By nightfall tomorrow, there will undoubtedly be someone near you lighting things on fire. But it won’t be scary arson or a boy scout gone rogue; it will be patriotic. The fourth of July is the one day out of the year on which we all collectively decide that blowing things up in the sky, purely for amusement, is one hundred percent okay. Unless you live in a state where it’s only sort of okay. How un-American!
I live right on the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, on the New Jersey side, where it looks like my state is head-butting Pennsylvania. This act of state-on-state violence is probably because they have the luxury of being able to legally buy fireworks. Or use them. I’m still not sure exactly which way the law functions- it’s that confusing. What I do know is that sometimes, my fourth is made a little less explosive by my lack of access to fireworks. So, instead, when I was eleven, I cracked open a craft book and learned a super easy three-step way to make my nails look more bomb than explosions in the sky. All you need is a clear coat, a black or white base coat, an array of different colored nail polishes of your choice, and toothpicks.
1) Paint your nails with the clear base and let dry.
2) Choose either the black or white polish and paint nails fully with this, letting dry. You can even alternate black and white on each nail. Make sure your nails are dry before you move on.
3) Dip toothpicks into each color, one at a time. Carefully start at where you want the firework’s center to be, and drag outward, making a slightly curved line. Repeat this motion for a starbust effect on each nail, and voila, you have fireworks!
Check out the pictures below for some different takes of what you can do with the manicure. Adding glitter makes the effect all the more bright, so don’t back down on this one. You’re free to have the nails of your American dream, anyway.
Images Linked to their original sources
