Okay, so Vegas, baby! I knew I needed some killer nails for my trip, but I didn’t want to just do the usual. I wanted something… extra. Something that screamed “Vegas, here I come!” So, I started my little nail project.
Brainstorm and Prep
First, I scrolled through a ton of pictures online. I looked at all sorts of designs – glitter, neon, rhinestones, you name it. I even checked out some nail art tutorials to get some ideas. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest, with so many choices!
After a couple of hours, I decided I wanted something bold, with a mix of sparkle and maybe some cool geometric patterns. I also figured I’d go with gel polish because it lasts way longer, and I didn’t want to worry about chips while I was out having fun.
Next, I gathered my supplies. Here’s what I ended up using:
- Gel base coat
- Gel top coat
- A few different colors of gel polish (black, hot pink, and a sparkly gold)
- Thin nail art brushes
- Rhinestones (various sizes)
- Nail glue
- A UV/LED lamp to cure the polish
- Some rubbing alcohol and cotton pads to clean up
The Fun Begins!
I started by prepping my nails. I pushed back my cuticles, filed my nails into a nice almond shape, and buffed them a little to help the polish stick better. Then, I wiped them down with some alcohol to remove any oils.
Next, I applied a thin layer of the gel base coat and cured it under the lamp. This is super important for protecting your nails and making the polish last.
Then came the color! I painted a couple of nails with the hot pink, a couple with the black, and one with the sparkly gold as an accent nail. I did two coats of each color, curing after each coat. It took a bit of patience, making sure I didn’t get any polish on my skin.
Getting Fancy
Now for the fun part – the designs! On the black nails, I used the gold polish and a super thin brush to create some geometric lines and triangles. I wasn’t going for perfection, just something fun and edgy. I cured that under the lamp.
On the pink nails, I decided to add some rhinestones. I put a tiny dot of nail glue where I wanted each rhinestone and used a little tool to pick them up and place them on my nail. I went with a mix of sizes for a more dramatic look. Once I was happy with the placement, I carefully applied a thin layer of top coat over the rhinestones to secure them and cured it all again.
Finally, I applied a top coat to all of my nails and cured them one last time. I wiped them down with alcohol to remove any sticky residue, and… voila! Vegas-ready nails!
It took a few hours, and my back was a little sore from hunching over, but I was so happy with how they turned out! They were sparkly, bold, and totally unique – exactly what I wanted for my Vegas trip. I felt so satisfied for having created the styles on my own!
