GirlsGuideTo | Beauty How-to: Galaxy Nails

Few things are more awe-inspiring than images of outer space; whether its stars, nebulae, or cosmos, the universe is truly beautiful.

So, with the endless possibilities of nail art (not into these man-icures?), why not try showing a little stellar love with galaxy nails?

Before we begin here’s a shot of the polishes and supplies I used. Yes, things get a little messy.

Generally, you’ll need:

1 or 2 dark shades, such as black, navy, or purple polish (I used Sally Hansen)

1 shade of white or off-white polish (I used Estee Lauder)

2 to 4 bright shades, such as pink, teal, blue, or green polish (I used Sinful Colors and NYC)

1 to 3 different styles of glittery or sparkly polish (I used NYC and Love & Beauty)

1 clear topcoat (I used Sally Hansen)

A scrap of paper to use as a “palette”

1 clean makeup sponge

1. Apply the Base Coat

I started with 1 coat of plain black polish, and then layered on 1 coat of a slightly shimmery navy polish. Allow to dry.

2. Add the white “dot”

After the first layers have dried, using either the brush or corner of the makeup sponge apply a white dot on each nail. The dot definitely shouldn’t be perfectly round, and you’ll want to apply it in a different location on each nail. The inconsistencies create a more natural and unique look.

3. Add the bright shades
Next, I used the same technique as when I applied the white nail polish, to apply bright polishes. I started with the hot pink polish, which made a huge difference because it was much more opaque.

I would pour a small amount of polish onto my scrap paper or directly on to the sponge; then smudge some off onto the paper before applying it to my nails, so I wouldn’t end up with a thick glob of polish.

I repeated this process with the green and blue shades, with each layer bringing more depth to the look.

4. Bring on the glitter
When you’re satisfied with the look of the bright shades, allow them to dry. Then add the sparkly polishes. I used 3 different polishes, but even one will work just fine. I focused most of the sparkle application on the navy parts to resemble a star-filled sky, but also added some onto the “nebulae.”

5. A Final Topcoat
To finish, apply a clear topcoat. Ta-da! Now, go show off your stargazing nails!

This tutorial was inspired by the nails from GirlHack and Beautylish. Are you into crazy nail art or do you tend to keep it simple? Leave a comment and share your galaxy nails results, too.