How-To: Paint Candy Corn Nails!

Halloween is right around the corner! You can feel the spookiness settling over the dark evenings. You can see the full moon glowing just a bit brighter. You can taste the Halloween candy soon to come your way. And you can just smell the pumpkin as its scent fills kitchens everywhere.

Yes, my little cookies, it is that time of year again, and my favorite time of year, if I may clarify! I love the eerie atmosphere that casts itself upon October. I love the powerful black & orange colors inundating the world around me. I love the spooky, creepy decorations and the grinning jack-o-lanterns and the scary movies. It’s just so much fun!

If you’re going to take part in the creepy carnival that is Halloween, then you’re going to need to be decked out in festive acknowledgements of that frightening day! One great way to show your Halloween spirit is with these sweet Candy Corn Nails. You only need a few things & it only requires a couple steps. They’re fun and festive, and they look good enough to eat!

What better way to show your love for Halloween than by painting your nails to resemble what is quite possibly the most recognized symbol of the holiday? If candy corn doesn’t say “Halloween,” then I don’t know what does!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking Painting:

1. Have paper towels or old newspaper laid out on your work station so, if you make a mess, you’re covered!
2. Do this in the morning on a day where you have little to do. That way, your nails have optimum time to dry and little chance of getting messed up!
3. You must be careful with wet nails. They take much longer to dry then you think. Even after they have set, they are still extremely impressionable and prone to denting. I even take care as far as where I place my hands when I sleep on the night after I painted my nails. Why? Well, have you ever woken up to find impressions of your blankets and sheets in your once smooth nails? I have. It stinks. It’s like bedhead for your nails.
4. Get out all the supplies before you start.
5. Using a good quality top coat is more important than any of the other polishes you use. It seals in the color, protecting it so that it lasts longer, and also makes it dry faster. I recommend China Glaze.

All You Need Is:

Step-by-Step How-To by The Smart Cookie Cook

• White nail polish
• Orange nail polish
• Yellow nail polish
• Clear top-coat nail polish
• Nail polish remover & q-tips, for clean up

Let’s Get Painting:

Prep your nails: Remove any nail polish you have on. Wash your hands. Your nails should be clean & bare. If you like, file them to your ideal shape.

1. Apply an even coat of white to all of your nails. If it is too transparent, go back and apply a second coat.
2. When the white is set, apply a layer of orange paint over the top 2/3 of your nail (like a really fat french tip). Leave the bottom third white.
3. When orange is set, apply a layer of yellow on top of the orange, covering the top third of your nail, leaving even layers of orange and white exposed.
4. Give the polish time to set before applying top coat. Meanwhile, use a q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to clean up any messy edges around your nails.
5. When the polish is beginning to set, gently apply a clear top coat.

Now you’re ready for Halloween! (Just don’t try to eat your nails…)