Bangalore,my first love!

I've been living in Bangalore for more than half my life and I just love the bustling madness that it is! A true Bangalorean and Kannadiga at heart,I decided this would be the theme for my new nail art! =D

Anybody who's lived here long enough (and even people who haven't) knows the famous catchphrase "Swalpa adjust maadi!" (Adjust a little,is the best translation I could think of) . Any problem,just smile and nod and say swalpa adjust maadi and you might just get your way!
And the legendary by 2 coffee that we Bangaloreans are so used to ordering. Is there anywhere else in the world you can do this? I seriously doubt it.
The rush hour traffic with the crazy autos,cows in the middle of the street,vendors selling yummy chaats on the street. Yes,we have our own fair share of problems but its all worth it when I see the direction that Namma Bengaluru is progressing in with the metro work and all the new buildings and towers coming up-thats why I had to add the UB city building into my nail art!

It's all serious business!

Hey there everyone!
Thanks for all the pageviews! I just hit a 1500! :D

I was at my regular salon recently,and I was asked if I would be willing to be paid to do nail art. Turns out the lady over there spoke about my nail art to one of her other clients and they wanted some art for themselves!
That sort of gave me the "smack on the bum"  i needed to turn my hobby into a more lucrative deal!

So I have a facebook page now! Make sure to like,comment and share! =)


https://www.facebook.com/TheNailGeek

Of surfs and seashells!

I recently went on vacation to Goa,a beautiful beach destination here in India! And I think this design best reflects the fun of beach vacations! :D Its a pity though that my pesky little brother deleted all the better pictures I had of this design leaving me with just this one!

Starry nights...

I was having quite a boring day and I was literally staring out of the window at the night sky and my thoughts went to Van Gogh's starry nights painting and I felt I just HAD to try it on my nails!

Use a robin blue coloured nail polish as the base and don't let it dry before adding the patches of white and yellow nailpolish on it.
I added the black flame-like detail only on my ring-finger. You can make Van Gogh's signature strokes with a pin or a toothpick (the safer option) just to give that real Van Gogh effect. Try doing this before the different layers of pain dry so you end up getting a few light blue tones as well.
Cover it up with a coat of clear nail polish to seal in your design as well as to give it a smooth-ish texture!

These are the shades of blue and yellow that I used. They look quite amazing together don't they?

He loves me,he loves me not...

I'm sure everyone of us has been in this dilemma atleast once in our lives,if not more. And of course we all know the cliched lovesick person plucking out flower petals trying to decide based on pure luck or the Fibonacci sequence,whether the object of their affection does love them or not!
Either way here it is,on my nails! =)

I used the end of an unbent paper clip as a dotting tool and got a little sneaky by using a normal white-ink pen to make the petals.  If you cover it with a top coat,the pen ink does not crack or get wiped off! =D

For the green stem,I used my striper brush.

Nail art: Olympics 2012

I LOVE the fact that not only are these girls working through difficult practice schedules while kicking some Olympian ass, but are staying stylish while doing so! 

                                      

Missy Franklin U.S. swimmer sports the stars and stripes

British Archer Amy Oliver wears the Union Jack proudly on her nails!

Luz  Mercedes Acosta Valdez sports both the British as well as Mexican flags on her nails

Serena Williams with her fun nail art!

  

 Jessica Fox to the left sporting Australia’s flag and a cute kangaroo.

Angelique Kerber a German tennis player rocking her country’s colors.

Britain's Rebecca Adlington

Emily Seebohm, Australia

Scotch Tape Nail Art! Easy and exciting!

If you have a tough time creating straight lines with your striper brushes,say hello to your new best friend: Scotch tape! You can cut it into any geometric shape you want to create straight lines on your nails. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

• Its best to do this on day-old nail paint so that its completely dry and doesn't come off along with the scotch tape. But if you really have to do it on day one,then give your base colour an hour's drying time."

• Cut Scotch Tape to the desired size and shape, and apply firmly to the nail. Run another nail along the edge of the tape to assure a tight seal. You don’t want any polish to run underneath the tape as you paint!
• Fill in the stenciled area with a contrasting shade of polish, and slowly remove the tape while the polish is still wet.

• Allow the polish to dry completely so the colors don’t smear into each other, and then finish off with a good top coat.

Another super way to use scotch tape is by applying nail paint on the non-sticky side of the scotch tape,waiting for it to dry and then cutting it out into the shape you want and just sticking it onto your nails! The tape merges with your nails and looks like plain nail polish on your nails! Apply a top coat to seal in your design.

You can do this design with normal scissors or you can even use craft scissors which have different shaped blades.

Other nail art designs you can try using scotch tape:

HAVE FUN! =D

Paris ooh la la la! =D

Il n’y a que deux endroits au monde où l’on puisse vivre heureux:  chez soi et à Paris.
~Ernest Hemingway

Paris is one city I've always wanted to visit. But unfortunately,it just hasn't happened yet :(
But I love my new Paris-themed nail art with the iconic Eiffel Tower and reminiscent of the star-studded sky that acts as a backdrop to this beautiful monument! =)

Home Remedies for Whitening Yellow Fingernails

I love nail art 'cuz its just such an amazing way to let out your individuality. But all those pigments can really damage your nails,making them yellow. Don't worry if your fingernails are turning yellow. Its not that uncommon,but its definitely un-fashionable!
Try these home remedies to have your fingernails looking white and healthy again!

Denture Tablets(or Powder)

Denture tablets can whiten and brighten yellow fingernails. Simply follow instructions for dissolving denture tablets in water, and soak your nails for several minutes. Repeat the process until your nails are lighter and brighter in color.
You get these in a powder form too in some pharmacies.

Real Lemon Juice

Lemons are good for more than making lemonade . Real lemon juice can help whiten yellow nails. Slice open a fresh lemon, and squeeze the juice into a shallow bowl, or use reconstituted lemon juice. Soak your nails in the lemon juice for several minutes, and repeat this treatment as often as necessary. Wash and rinse your hands after treating, and apply lotion to replenish valuable moisture.

Lemon Essential Oil

If you want to moisturize your nails and cuticles while whitening yellow fingernails, try lemon essential oil. Simply pour your favorite lemon essential oil into a shallow bowl, and soak your fingertips for several minutes. Repeat this process whenever you need to whiten, brighten, and condition your nails.

Light Buffing

Fingernails can be lightly buffed to remove light discoloration, but care should be taken when buffing. Besides removing discoloration, buffing encourages nail growth by increasing circulation. Buff in one direction, and use quality buffing materials. Too much buffing or incorrect buffing can actually weaken nails, and if nails end up breaking it won't matter what color they are.

Whitening Pencils

If you're unaware of whitening pencils, check the fingernail product section of your local discount store or pharmacy. There you'll find pencils for whitening the tips of fingernails. Whitening pencils are inexpensive, easy to use, and they're a quick and simple way to whiten yellow fingernails.

Base Polish

Nail polish is the most common culprit when fingernails turn yellow. Before polishing your nails in the future, consider using a clear base polish that will add a layer of protection between fingernails and colored polish. Your fingernails will be healthier, thicker, and they will be less likely to turn an undesirable shade of yellow.


Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/home-remedies-whitening-yellow-fingernails-55136.html?cat=7

Pretty Little Nails!

I've been watching Pretty Little Liars episodes and I just love some of the nail art on the show!
I found this amazing tumblr which is exclusively PLL nail art and tells you where to find the colours used!
Hanna is my favorite PLL character and she usually has gorgeous nails. Most of them are Sally Hansen nail art strips but this easy-to-do leopard print nail art is my fav!

I tried it out myself and I used silver nail polish instead of gold!

TNG extra: Ashley Benson takes you on a tour of the wardrobe and make-up vans on the sets of Pretty Little Liars!

  

Fashion-inspired Fingernails

Hola! =)

I found these nails on Pinterest and I absolutely looooved them! Fashion-inspired nails aren't usually my thing but these just made me wanna try some out!

A Swatch of smARThistory! =)

Hey everyone!

These are my Piet Mondrian nails! I'm an architecture student so we have a little bit of art history to study! Thats what got me into doing these nails! Pretty simple and basic.
Just fill in a base coat of white with vertical and horizontal black lines placed randomly and fill some of the squares and rectangles with blue,yellow and red!

You could make this design more personal by adding in your favourite three colours or you could make it festive with red,green and gold! Have fun! =)

Kicking It Up!

Hey ladies!

I don't usually go for very girly nails and this one sorta proves my point! I love watching football when FIFA and the EuroCup are going on and yes,I <3 Germany!

Gehe Deutschland! =D

The pinky is a little blurry( I don't really know why) but I guess you get the basic idea!

On an African Safari

Hey everyone!

So this is my first blog post on nail art! =)
This is the nail art I did after getting back from my family vacation at Africa. I used orange and red nail polish and kind of mixed it together and used black silhouettes so that the design really stands out!
I have Pride Rock from Lion King on my index finger and the silhouette of a giraffe,an acacia tree and birds flying above the savannah grasslands.
My thumb is my absolute fav! The silhouette of a lion! =D