I trust that most people who read this blog probably “suffer” from a crippling nail polish addiction. I am quickly becoming an addict myself, and I know how to spot the symptoms because I have a couple of other addictions in life. The first is definitely shoe-related, but the second is oh so sweet. You know that feeling you get when you get the perfect manicure? Or when you score the shoes you have been eyeing on sale? I get that feeling with the first delectable bite of every Sprinkles cupcake. Unfortunately those cupcakes don’t last forever (mine barely make it out the door). Now that Sprinkles has opened its ice cream parlor you definitely have to eat your dessert right away. And while our manicures don’t last forever, they definitely can outlast a baked good.
So when I picked up my cupcake menu the idea struck me to create a Sprinkles manicure. I didn’t want this to be your typical cupcake mani, so I drew inspiration from Elaine Watson’s modern dot design that appeared on the cover of NAILS Magazine’s February 2011 issue.
Here’s what you will need:
- Paper plate
- Bobby pin
- Orangewood stick
- Zoya Jacqueline
- Zoya Piaf
- Zoya Neely
- Zoya Blu
- Essie Marshmallow
- Butter London British Racing Green
- CND Vinylux Lobster Roll
- CND Vinylux Pink Bikini
- Morgan Taylor Most Wanted
- O So Dollish Lucky U
- O So Dollish Strong
- Base coat
- Top coat
Here’s what I did:
- Apply base coat and let dry.
- Brush on three coats of Zoya Jacqueline.
- After Zoya base is completely dry, apply top coat.
- Place a dollop of polish color on plate. Dip the bobby pin into that color and make a dot onto the nail.
Placing various colors on a paper plate, ready for the orangewood stick to begin dotting.
- Decide on what color you want to complement your dot. You can reference the Sprinkles menu or choose the color pairing you would like. Pour a small pool of the complementary color onto your plate.
- Using the pointy end of the orangewood stick, dip it into the complementary color, and lightly dot it in the center of the first color. Note: I tried to complete all my outer circles first before I began dotting them so that they would have time to sufficiently dry.
- Once you have the desired amount of dots per nail, allow to dry, then cover with top coat.
Nail tip: Vary the amount of dots per nail. I also did fewer dots in the color combinations I didn’t like and did more of the ones I did like if I needed to fill more space. I tried to have two identical dot combinations (one per hand) for consistency. Instead of a bobby pin you could use a dotting tool, just make sure your dotting supplies allow for one circle to be bigger than the other.
The resulting manicure is modern, colorful, and cute enough to eat. Feast your eyes on more food-inspired nail art here.
For another sinfully sweet look, check out NAILS Next Top Nail Artist Julie Ventura’s winning manicure here.
Think of nail art as a zero calorie treat you can indulge in today. Happy Mani Monday!
