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Mardi Gras nails

I bet you wonder why I’m posting some Mardi Gras nails in December! We don’t even celebrate Mardi Gras in the UK. (Well, we have Pancake Day, but that’s about the closest we get).

My son’s school holds a charity fundraising ball every year, and I’m on the committee that helps to organise it. This year, the theme was Mardi Gras.

I had designed some posters and artwork for the event and had created a three-colour harlequin pattern as a border. I didn’t know much about Mardi Gras at first, but after researching things a little, I  found out that the traditional colours for (New Orleans) Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. So I chose to replicate the coloured harlequin pattern on my nails too.

Mardi Gras nails
Mardi Gras nails

For the colours, I chose: Nella Milano A Royal Affair (purple), George Buttercup Shine (yellow/gold), and Barry M Spring Green (green).

I wasn’t sure of the best way to accomplish the design, especially since my freehand isn’t the greatest. So I settled on making some decals on a silicone mat. I painted some lines of adjoining diamonds in purple and in green using back to back zigzag vinyls placed on the mat. Then I top coated that and allowed it to dry. Then I cut away the top coat from one side of each of the purple and green lines of diamonds. I then slotted them together on the mat so that the green and purple diamonds were touching and added another coat of top coat.

Mardi Gras nails
Mardi Gras nails

Finally, I laid my decals onto a base of the yellow polish. I did do a little bit of freehand work, by painting in the side diamonds in green and purple by hand.

For the glitter polish, I used FUN Lacquer Million Dollar Dream. It is a gold glittery polish with holographic glitters that reflect in green and red. There’s no purple, but the colours are similar to the Mardi Gras colour scheme.

The ball was a great success. However, apart from a few of my committee colleagues, no-one noticed my Mardi Gras nails, unfortunately.

 

For this manicure I’ve used:
  • Harlequin colours: three coats of George Buttercup Shine (base), Nella Milano A Royal Affair, and Barry M Spring Green
  • Glitter: three coats of FUN Lacquer Million Dollar Dream
  • Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri


All manicure images are copyright to Kerruticles unless otherwise mentioned.
Nella Milano A Royal Affair was previously sent to me for review. All views expressed in this post are my own, honest and unbiased opinions.

 

 

 

Comments

Lisa N.

The nails look great!