Monthly Manicure Challenge 2024

[JoSometimes]

Welcome to the Monthly Manicure Challenge! There’s a lot of great manicure ideas and inspiration here on BIC. I find challenges are a great way to channel that inspiration, push me out of my comfort zone, and try new styles or colours I wouldn’t normally go for. It’s a great way to grow in skill and artistry. I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

All are welcome, whether you’re a pro or a novice like me, or if you have a favourite manicurist that is the only one you trust with your hands. You’re welcome to post as often or as little as you like, post late, or skip challenges completely. And feel free to post them on Show Me Your Nails 2.0 too!

April 2024 - April Showers

I’m sure we all know how the idiom goes: “April showers bring May flowers.” So let’s see your water themed manicures this month!

And it doesn’t have to be typical blues for water either. Feel free to try techniques that involve water in some way! Hydrodipping, water marbling, droplet effects, etc… Feel free to try any of these and show us the results!

See My Original Post That Started This Challenge Here

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I’ve been a part of BIC for a while now. I’ve seen makeup, skincare, and photography challenges, which have been great for giving me inspiration, but nothing for mani’s. I love Makeup Challenge of the Week 2021/2022/2023 because it’s given me lots of inspiration, pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow in my skills and artistry. I’d probably be stuck doing the same looks if it weren’t for that. I know we have Show Me Your Nails 2.0 which has been a great source of inspiration. I don’t want to take away from it but rather give myself and others a way to narrow down all the great ideas from it and get outside of my comfort zone (which has been bright colours and sparkly toppers lately)

Would there be any interest in starting a challenge for mani’s? We could have a different theme every month or even twice a month so that people can wear their mani’s out without worrying about missing one. People could always revisit themes if they miss them but still want to participate. I’m happy to organize it and if people have ideas for themes, I’m happy to work them in. What do you all think? Let me know if we should go one or twice a month and any themes you might want to see. 

Tagging some people but feel free to tag others who I missed or who you think might be interested.

@RGbrown @Titian06 @itsfi @CynthieLu @ather @jaaayp @Saradestin @Mellmars1185 @WinglessOne @Samtian 

Previous Challenges

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May 2023 - May Flowers
June 2023 - Child At Heart
July 2023 - Fireworks/Canada Day/Fourth of July
August 2023 - A Day At The Beach
September 2023 - We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Program: TV/Movie Inspired Manicures
October 2023 - Trick or Treat! Halloween-Inspired Mani’s
November 2023 - Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
December 2024 - Happy Holidays: Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Years!
January 2024 - New Year Newness
February 2024 - Love and Fortune
March 2024 - Spring Cleaning

Upcoming Challenegs (*Spoiler Alert!* ⚠️ Click at your own risk!)

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May 2024 - May Flowers

In Case You’re Interested In Other Challenges

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Makeup Challenge of the Week 2021/2022/2023 
100 Days of Lipstick Challenge 
100 Shades of Eyeshadow Challenge 
A Year of Beauty- Photography Challenge- Year 2 
💕😌 2023 Mask of the Week Challenge 😌💖 
Please let me know if I missed any!

[ather]

@Cissy63  So pretty!😍 

[JoSometimes]

@Cissy63 That polish is so dreamy and shifty… How did you find the magnet part of it?

[Cissy63]

@JoSometimes  Thanks the colors really are lovely 🥰.  The magnetic part was not good.  I did it the same way I did another magnetic polish from a different brand.  But the effect is not what I saw from online pics of this polish.  But I want to try it again at another time 🤞

[JoSometimes]

Awww no… I hope you’re able to unlock it’s secrets @Cissy63!

[JoSometimes]

Trying some more new things here. Firstly, the blue base is one I’ve only ever used for art or as an accent. I always thought it was just too blue for me even though it was love at first sight with this bottle.

I added a glittery blue topper that I had also never opened up. The blue on blue makes the glitter more subtle and shimmery in person. 

And finally, stickers! I’ve never played around with actual nail stickers, just experiments with paper ones. These cooperate much more! I originally wanted to use the stickers on the edge like a golden French tip but my giant man hands shot that idea down. I do have some long wavy strips that I can try that with next time. For now, I used a few little ones as smile line accents and I think the end result is so cute!

Will cross-post details on Show Me Your Nails 2.0 

[ather]

@JoSometimes  This blue is gorgeous! 

[JoSometimes]

@ather Thank you! It was love at first sight. 💙

[Cissy63]

@JoSometimes  Very pretty blue 💙. And I thought you did the gold yourself!  

[JoSometimes]

Awww thank you @Cissy63! No… they’re just stickers from Amazon. They look good and weren’t too fussy. I did wait for the polish to dry overnight just make sure they were safe to push against. 

[Samtian]

@JoSometimes I really like where you ended up putting the stickers. I thought you drew them on yourself! That blue is gorgeous. 

[JoSometimes]

@Samtian Thank you! I’m not that good. I might be able to do my non-dominant hand on a good day with infinite time and patience. My dominant hand would look… abstract 🫠

[itsfi]

January 2024 - New Year Newness

I don't recall using a Cirque Colors polish before so this pretty, warm, orange-red Cirque Colors Firecracker polish is new one for me. It's also a magnetic polish and I'll have to give that a try one day. 

[Cissy63]

@itsfi  Oooo I love this color!  🧡❤️🧡❤️.  

[JoSometimes]

@itsfi That one is aptly named! Magnet polishes are so fun but you need lots of patience and a good quick dry top coat. 

[Titian06]

Love this color, @itsfi ! ❤❤❤

[happyskincare]

January 2024 - New Year Newness 

I wanted to try a new brighter color out and a new  technique I did dip nails and suprisly I like the results! It definitely was a different method but I’m so glad I chose to step out of my comfort zone!! I used Azur beauty dip set from Amazon amazing and affordable! I will update once I have the results of how long they last chip free!❤️ and  mostly thank you so much to BIC I’m so happy to be a part of this encouraging community! So excited for the new fun nail challenges coming this year!🤍

Update:

the last 5 days I’ve had these on this whole week I’ve been making props for a local community center show❤️ I’ve been being hard on these hands and honestly I wasn’t expecting them to last this long with the hard hand work these have been through today my thumb chipped but only because a board fell on it😅 I just did a new set and will post about it tomorrow but this week I have a more average week and I’m excited to see how long these will last!❤️❤️ 

[Cissy63]

@happyskincare  This looks amazing 💙.  And this is such a pretty shade of blue!  I’ve never tried a dip process, but you mentioned it was easy and dried fast. Sounds good!

[happyskincare]

Thank you so much @Cissy63🤍 yes it was so fast and easy ❤️

[Titian06]

Gorgeous color, @happyskincare ! 🥰  Looking forward to your thoughts on the results.  This is a format I have not tried yet.

[happyskincare]

Thanks! So I did these 5 days ago and this week I have been building props at a local community center so my nails have been acting like tools🙈 I took these off tonight and did a different color I only had a slight chip on my thumb in the 5 days because of a board that fell on my nail😅 so I’m sure with an average week these could last me awhile!❤️

[JoSometimes]

Woooow! What a fun colour @happyskincare! How did you like the dip nails process? I’ve never done it before.