'Drip Drop': gunge nails how-to

I adore these dripping gunge nails. They're relatively simple to do and are really eye catching.

I got the inspiration for these nails from WAH Nails, who post them on their instagram all the time and have a great how-to in their book. (I've hyperlinked these myself, it isn't a bot! Click on them to look at their designs for inspiration or just to drool at their amazingness.) This is my take on the look as, since they published the book, I've noticed that WAH have added more detail to the gunge nails they post online, adding some shading and further drips.

A popular colour mix that WAH use is the red on black which looks really effective and gory. I like to mix up the colours so they don't look too Hallowe'en-esque, using candy colours as well as dark and gory types.

The colours I used were:

• For the base: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Watermelon (248), and Blueberry (243)
• For the drip and effect: Models Own WAH Nails Nail Art Pen in Pink and White
• For the top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Step 1: Paint your nails in the base colour. If you are using a dark base, it is best to put on a clear polish below in case your nail stains. Wait to dry.

Step 2: 

• Once the base has dried, draw a line across the top of the nail with the colour you are going to do your drip effect in. 
• Draw your first big drip by painting a circle and dragging the paint upwards towards the line at the top. Don't worry if it looks a little strange now, the more drips that are added, the better it begins to look.

Step 3:

• Draw in a few more medium sized drips.
• Begin to fill in the gaps between the drips. This is what makes them look more professional, giving a gloopier feel to them. Add in a few little drips as if they are just forming for a better effect.

Optional step 4:

• If you are happy with your desired effect after Step 3, you can just wait for them to dry and add a top coat. 
• You can also add more fallen drips towards the bottom of the nail, these look best below the little drips at the top, as if they have just broken off.
• Wait for the drips to dry, and add in some shading with a white or black. Make sure to stick to one side, I think the bottom right looks best. Do a thin line or dot to make the drips look shinier.

Finally, wait to dry and add your top coat.

I hope you liked my take on the drip nails. I really like using these colours as they are a lot less gory meaning they aren't exclusively Hallowe'en nails. I'd love to see more colour combinations and effects, so post any that you do using these tips in the comments below!

Lots of love,

 xx