nail art: “puff paint” polka dots
It was on the tip of my tongue. This nail art design looks so much like something, but I just couldn’t place it.
And then it came to me…puff paint! The internet tells me this is actually called puffy paint, but it was definitely puff paint in my house. Do you remember using these little squeeze bottles to decorate t-shirts, plastic pencil boxes, baseball caps? And the tip would always get clogged so you had to jam a paperclip down the top? I digress…
This puff paint-esque nail look is so simple, it took me less than 10 minutes to complete.
I used two bright new shades from Nails, Inc., both of which I LOVE.
Baker Street, a bright cobalt blue, went on like a total dream. Two coats to smooth, glossy perfection.
After applying this blue to all of my nails, I picked up a drop of neon pink Notting Hill Gate on the tip of a pointed Q-tip. You could take some of the fluff off of a normal Q-tip for the same results, but I like these pointy ones that can be found in the eye makeup section of the drugstore.
I slowly made clusters of polka dots, varying the positioning on each nail. Since this pink was a bit sheer, I went back for a second “coat” of dots, which led to the bumpy “puff paint” effect. You’re essentially putting a little blob of polish onto the nail, so make sure to sit still long enough to let this dry.
I like the bumpy effect, so I skipped the top coat to preserve the texture of this mani. Fun!
very cute! I have never heard of puff paint or puffy paint lol it looks like it would come in handy for a lot of crafts I do. You nails remind me of July 4th colors. They look really cool!
Thanks so much! Maybe it was a west coast child of the 90s thing… Let’s see if anyone else remembers the stuff.
Definitely not just a west coast thing. It was puff paint to me too. The internet lies.
I painted so many T-shirts at camps and slumber parties and such…that and tie die…fun times! I’m pretty sure I called it puff paint as well.
I’m pretty sure we called it Puff Paint here, too! And that does look like it, and awesome. Gave me a giggle though, you wrote ‘it was on the tip of my tongue..’ and I thought you were about to say it looked like those taste bud bumps on a tongue. Sorry, was so funny! I haven’t had my first coffee yet. Thanks for the great pics and a nice laugh first thing in the morning!
Super cute❤
we have puff paint here in Iowa…use for my daughter’s school pride shirts to personalize
Me too!! Oh my god puff paint! Haha
I love this but I can’t go without top coat! haha. I’ll try it with top coat just for a cute polka dotted effect…