Nail art makes a festive costume accessory for Halloween, especially when it features frightful blood drips and splatters. Each of these three techniques starts with a base of white nail polish. Although any of these can be done on your own, it is much easier to recruit a friend and exchange the fun of a morbid manicure together.
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Things You\’ll Need
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Wax paper
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White nail polish
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Red nail polish
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Clear tape
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Bottle cap
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Eye dropper
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Nail polish remover
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Cocktail straw
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Cotton pads
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Straight pin with a round tip
Tip
Before beginning your manicure, cover the work surface with wax paper.
Blood Splatter Technique
Step 1: Protect Nail Tips With Tape
Start with dry, white nails before beginning. Tape the skin around each nail with clear tape to protect the fingers from excess splatter. Begin with a small strip of tape right under the cuticle, across the front of the finger. Use a second strip and arch it over the top of the finger, along the outer edge of each nail. Fold the excess tape to the back of the finger.
Step 2: Thin the Red Nail Polish
Place five drops of red nail polish into a bottle cap. Use an eyedropper to add two or three drops of nail polish remover into the red polish. Mix with a cocktail straw. This will thin the polish so it splatters easily.
Step 3: Splatter Paint With a Cocktail Straw
Dip the tip of the cocktail straw into the diluted red polish, completely covering the tip. Then, place it 1 inch from the surface of a nail and blow nail polish out through the straw. The paint will splatter over the white surface of the nail. Continue on all of the nails.
Step 4: Touch up Nails With Polish Remover
Once the nails are covered in red splatter, remove the tape and touch up any unwanted splatters with a cotton pad dipped in polish remover. Allow nails to dry.
Single Blood Splat Technique
Step 1: Add a Splat Mark
Start with dry, white nails before beginning. Add a couple of drops of red nail polish to a bottle cap or another shallow dish. Dip the rounded end of a straight pin into the polish and dot onto the nail where you would like a splat.
Step 2: Draw Splat Lines
Turn the straight pin around (or use a new pin) and pull the red polish from the center of the splat out into the nail, forming several splat lines. Continue using the same technique on all nails, dotting polish and then pulling it from the center of the splat mark to the outer nail, forming various streaks and dribbles.
Step 3: Add Smaller Droplets
Add smaller dots or flecks of red polish around the main splat marks using the tip or round side of the pin. Allow nails to dry.
Dripping Blood Technique
Step 1: Dot Each Nail With Red Polish
Start with dry, white nails before beginning. Add a couple drops of red polish to a bottle cap or another shallow dish. Use the rounded end of a straight pin to add two or three dots to each nail in a staggered pattern.
Step 2: Draw Lines From Nail Tips to Dots
Dip the end of a straight pin in the red polish and draw lines from the tip of the nail to the center of the dots. Some lines can be thicker than others.
Step 3: Paint the Nail Tips Red
Finish this technique by using the nail polish brush to paint the tips of each nail red. Allow nails to dry.
