Zombie Nails

As Halloween approaches, I like to play around more with the gruesome inspired concepts. I cranked these Zombie Nails out just using what I had on hand, the tools included the use of nail polish, a makeup sponge wedge, a Q-tip, and a sharp edge of a disposable chopstick (you can use any tool at your disposal). This design takes very little time and this effect is great for using your natural nails! 

Step 1: Apply a base coat.
Step 2: Apply a neutral skin tone, I used my favorite french manicure base, Sally Hansen Diamond Strength #62 'I do'.
Step 3: Apply a thick coat of glow in the dark nail polish, which you can find at most seasonal Halloween Costume Branches or online.
Step 4: Take an dark red color, I recommend shades that are darker than an oxblood polish, and apply it to the edges of your nail and to the cuticle, vary the portions of the nails that get painted darkly, as you don't want the nails to look uniform. This gives the effect of aging blood. I used a darker shade that resembles a shade of eggplant by OPI 'Lincoln Park After Dark'.
Step 5: take a more realistic blood red shade of polish, as I mentioned earlier I only used what I had on hand. I used #38 Sacred Scarlet by Sally Hansen.
Step 6: Bring out your makeup sponge wedge and lightly dab over the red to spread the shade and start building texture.
Step 7: Take a Q-tip and run it along a fresh layer of polish to allow some of the fibers to stick to the nail before pressing them down with the sponge wedge to set. I used this on two of the nails that I left all red, as if the finger nail was missing. If you do this, I recommend cutting the nail as short as possible, I left my nails uniform, as I will be using another design for Halloween.
Step 8: Apply it on top of the darker shade in blood like streaks, I used a variation of a red deco art polish and the polish used in step 5. Use your imagination and whatever you feel looks good.
Step 9: Re-apply the glow in the dark nail polish on different parts of the nail, especially on the areas of the nail left nude. This gives a milky and almost bone like sheen. When you apply each layer remember to keep it thick, as you can go over it with a scraping tool (I used a chopstick) to create rivets and cracks. Afterwards, fill in the cracks with the bright red polish to give the effect of a fresh wound.
Step 10: Remember to use the sponge to keep building up a texture, as if you had ripped off part of the nail.
Step 11: Touch up on areas that that might have been dulled by the glow in the dark. Or go over a part of the red nail with the glow in the dark to create the allusion of bruising under the nail. Be creative!
Step 12: Apply a top coat and your done!

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