Nailed It!

My name is Jennifer Novello, and I'm a nail art addict.













Its been awhile since I did a "Nailed It" post, mainly because I usually forget to take pics of my nails. But I recently realized that I have quite the collection of Instagram images from my mani's dating back to July and so I thought I would share some of my favorites with you today.

Over the past two years nail art has totally EXPLODED onto the beauty scene and as a result having colorful, patterned and textured nails has become the norm for lots of people, me included. Yes, I am a self diagnosed nail art addict. No, I am not planning on seeking treatment.

Before the nail art days I was perfectly content with my DYI manicures and painting my own nails in one single color. I used to sit in front of the television and paint my nails every Friday night. This explains my ginormous nail polish collection, which now sits mostly unused. These days I always let the professionals take over, for several reasons.

Reason #1 being I am in love with the Shellac mani. What is Shellac? Shellac is a like a bullet proof vest for your nails. It is applied just like regular polish polish but each coat is then dried under a UV light (PS absolutely in no way is this light dangerous), it doesn't damage your nails, it lasts up to 14-21 days without cracking or chipping, its super shiny and get ready for this, there is ZERO drying time!

Reason # 2, nail art, duh! Shellac and the other products out there which are similar have changed the nail art world forever. With these products a nail technician can draw lines, designs, letters, flowers, anything your heart desires and use polish remover to wipe away mistakes or make changes because Shellac is immune to polish remover. In fact at the end of your mani your nails are wiped down with some polish remover to make them extra shiny. Believe it!

Once I became familiar with Pinterest my addiction only worsened. There are thousands of nail art images on there in case you are looking for inspiration for your next manicure. You can check out my virtual board of nail art via my  PINTEREST board.

Below are my favorite designs from the past year. In case you're wondering who the talented individuals behind these designs are you need to learn these three words, tips-nail-bar! Since I now live in Toronto I only trust my nails to one group of fabulous ladies. Tip Nails Bar has been my greatest discovery in Toronto (thanks to a friend who brought me there two years ago). You can find them on the web at www.tipsnailbar.ca. Check them out for yourself, only if you want the best manicure in Toronto.

Have you embraced the nail art trend? If so what colors and elements will you be incorporating into your mani's this spring?

Opening image by Laura May Photography, all others by Nothing 2 Wear