Stars and Stripes on Red, White and Blue!

So... It has been A WHILE since my last post!  In fact, it has been a while since I last did art on my nails!  I have been so out of it the past couple of months.  I felt so uninspired, and though ideas continued to come to me, I just could not get myself to do art on my nails.  For weeks on end, I just switched between colors or glitters for my digits.

At first, it was just a mood.  I felt like wearing my nails plain.  But as the weeks drew on, I found myself already doubting if I ever will do art again.  For some reason, I lost confidence in my skill.  So when Gina of Dazzle Dry Philippines got in touch with me the other day to request a 4th of July nail art, I was admittedly apprehensive.  I was worried to let her down, and in the process prove that I've definitely lost it!

Nonetheless, the trooper in me decided to go for it.  The very next day after Gina spoke to me, I got to work, and I was surprised at what I came up with!  The challenge, aside from following a 4th of July theme, was to make it purely freehand.  Here is my design:

It was particularly challenging to come up with a freehand 4th of July nail design because it would usually call for sharp stripes and stars.  I thought of doing fireworks, but i could not shake off the call for stars and stripes, so that is what I did.

Details for this nail art were made using a fine striping brush and acrylic paint.  I find it easier to draw straight lines by holding my painting hand relatively steady while rotating the finger I am painting.  For the stars, on the other hand, I carefully drew the outlines the way I would on paper, then filled them in.  This is, actually, my first time to ever paint stars on my nails freehand. ★

These are the nail lacquers I used and what I think of them:

Dazzle Dry High Velocity Red:

A bright red polish that runs on the thin side.  Application is very easy and goes on even.  I used three coats to get this rich red shade, although two coats would definitely be sufficient for most people.  I recommend this for people looking for a basic red polish that looks juicy and fun, rather than seductive or sultry.

Dazzle Dry Blueberry Sno Cone:

One of my favorites!!  It's an opaque cobalt blue that is bright, loud and fun! Application is a bit trickier though, as consistency leans on the thick side.  Then again, the brush in the Dazzle Dry bottles are user-friendly, so that helps in achieving that nice, flawless finish.  I used two coats of Blueberry Sno Cone to get an even, opaque coat on my ring finger.

Dazzle Dry White Lightning:

Definitely a staple for nail art -- the whitest white you would ever find in nail polish land!  Consistency is thinner that Blueberry Sno Cone, although still on the thick side.  Two coats were enough for me to get a clean, opaque white for my index finger.  I love White Lightning because it always gives me a clean base everytime I want a design that requires a solid white background.

Dazzle Dry Silver Lamé:

Believe it or not, I have had this bottle in my stash for more than half a year and this is the FIRST TIME I've used it!  I don't know why I never did, actually.  It's so glamorous!  It's silver with shimmer that makes it look like it has very fine grains in it, yet remains unbelievably smooth.  I don't know how Dazzle Dry made this one, but I'm sure glad they did.  I am glad I added this to my design.  I just had a gut feeling silver would make the look pop, and it did.  Application is also easy because consistency is perfect.  I think I've just added another one to my Dazzle Dry favorites (as if I don't already have enough!).

So there it is, my latest nail art -- my first ever 4th of July nail design! Special thanks to my dear Gina who never stopped believing in me even after I myself have started doubting.  ❤

Happy 4th of July to all!