brushes and flowered accents

One of my birthday presents from Ross was a set of nail art brushes! This was such a great gift and something that I likely would not have bought for myself. It was very thoughtful for him to think of something that is so "me". As soon as I opened the set I started doing some online searches for the uses of each brush. My research turned out to be helpful; for example, it seems that fan brushes are typically used to apply glitter or to create a feathered effect. In the coming months as I try out my brushes I'll share new designs and feedback with you all.

First I'd like to direct you to a great video series on nail art brushes. This link is Part 1 of a three-part video series. Not only does Copy That, Copy Cat provide these great tutorials, there are also wonderful designs to inspire your own creations - much like the design you'll see below!

My base color is "Clutch Me If You Can" by Essie and I am literally working with the dregs of my bottle. (Thankfully I'll be making a little stop at my favorite beauty store in New Jersey tomorrow afternoon!) I used a bright metallic silver for the design and a thin brush with just a drop of paint on the end. The video tutorial also taught me to wipe/clean the brush tip every few strokes, which was a very helpful exercise!

Does anybody have suggestions for future nail art designs? I'm so excited to use my new brushes. Just think, my Hunger Games nails would have been A LOT cleaner with a real brush set rather than using the brush that comes in the polish bottle.

PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME :)