Perhaps when Levi Strauss invented the first pair of blue jeans in 1873, he had no idea that the denim phenomenon would carry over into nail art (not that he had any concept of nail art in general), but that’s exactly what happened. When a closet full of denim just isn’t enough, we can now count on denim nails to take our love of the all American look to the next level. (And yes, we did sport this mani with a denim-on-denim look, thank you very much.)

Supplies

essie First Base base coat Ciaté Denim Manicure Kit essie Good to Go top coat Cup of water Scissors

Directions

Paint a base coat. Always wear base coat under any nail polish, but with darker colors it’s especially important to protect against staining. Follow with two coats of blue jean nail polish and allow nails to dry. (We used Ciaté Paint Pots in Regatta, but if you don’t have the kit we suggest Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Blue Freeze or Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture in Bleu Cobalt.) Select your stitching. Cut the stitching transfer into strips sized for you nails. Add the stitches. Peel off the transparent covering and dip the transfer into a cup of water for 10 seconds. Carefully slide the stitching transfers off of the backing and apply to the nail color side up. Wait 15 seconds for it to adhere. Accent with studs. Place a dot of nail glue onto the area where you want to stick the stud. Carefully place the stud on top of the glue and hold down for 5-10 seconds. Seal with top coat. Hold it all in place with a swipe of top coat.

What do you think: are denim nails a do or a don’t? Sound off in the comments!