Ikat Design

An Idiot's Guide To Nail Art, by Emily Draher

Hello polished lovelies! 

It's been so long since I posted anything that I'm starting to actually feel guilty for not writing about all of my latest manis! I really wanted to write this blog as an online diary of my journey through the land of all things nail related - more for myself than anything else, although I will be overjoyed if I start to get regular readers. If you're out there reading this, then thank you so much!

I recently got my hands on Emily Draher's (AKA @The Lacquerologist's book – An Idiot’s Guides To Nail Art, which I just realised I have never actually written a blog post about. I’m going to sum it up here – you need this book in your life! Emily has presented her designs in such an accessible way, the pictorials are clear, concise and consistent, and the range of nail art is fantastic. From a simple French manicure (with a modern twist) up to water marbling and freehand nail art, this book honestly has it all. I’m currently using it as my ‘go-to’ for techniques that I haven’t yet tried/need to practice at. It also has wonderful sections on the biology behind nails, nail and hand care, nail art products and tools, and an invaluable list of online retailers, blogs, websites and sources to find further information. You can buy this book now here on Amazon for £11. 

Now, onto the mani! The front cover of An Idiot’s Guide To Nail Art is a fresh looking Ikat design, using a cool green polish. I knew as soon as I saw this book advertised online that I wanted to buy it and instantly recreate the iconic Ikat design that has become so popular in nail art and fashion over the past year. I used a slightly different colour scheme to Emily, deciding on two untrieds from by ever-growing collection: NYC ‘Summer in NYC’ and Ciate ‘mojito’. I also used my sturdy favourite black and white polishes from Barry M. To add a little accent to my non-Ikat nails, I chose to place some black studs that I bought from eBay on them (I love studs!)

L-R: Barry M - Black / NYC - Summer in NYC / Ciate - mojito / Barry M - Matt White

Although I was following the tutorial from the book, I found this design quite difficult to recreate. In hindsight my designs were too large and the green is almost lost because of this. Also, this was my first time attempting any sort of ‘brush work’ using my nail art brushes, and as you can see it leaves a lot to be desired! Finally, my clean-up is atrocious, although I partially blame the lack of light when I was actually doing this design (I have since bought some bright lamps to put in my nail art corner, so now I have no excuses!)

I really like Ciate's 'mojito'. It's such a shame there's not more to be seen in this design!

I love the black studs - they really pull this design together.

I think I am definitely in need of practicing my Ikat skills, and need to not be so excited when using a brush! I love these colours and they are going to be a firm favourite of mine in the summer months. NYC is a brand that I haven't really explored, but I am loving their fun and affordable range- perfect for budget-conscious folk!

Thanks for reading!
Helen x