We recently had a guest post from Megan at Razberriez demonstrating how to paint easy, adorable flowers on your fingernails.  We’re very happy to have Megan here with us again today, this time talking about another simple nail design:  zebra stripes!  Stay tuned as well for more nail designs yet to come!

How to Create Zebra Striped Nails

by Megan at www.razberriez.com

Thinking of going to the salon and getting a fancy zebra stripe design done on your nails? Save your cash, use your own polish and follow a few simple steps to make your own nail design statement. It really is very simple and looks great on your nails. You can find many different colors of nail polish at the dollar store, and some brands at the drug store that sell for around $1 a bottle.

What you will need (with what I used in parentheses):

• Base Coat (CND Stickey)
• Nail Polish (OPI Flower to Flower)
• Thin tip black striper polish (Art Club’s 02 Black)
• Top Coat (Sally Hansen Mega Shine)

How To:

1. Apply your favorite base coat – Any nail strengthener, base coat, or treatment will help your nail polish last longer and prevent chipping. It will also create a barrier between your nail and the nail polish which your keep your nails from getting stained.
2. Choose a fun nail polish – The great thing about zebra stripes is they will show up on almost any color. For example, black will show up on light colors, as white will show up on dark. Depending on what base color you choose will determine if you should use black or white for the stripes.  I used a bubblegum pink color with silver shimmer, but any color will work. Turquoise looks fabulous with black stripes, too.
3. Create your zebra stripes –  Now time for the fun part. This is where the thin brush of your striper polish will come in handy. For the stripe, start at the outermost edge of your nail and lay the tip of the brush at an angle. The trick is to apply the most pressure at the edge and “swoop” it into the center of your nail. It is like a normal stripe, just don’t go all the way across. Apply more pressure at the beginning of the stripe and less pressure as you reach the center of your nail. It should be thick, then thin. If it isn’t perfect, don’t worry, because zebra stripes aren’t perfect. Alternate from the left side to the right side down your nail. To add a fun effect, use a silver thin glitter polish and accent the black by making a small stripe under each stripe.
4. Finish it off with a top coat – Before you do apply the top coat make sure your nails are very dry. If you do it while they are wet, it will smear the stripes. Once your nails are very dry apply a thick coat of your top coat and ta-da! All done!  You have created beautiful zebra stripes.

See, that wasn’t that hard. With a little practice and some creativity, the zebra strip design will quickly become a go-to design and will save you a lot of nail salon dollars.