The Faberge Egg Manicure

Pinky and Middle Finger Rings: Gifts from my husband's family | Ring Finger: Cathy Waterman (Barneys) | Trousers: The Row (Barneys Warehouse Sale)
Pinky and Middle Finger Rings: Gifts from my husband’s family | Ring Finger: Cathy Waterman (Barneys) | Trousers: The Row (Barneys Warehouse Sale)

This week’s manicure is a bridge between the seasons — bubbles of summery color anchored by autumnal shades of plum and gold. The crazed color palette somehow works, and it’s guaranteed to match most outfits.

The manicure may look complicated, but the technique couldn’t be easier: It’s just a series of stripes and dots. (I call it the “swipe and plop” technique.)

However, this nail art DOES take a little longer than usual — I clocked in at 90 minutes. You’ll also need a lot of polish colors:

polishbottles
From left to right: Seche Vite top coat | Essie Ridge Filler base coat | Revlon (Posh) | Sinful Colors (Boom Boom) | Essie (Sole Mate) | Wet ‘n Wild Fast Dry (Everybody Loves Redmond) | Sally Hansen (White On) | OPI (Pink-ing of You) | Sephora Formula X (Enriched) | Sally Hansen (Lacey Lilac)

I’ve included step-by-step instructions, along with illustrations below:

Clockwise from top left: Step 1
Clockwise from top left: Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 4 | Step 5

1. Paint your nails with a base coat, followed by a deep plum or brown polish.

2. Using a gold polish and a striper brush, draw an X on each finger. I got ambitious and used two parallel lines for each side of the X, which added more detail and dimension.

3. Let dry for a few minutes.

4. Using a toothpick, randomly dot white polish across the design. I did 5-6 drops per nail, and I didn’t over-analyze the placement. Anywhere is fine. PS: Do not skip this step. The plum is very dark on its own, and the brighter colors won’t “pop” without the white underneath.

5. Use more toothpicks to place the bright colors on top of the white dots. (I use the bigger side of the toothpick.) I chose red, lavender, magenta, kelly green, and bubblegum, but you can use any colors that you wish. I used colors that reminded me of a Faberge egg and a treasure chest inlaid with jewels from “The Goonies.”

6. Wait a few minutes for the polish to dry, and seal with top coat.

7. Bonus step: After you paint your nails, run your hands under very cold water in the sink. It hardens the polish and quickens the drying process.

If you try this manicure, I’d love to see your version! Tweet me a photo @StylePragmatist.

You can use any colors you wish with the swipe and plop and technique.
You can use any colors you wish with the swipe and plop and technique.