Football Fever: Nail Art Tutorial

 Art Supplies:
* For this design, I used the following colors:
– OPI’s: Amazon…Amazoff, Oy-Another Polish Joke, Alpine Snow, OPI Scores a Goal
* Acrylic paint or nail polish colors for design
* Fine point paint brush (I use a brush from Sally’s Beauty Supply from the brand “Winning Nails”)

Prep time: 5 min
Polish time: 15 min
Art design: 20-30 min
Drying time: 30-45 min

Step 1: File nails with your nail file. When finished, apply cuticle softener (I use Aveda’s Cuticle Control) to your cuticles. Let sit on for 5 minutes, then rinse off. Push back cuticles with an orange stick.

Step 2: Apply cuticle oil (Aveda’s Beautifying Composition is my fav to use!) to cuticles and massage into nail beds to add hydration. Buff nails with your yellow block buffer as this will allow for a smooth surface.

Step 3: Prep nails for polish with nail polish remover. This step is really important! Any oil or lotion that is on your nail won’t allow the polish to adhere and dry properly. Next, apply a thin base coat.

Step 4: Apply 2 color coats to nails, giving about 10 seconds to dry in between each layer. Applying thin coats is important so it can drop properly and evenly. Let nails dry for 5-10 minutes before starting art.

I’m excited to share this design with you, just in time for football season. I’m from Wisconsin and  have to show love to the Green Bay Packers, but you can incorporate your any team’s colors into this design.

Green & Gold: After painting a base of green on my nails, I take my small point paint brush and make a half moon of gold. Start by making an outline of half circle and then fill it in (had to do about 2-3 layers of gold for it to really pop!).

Football Heart: I added this super cute football heart overtop of the green and gold background. I started with a gold base, and then painted the other half green, painting a line of green down the middle and then filling it all in. Next, I took my brown color and made a heart, smack dab in the middle. I start with the outline of the heart, then fill it in. To complete the look, paint a white line down the middle of the heart and then some smaller horizontal lines to mimic the stitches in a football. And ta-da! Now you have some super fun and cute nails to rep your team this season.

Field Lines: I love this little 30 yard line design on my nails. I mean, I couldn’t stop staring at the little guy (seriously, too cute to handle). Start by painting a white line right down the middle (note: I had to paint two layers of white for each step). Next, on either side of the line, paint “3” & “0,” or which ever yard line mark you want to showcase. Once those are down, paint your little markers at the top and bottom with just a small little stroke of your brush.

For more DIY nail inspiration follow Lisa on social media:
Instagram, Twitter, & Pinterest: @lisaanaildesign
Facebook: “Lisa Nail Design at Neroli”.

This post was written by Neroli Downtown Nail Designer, Lisa. To schedule a manicure or pedicure service with Lisa, call 414.227.2888.