Glitter toes!
I went and purchased all necessary items (like the “stickey” coat and more glitter, because one can NEVER have enough microfine glitter..) clear back in January and had intentions (good ones too) to do them before Valentine’s Day.
But, well, SOMEONE decided to be born the day before Valentine’s a few years ago, which complicates such plans when I am busily baking cakes, cookies, making Valentine’s boxes, making birthday and Valentine’s gifts, and other such junk..
So no glitter toes were debuted then.
The good intentions (which pave the road to hell, so I’ve heard) carried through the month of March, when I had visions of green glitter toes just in time for St. Patrick’s day.
Needless to say, that didn’t happen either.
But, I finally got around to it.
One of those kind of nights, when Merrill gets to go back to work, after being with us for a whopping 2 hours, so we girls were left to our own devices so entertain ourselves.
Let me tell you a few things that might prove to be a tad helpful if you so decide to attempt glitter toes yourself:
- You should not include a sugary treat in the process of doing glitter toes. You might think it a genius bribe to get someone to stay in one spot for the multi-step jobber, but it doesn’t. IT DOESN’T HELP AT ALL. I tried root beer floats. (I am addicted after all..) Didn’t help! The sugar only adds to the glittery excited energy. Energy motivates one to wiggle. Sugar increases this motivation. A lot.
- It would also be well-advised to do these on a nice day (nice meaning one of those rare days when it is really “spring-like”, not “Utah spring-like”) outside.
(Read between the above lines. “Utah Spring” would mean extreme wind, inches of rain, thunder, lightening, and snow. Sometimes at the same time.)
- If you can’t do it outside, do it in the bathroom, with the door shut, and in the tub or sink.
- Be prepared to vacuum.
- Have lots of Q-Tips and polish remover handy.
- Be patient.
(You might want to pray.)
So the necessary items to do this shiny/fun/messy technique are as follows:
- “Stickey” base coat. I went to my local beauty supply and bought mine for around $8.
- Microfine glitter in whatever color you desire. (I used Martha Stewart. 40% off Michael’s coupon anyone?)
- A plush make-up brush (that you don’t plan on ever using again, or a wide, soft paint brush.
- Clear top coat.
- A blow-dryer.
(Or patience for the drying time can be used instead.)
- And then there’s the aforementioned polish remover, and Q-Tips, and patience, and prayer.
You want to make sure that you start with clean and trimmed toenails. I placed my girls’ feet on top of a piece of cardstock, to catch the glitter. (Not that it did any good for keeping it off the floor or anything..) Apply a coat of “stickey” on all toes, then sprinkle on a good amount of your glitter on to each toe nail. Then you want to press the glitter into the “stickey”. Gently brush the excess glitter off of each toe. Now, you can either be totally patient, and wait for this to dry, or you can bust out that blow dryer, with the person’s feet smartly placed in, I dunno, say, a bathtub, to try to help in containing the glitter.
(See how the out of doors would be helpful here?)
After drying, apply another coat of “stickey” and glitter, pressing, brushing, and drying again.
Repeat this process until your toes are adequately sparkly for your personal taste.
Then, after they are dry, again, apply a clear top coat to seal in all the glitter. They will not exactly be smooth, they will be sparkly, but not smooth. Apply clear top coat, drying between coats, until you are happy with the gloss.
Use the Q-Tips and remover to clean up the skin around the toes.
Rinse off with cold water. I like to use Ulta’s shower smoothie. It takes off what you don’t want left on your skin, and leaves you soft and smelling yummy.
(It also helps remove permanent marker, ink, and gum, from skin and hair. Sound like I have some experience in that area?)
Have fun cleaning up!
Glitter bubbles are beautiful but messy, just be warned. They will totally mesmerize you, and then make you a little miffed at how messy they are.
