How to Do Fourth of July Nails
On the Fourth of July, you want your patriotism to shine all the way down to the tips of your fingers! For the best Independence Day nail look, you can choose between stars and stripes, polka dots, and glitter to reflect your natural style and spirit. Experiment and let your creativity run wild for a unique look that’s all-American and all you!
1. **Apply a clear base and let it dry.** A base coat of clear polish will protect your nails and help the colored polish stick. Apply it to all of your nails and let it dry before moving on.
2. **Paint your nails white, then let them dry.** For a faster drying time, paint one thin layer of white polish, let it dry, then apply the second. Allow both coats to dry fully before moving on.
3. **Paint 4-5 thin red lines on each nail with a striper.** Place a strip of clear tape right under your cuticle. Then, using a nail striper and red polish, paint from just past the edge of your cuticle all the way up to the tip of your nail to create a thin, smooth line. Make 4-5 lines across the nail, spacing them equally as best you can.

Repeat on the nails you’re painting, then let the stripes dry for about 15 minutes before moving on.
If you don’t have a striper, you can make your own or use a toothpick. You can also buy a striper online or in beauty stores.
4. **Create a thicker horizontal blue line across the top of the nail.** Use a regular nail polish brush to dab a blue line across the top half of your nail. Start from about the middle of your nail and use short strokes towards the tip to make a straight blue line.

If you want your line to be perfectly straight, place a piece of scotch tape over the lower half of your nail and paint from the edge up to the nail’s tip.
Repeat on all your stars and stripes nails and let them dry for 15 minutes.
5. **Place 5-8 white dots across the blue with a dotting tool.** Dip a small dotting tool into your white nail polish and use it to carefully dot the blue of your flag. You can add as many dots as you want, but 5-8 placed in a scattered, random formation tends to look best.

Let the dots dry for 10 minutes on each nail.
If you don’t have a dotting tool, you can use a toothpick or the tip of a Q-tip. To buy a dotting tool, look in beauty stores and online.
6. **Paint a flag on all your nails or just 2 for an accent.** You can paint this busier pattern onto your thumb and ring finger, then fill out the rest of your nails with a solid blue or cherry red for a trendy, eye-catching look. You can also apply the flag design to all your fingers for a more uniform style.
7. **Apply a top coat to finish.** After your flag nails have dried, paint on a clear topcoat to seal the design and prevent it from chipping. Remember to wait until your nails are completely dry to avoid messing up your design.
8. **Buy a nail sticker kit for an easier application.** Most Fourth of July nails require some time and effort, including applying different coats and using a few different tools, like a striper and dotting tool. If you don’t have the time or the tools, use a Fourth of July nail sticker kit for a cute but lower-effort look.

With a nail kit, you’ll paint one solid color and stick patriotic stickers on top. Many kits come with simple stars and stripes as well as “USA” stickers and other patriotic designs.
You can buy a kit online or at craft and beauty stores.
Follow the instructions in the kit to apply and remove your nail stickers.
9. **Apply a clear base and let it dry.** A base coat of clear polish will protect your nails and help the colored polish stick. Apply it to all of your nails and let it dry before moving on.
10. **Apply a white polish to start your design.** Paint the white in 2 thin coats to help it dry more quickly. Then, let the polish harden and dry for 15 minutes or so before going on to your polka dots.
11. **Add different-sized red dots to your nail with a dotting tool.** Starting with a large-sized dotting tool, place 2-3 red dots in the lower, cuticle portion of your nail. Switch to a medium size to add 3-4 dots towards the middle of your nail, then use a small dotting tool and put 4-5 dots in the top portion. Leave a strip of white at the top to create a tapering effect.

Continue adding red dots on each of your nails and allow them to dry for about 10 minutes. You can add dots to all your nails, or just to your ring finger and thumb for a bubbly accent.
You’ll be using your dotting tools with different colors, so clean them as per their package instructions before moving on.
If you don’t have a dotting tool, you can use a toothpick or the tip of a Q-tip. To buy a dotting tool, look in beauty stores and online.
12. **Use blue and silver polishes to add more polka dots.** Use the same dotting process with a royal blue color on each nail, then switch to silver. Allow some of your dots to overlap to create depth, going for a natural, scattered look.
Let the dots dry for about 10 minutes in between colors.
13. **Apply a top coat to finish.** After your dots have dried, paint on a clear topcoat to seal the design and prevent it from chipping. If you’re applying the polka dots as an accent, wait for the topcoat to dry before painting the rest of your nails bright red or royal blue.
14. **Apply a clear base and let it dry.** A base coat of clear polish will protect your nails and help the colored polish stick. Apply it to all of your nails and let it dry before moving on.
15. **Paint on a metallic silver polish.** After your clear base coat dries, apply 2 thin layers of metallic silver, giving them time to dry in between. Let the polish harden for about 15 minutes before moving on.
This Fourth of July nail art looks best with all fingers, rather than mixing with solids as an accent.
16. **Apply a red glitter polish from your cuticle to halfway up the nail.** Using a regular nail polish brush, paint a coat of dark red glitter onto the lower half of your nail. Start with short, careful upwards strokes from the cuticle to midway up the nail, then neaten the edge of the layer by painting horizontally.
Repeat on all your nails and let them dry for 10-15 minutes.
17. **Use a blue glitter polish on the top half of your nail.** Using a regular nail polish brush, apply a dark or royal blue glitter polish from the tip of your nail to the middle, leaving a strip of silver just above the red. Repeat on the rest of your nails and let them dry for about 15 minutes.
18. **Paint silver over the middle, overlapping with the red and blue.** Reinforce the middle strip by covering it with silver glitter polish, using a nail striper for the best application. Paint horizontally right over the strip, then spread small, thin vertical strokes over the red and blue sections.

Continue adding vertical silver stripes, stretching them almost to the tip and cuticle of the nail, until the transitions between colors start to look more seamless. Repeat on the rest of your nails.
If you don’t have a nail striper, use a toothpick to apply the silver.
19. **Blend the silver with small strokes of blue and red.** Repeat this blending, striping process with the same red and blue glitter colors as before. Extend short strokes of red up into the silver, and paint stripes of blue downwards to subtly blend the colors.

You don’t have to wait for the silver polish dry before adding the red and blue stripes. Applying them while the silver is wet will allow the colors to mix and create a smooth gradient.
Repeat on all of your nails. The finished look should have a natural fade from red to silver to blue.
Remember to clean your brush in between coats so you don’t mix colors.
20. **Let your nails dry and apply a clear topcoat.** Let the glitter polish set and dry for 15-20 minutes. Then, apply a clear topcoat to seal and smooth out the design.
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