Two of my summer fashion favorites this year have been a beautiful sock bun and glitter nails. First of all the sock bun is an extremely easy up do that anyone can do even on themselves. Plus I don’t wash my hair every day because I don’t think it’s healthy to constantly blow dry my hair and also straighten it every day. When I feel that my hair is “on its last leg”, the sock bun is perfect to make it look fancier than just throwing it up in a traditional ponytail. I always receive so many compliments with the sock bun as well. The sock bun is also a great choice when you are running late in the mornings before work and need something that looks elegant and not messy.
Summer time also means sandals which means pedicures and cute toenails. I do splurge on a pedicure every once in a while but have always loved being able to do my own whenever to match an outfit or just change it up. Plus I have noticed that at times, when I have a pedicure done, it doesn’t always last as long as I would like considering I paid for it. Or the other problem I have is that I chip the polish and then don’t have the color at home to touch it up myself because I wanted to try a new color at the nail salon.
The great thing about these glitter nails is that first of all it is much cheaper and saves me some money which is never a bad thing. Secondly the polish last so much longer. There is something about adding the glitter that makes them last longer. For those of you who are busy, you know how hard it can be to find the extra time for a pedicure or to touch your nails up yourself. I have tried the glitter nails on my fingernails before but felt that it was too heavy on my nails and therefore prefer to use the glitter on my toenails.
I promise you will love both of these fun fashion trends, and they will make you feel better! Let’s start with the hair and work our way down.
Sock Bun:
You will need:
Sock bun– You can also use a men’s sock that has had the actual foot portion cut off but I find the actual sock bun gives the look I like better. Also you can find sock buns in different sizes and colors. I used the tan of course due to having blonde hair and a size medium is what is shown in the pictures.
Hair tie/Ponytail holder– I recommend the no crease kind in order to prevent breakage. If you have thick hair, you may find it easier to use a regular hair tie in order to keep your hair held up firm in the ponytail.
Hairspray– I love the scent of Beyond the Zone Pro Formula Rock On. It is my favorite and works great too.
First pull the hair up in a ponytail. I wanted my bun to be more toward the top of my head but not sitting directly on top of it. This style bun would also be pretty for a low bun or low side bun.
Place the ponytail through the center of the sock bun.
Bring the sock bun to the top of the ponytail.
Start by placing the hair around the bun and tucking it underneath to get it started in order to roll it down.
Continue rolling the bun down the ponytail while spreading the hair around the bun in order to cover the bun completely.
You may find that if you have layers in your hair that it is harder to roll the bun down the length of the hair without a lot of hair trying to stick out. If you do have layers, you can also try spraying the ponytail with some hair spray and combing through it to help the hair stay together better.
You will continue to roll it until the bun is sitting nicely against your head and the sock bun is not showing through your hair.
Don’t be frustrated if it takes you a time or two to learn the right technique for your type of hair. It does get easier with practice but doesn’t take long at all to learn.
If you are wanting a slick, clean, and elegant look, spray hairspray around your entire head and comb toward the bun to spray down any fly-away hairs.
For a more relaxed look, pull the hair gently down in the front to frame your face if you have shorter layers in front or side bangs. You can also pull the hair gently from around the bun to loosen it.
Either look is beautiful and perfect for any occasion.
Now that your hair is looking fabulous, don’t forget about those toenails peeping through your sandals.
Glitter Nails:
What you will need:
Craft glitter– I use regular glitter but choose a light color such as white, cream, or pale pink so the polish color will still show through and matches.
Clear nail polish– A gel top coat works great to paint over the glitter and give a smooth finish.
Colored nail polish
Cuticle oil– It is not necessary but is a great addition to any manicure or pedicure.
A sheet of any type of paper
Funnel-if needed. My bottle of glitter has multiple colors around the jar with a funnel in the middle to replace any glitter that is not used to use for later. If yours does not, then you will need a funnel to make it easier to add the excess glitter back to the jar.
I want to say first that I recommend these glitter nails on toenails 100%. I have tried on my fingernails before but did not like it as much due to the way the glitter made my fingernails feel heavier. My toenails don’t feel that same way but maybe I am just weird about having things on my hands. You could definitely try both for yourself and see what you like better. For this tutorial, I am focusing solely on toenails but could easily do on your fingernails as well.
Begin of course by trimming your nails and then filing them for the shape you want.
Paint the cuticle oil around the edges of the nail on the cuticle if you choose. I use cuticle oil due to having a lifetime habit of picking my cuticles and not making them any healthier by doing so. I know it sounds nasty, but I’m being honest. When my nails are painted, for some reason I tend to not mess with them. Strange I know.
Paint your nail polish color of your choice on the toenails of one foot. I choose to do two coats in order to make sure my toenails are completely covered.
Immediately sprinkle the glitter on the toenails being sure you have a piece of paper under your feet before you start to catch the excess glitter. I say immediately because you don’t want the polish to start drying and the glitter not stick well.
Shake off the excess glitter left on your nails or the skin around onto the piece of paper. Your toenails are going to look solid white probably but do not be worried. The clear top coat is going to take care of this.
Go ahead and do the same for the other foot. Once finished with both feet and the glitter, add the excess glitter back to the jar using a funnel to keep from spilling it.
Paint the clear gel top coat over the glitter. The clear polish smooths out the glitter and blends it in with the colored polish to give it a natural glitter color and not just a pile of glitter.
I let one top coat dry usually for about 15 minutes and then apply another top coat. Once it has dried, I usually feel the nails to see if they are smooth. If they still feel slightly rough from the glitter, I will then paint another top coat which usually is enough.
Once your last top coat has dried, you are ready to put your sandals on, head to the beach, and show off those beautiful toes in the sand.
These are two of my favorite summer trends this year, and I have a feeling they will be for future years to come.
Enjoy spending time for yourself to make yourself feel better but most importantly, enjoy the little things in life.
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