Pretty Painted Nails: Stylish and Easy Tips for Great Looks

Whether you have a hot date or a job interview, a wedding or a casual night out at the bar, get creative and try some new styles for your nail painting needs. Follow these quick and easy tips to achieve a glamorous look in only minutes!

Basic Hues:
Perhaps the simplest style of them all is the basic solid color manicure. For open-toed shoes, be sure to apply a coat of the same color to your tootsies to accent your outfit and make you feel even more stylish and sexy. Basic styles in neutral and mild tones work very well for first impressions. Save the black and silver for future engagements.

Choose a color that complements the clothing you intend to wear. If the outfit is patterned, pick a shade that appears within the design a bit less than the other colors and use that same shade of nail polish to emphasize that hue.

For an even more fashionable look, do your nails in the solid color and allow them to dry completely. When they are finished drying, use a thin brush or a toothpick with a different color and trace a diagonal line going the same way on each nail. Try to make them as uniform as possible, and as you become more and more adept at painting extra designs, create your own styles for fun.

School Spirited:
If you are still in school or attending college, an exclamation of school pride would wear well on your nails by painting them in your school colors.

You can do this in one of many ways:
- Alternate the colors by painting each nail entirely with one color and doing the next nail in the next school color. For example, if your school colors are blue and white, start with blue on your thumbnail, white on your index finger, blue on your middle finger, and so forth.
- Paint the nails all the same solid color, and once completely dry, paint the tips the other school color.
- Paint all nails one color, and using a toothpick or very thin brush, sketch a phrase or "GO (mascot or school name)!" on your fingernails if it fits.
- Get creative and make up your own... draw swirls, try to paint your school mascot, etc.

A Girl's Night Out Styles:
Attract some attention with a wild and crazy style - be it zebra stripes, metallic glints or otherwise. Perfect for a night to the clubs or a date out on the town.

Do a quick version of a French manicure by painting the base coat of your nails in a neutral tone, such as a salmon color. With a white hue, once dry, paint the tips of your nails carefully and as uniformly as possible. This works best if you are able to grow your nails out a bit so you can use your natural nails' anatomy as a guide.

Glitter and glamour:
Choose a base color to use on all of your nails to complement your outfit. Allow that coat to dry - paint another coat if necessary. Once the nails are smudge-proof, take a glass coat of clear gloss or a sparkle coat that matches the chosen color and add your own special touches. Dark blue and black look very nice with silver glitter, red with gold glitter, though the combination possibilities are endless. These glittery styles may complement wedding apparel, semi-formalwear and even casual attire.

To save even more time, apply a clear coat to your nails each day to protect the polish from chipping. Experiment with decals and nail transfers if you are not up for designing your own artistic themes. Be creative, do not get discouraged and remember, the more practice you get, the easier it will become each time you try a new style!