite a mirror finish but it doesn't leave too many brush strokes so it's a nice foil effect. Onto that I used my dotting tools to create dots at random in different sizes using three complimenting colours. All of the colours I chose are Models Own because I have an abundance of blues and greens of theirs. I used Blooboo, Top Turquoise and Prussian Blue. I tried to create a sort of crescent shape around the top, side and bottom of my nails, leaving a space on one side and trying to keep the bigger dots in the centre of the crescent. It ki d of worked better on my left hand which is weird because it's my dominant hand lol but I do the left last so I guess I was more practised by the time I got to it.
Here are the pictures!

As a note of interest, my dotting tools aren't actually dotting tools. They are 'embossing tools' which can be picked up from any good craft supply shop. I got mine from The Range in Ipswich for approximately £2.99 for a pack of 3 double sided tools. They are designed to emboss designs into card using stencils but are exactly the same as the dotting tools sold for nail art. You can get wooden or plastic handled ones, I chose the plastic because I like the feel but wooden would be good if you're dipping them in acetone to clean as the plastic could get damaged.

I love the contrast between the creme dots and the really shiny tip, it looks really glowy in some lights! I was a bit worried that with the nude base it might look as though I have some really weird disease LOL but I think I avoided that..

Gemx's nails are super cute is week! They look very 50's/mini mouse. I bet they look really striking in person!

Here's what she had to say!
"Here are my polka dot nails, they took ages! I used Revlon Cherries in the Snow as the base red. Whacked a quick drying topcoat on and then poured a little Models Own Snow White onto a old CD case. I used the end of my Eyeko eyeliner as a dotting tool, and it worked pretty well as one! It was a little fiddly because the red, even though it was under a topcoat, it was still making the end of my home-made dotting tool red and making my white go a bit pink. So I was making a new blob of white into my CD case every 3 nails so that it was still pure white."

Before I had my 'dotting' tools I used a cocktail stick for dots and designs. It was SO awkward so I totally commend Gem for persevering with this and making it look so neat! I would totally recommend to anyone who doesn't have dotting tools, get some. They don't take up much space, they're not very expensive and yet they make things so much easier lol look out for embossing tools in craft ships if you're ever in one.. Not that you're all stationery car y like me haha

That's all for this week, let me know what you think and be sure to pop over and check out Alli's pastel polka dots too! 

-Lei