Simple Summer Nail Art

Nail art has never been a strong skill of mine, as, being left handed, I can create intricate designs on my right hand, but when it comes to replicating them on my left hand, the result looks like a toddler has been let loose with a felt tip marker. However, since buying the black Barry M Nail Art Pen a few months ago and getting the white one at the same time (buy 1 get 1 half price), I’ve used the black pen quite frequently, but I managed to lose the white version at the back of a draw. I really enjoyed using the black pen and created a leopard print glitter design (blog post here), so thought it was time I attempted a design with the white pen.

Because of my inability to create anything more adventurous than dots or dashes using my right hand, I tend to stick to very basic patterns with nail art pens, and what could be simpler than random short lines? Despite the extreme simplicity of this nail look, I think that the faint white lines look suitably summery over Essie’s Bikini So Teeny, a beautiful shimmery pastel blue shade.

I found the pen itself to be easy to use, and, despite the lines looking quite faint on my nails, if pressed harder, a more opaque line can easily be created. My only slight criticism with this nail art pen is that occasionally a lot comes out in a blob at the top of the nib, but this can be rectified by keeping a tissue nearby and dabbing this away before applying the nib to the nail. These nail art pens aren’t the cheapest at £4.99, but Barry M nail products are often on offer, so I'd recommend waiting for a 3 for 2 deal (a.k.a the classic beauty addict's justification for buying more makeup than they need).

What's your opinion on DIY nail art? What designs have you attempted?