As a girl with naturally, long nails, I didn’t think they ever went out of style, but in 2013, long nails were back in the spotlight in a major way and trending everywhere. We aren’t talking about circus sideshow long, but girls are growing their nails out for the sole purpose of one thing – to show off their fabulous #nailart. 

If anything, 2013 gave rise to some of the most elaborate and impressive showcase of nail art we’ve ever seen on beauty blogs and in magazines. From painted flowers to, polka dots and stripes, to watercolor like effects now on nails, it’s a good thing to have long nails be back in style. 

In Los Angeles, Marie’s Nails is at the top of its class with its’ legitimate Japanese nail artists. I’ve had friends take in pictures of exactly what they want on their nails and getting the exact replica after it’s all said and done..  While it’s a little out of my price range, and I only go to salons like that to get nail art for special occasions.

If you want to achieve the same #LookForLess, there are a lot of DIY nail tutorials to get awesome nail art, just as long as you have a steady hand. Using special nail instruments to creating the perfect polka dot, finding small painting brushes, and even using tape can be tools to achieve complex nail designs for long nails.

If you’re not confident in your artistic abilities or aren’t that ambidextrous, my foolproof plan to getting artsy nails is to rely on nail strips.  While you can find Sally Hansen nail strips in a wide variety of fun patterns and textures at any major drugstore, you can also find various brands in Beauty stores and Sephora. 

Nail strips are like my PoshONPennies® version of a cheap girl’s Minx, where you can get nail art that are simply stickers that can be applied to nails and are then filed down to your exact nail shape and size, so you don’t need to have long nails in order to rock out with the nail strips.  Usually running under $12 for a full set, most nail strips last for two weeks, and can easily be taken off with nail polish remover.  Since, I’m a rougher on my hands than most girls apparently; I usually follow nail strips applications with a swipe of Seche Vite Top Coat to give it that extra protection.  Grow out those nails, girl and start making your nails an artistic expression of the girl that you are; fierce and fabulous!