Irish Mint

Not a big fan of green nails, even for St. Patrick’s day? Don’t want to be wearing green shamrocks on your nails for weeks? This manicure is for you!

I know of some who don’t like the idea of having green nails, or wearing shamrocks/clovers on their nails for 3 weeks, until their next nail appointment. If this is you, why not give this nail design a try? It still has green, but a more subtle, fashionable mint green. There’s no shamrocks, just simple lines. It’s perfect for those that want more conservative St. Patrick’s nails. These nails can really be worn anytime during the year.

Step 1: Prep Nails

View my post on Nail Polish Prep.

Step 2: Paint Nails

Paint all of the nails with two coats of black polish. I used the Shellac color called, Black Pool. (Note: I actually used a VERY deep purple that looked almost black. Black would look better.)

Gel Polish: Apply two coats of polish and cure in light (curing after each coat). Cure 2 minutes in the UV light, or 1 minute in an LED light.

Step 3: Stripes

For the stripes, I did different amounts and different sizes of stripes on each nail. Make it fun, do whatever! Or if you like my layout just follow the picture below using mint green and white paints.

Note: I did all the nail art with acrylic craft paint. . . Some polishes can dry almost transparent which makes the image hazy and you won’t get the wow factor you are going for.

Step 4: Apply Final Top Coat

Now apply your top coat. Make sure the paint is completely dry before adding top coat to help avoid smearing.

Gel Polish: Apply top coat and cure in UV light for 2 minutes or 1 minute in an LED light.

Step 5: Allow to Dry and Apply Cuticle Oil

Allow your polish to dry completely. Apply a cuticle oil just around your nails on the cuticle and rub into the skin.

Gel Polish: Remove sticky residue on top of nails with a little alcohol or polish remover and apply cuticle oil.