Mani Monday {Revisited}: Map Nails

A year ago now I posted the first post on how to do Map Nails yourself. Looking back, I have no idea why so many people like the photo, share the link and the image and re-pin it on Pinterest. The image is embarrassing  I've been wanting to do them again and I was so excited to do a revisit of this tutorial for you!

You'll be using a white or nude colored nail polish. In the original post, I did an off-white shade. For this set I used a very bright white. I advise two coats and letting them dry well. 

Before you start your process of transferring the map image onto your nail, you'll want to cut out your squares ahead of time. I have an Atlas I purchased for $1 at Target last year that I use for my crafts. Find something cheap -they transfer much easier than older road maps. 

Just like with other nails with transferring images, you'll be using rubbing alcohol. Last time, I used a q-tip (or ten) and some patience. This time I tried a different route and used a craft paintbrush (a pack of 10 is $2 at Hobby Lobby) and used that to dip into the rubbing alcohol. Paint your nail well with it, and soak the paper, and use the end of the paintbrush to press the image down well on your nail. 

I placed a towel below my hand to absorb all of the rubbing alcohol. It worked quite well, because when you remove the image from your nail, you'll want to dry the image completely. 

The big trick is to paint your nail with a clear coat as soon as possible, trapping in the color. When the image is dry, it'll look pretty light and hard to make out. If you add a clear coat ASAP, it'll brighten it up, as well as dry it and finish the nail quicker. 

Once completely finished, you can actually go back and "edit" your nails, so to speak by re-adding map print to areas that didn't show up were or just aren't populated on the map. 

The best part about this manicure is that they last FOREVER. Last time I did these, I had a newborn, and they lasted nearly a month! I've had these on my nails a few days now, where usually I'd see chips, scratches or it'd be gone by now, these are looking great still. 

Good luck, and happy mapping!