If there’s one thing Guatemala knows how to do, it’s color. From their vibrant handwoven textiles to the brightly colored baskets Mayan women balance gracefully on their heads, Guatemalans aren’t afraid to embrace mustard yellow, fire red, sapphire blue…
Last Thursday, my fellow yogis and I left our tranquil spot on Lake Atitlan to pay a visit to Chichicastenango Market in a town known for its indigenous K’iche’ culture. The colors of the blankets, clothing, bags, and jewelry were vibrant and mesmerizing.
While some of the traditional fabrics wouldn’t translate so well back home in Brooklyn, I couldn’t wait to bring the life and color of the textiles onto my nails.
You can't be afraid of color for this nail art design, but hey, let's have a little fun!
I began by applying a thin coat of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On. Starting with a solid white base color allows the other polishes to really pop. The white base also means you won’t need as many coats of the other colors to reach opacity. Fewer coats = fewer mistakes.
The lines on Guatemalan textiles aren’t perfectly straight, so your lines don’t need to be, either. Doesn’t that make life easier? I used the regular nail polish brushes for most colors, but grabbed an eyeliner brush to paint on thinner lines of white and black. I like the slightly smudgy effect I got with the eyeliner brush.
Use whatever bright, saturated colors you have in your collection to paint vertical stripes of varied widths.
I chose: OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees (nearly black), Mattese Elite Neon Almost Famous (yellow), Revlon Plum Seduction (fuschia), China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy (neon pink), China Glaze Frostbite (blue), Mattese Elite Lapis (pale blue), Essie Meet Me at Sunset (orange), and Mattese Elite Neon Explosive (bright orange).
You could easily use just two or three colors to make this look a bit quieter, but I’m still in a Guatemalan state of mind…
Although the base color is already white, I went in with my eyeliner brush at the end to add a few bright white stripes for contrast.
Let your colors dry completely before adding a good top coat to seal the deal. I used Cult Nails Wicked Fast.
I may be back in New York where black and grey tend to beat out hot pink and grass green, but I hope these vibrant shades from Central America will stay burned in my mind for some time to come…
