Like most teenagers, I spent my high school years actively not doing my homework.
As you can imagine, this left me with a lot of leftover time, most of which was dedicated to painting my nails while watching Bonnie & Clyde over and over again. As a result, I excel at the ambidextrous art of glopping paint onto my hands, and trying to recreate cool design like these adorable kitty-cat manicures.
Unfortunately, I never acquired finer fine motor skills, and the more advanced forms of nail art, like these funky aquarium nails, still elude me. These days, I spend a lot of time trying to rectify that by closely following the directions on a variety of online tutorials.
The mission at the moment? Trying to nail down that Moschino-approved fast-food look, in nail art form. Sure, I might be a season or two behind the times, but we all know that fast-food isn’t going anywhere.
After all, while it’s not particularly healthy to eat, junk food can’t do you any harm in manicure form! Alternatively, use your new look to order your meal next time you stop by your favorite burger joint. This is a great way to have your milkshake and eat it too.
Of course, the fine nail artisans of the internet are not limiting us to milkshakes. You can find a tutorial for just about any food under the sun, and people seem to love the kitsch factor of chow that screams “purchased at the drive-through off I-86.”
Without further ado, here are fourteen fantastic manis guaranteed to make your stomach grumble!
1. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think "fast food?"
Hamburgers, of course! Get this look by outlining different blocks of color with black polish and a fine-tipped striping brush.
2. Of course, no burger is complete without fries.
For this look, alternate between a red background with a yellow tip, and a white and yellow background with a red tip. Add fine black lines to create your fries, or the Golden Arch.
3. There's no better meal than a slice of pepperoni pizza...
…And it's good cold, too! Translate this snack to your nails by painting yellow triangle on a bare or nude background. Accentuate with fine lines, and add red dots for pepperoni.
4. Or, just pare the pizza down to its most essential component — cheese.
I'll happily eat cheese on its own, any time of day or night, so why wouldn't I want it on my nails? First, paint a matte white background, and then use two different shades of yellow to create the 3-d effect of wedges of Swiss cheese. Use a black striper to delineate the edges and make it pop!
5. Of course, hot dogs are always a popular option, particularly during barbecue season.
For this simple-but-tasty design, just paint your nails brown or beige. Then, add a thick stripe of red polish, and a narrow squiggle of yellow. Add a hot dog to every nail, or just use one or two as a festive accent.
6. When indulging in junk food, it's also important to keep a beverage on hand.
Create your own personal soda fountain with these brand-name inspired nails. Some of these are more complicated than others, but all you need for the Coca-Cola design is a red background, and a steady hand with the striper to create the logo in white polish.
7. Of course, maybe you're more hungry for breakfast food.
You can make yourself a donut to-go (minus the calories) with a pastel background, a circle of beige polish outlined to make the donut shape, and some confetti polish for sprinkles.
If you're a fan of the ever popular breakfast sandwich, you NEED to see what we've got in store on the next page!
8. And there's nothing that goes better with donuts than coffee.
Keep it brand-specific with a detailed logo, or go for something more simple. Brown coffee beans on a beige background are a nice way to highlight your love for java.
9. If you're more into savory breakfast foods, maybe you want to pair your coffee with a bacon, egg, and cheese.
Granted, this manicure does seem to be missing the cheese, but the most important components are there. Create a sunny-side up effect by painting white circles onto a yellow backdrop. Add another dot of yellow in the middle for the yolk. Bacon is even easier. Just paint on a white background, and add squiggles of red and brown to get the stripy look!
10. Or maybe you're more in the mood for Mexican food...
You can make a simple taco by painting a yellow half-moon shape, and then adding a fringe of red and green to suggest lettuce and tomatoes. And you can even get punny, and offer your friends the opportunity to "taco 'bout it." Gettit?
11. Alternatively, you can explore other types of Mexican cuisine.
This burrito, for example, is so big that it takes up two nails. Using a white backdrop for both, paint the beige back half of the burrito on your middle finger, and then continue by painting the filling onto your ring finger.
12. Maybe you're less interested in a full meal, and more into stopping by your local snack cart...
You can pick up a fresh-baked soft pretzel, and admire how nicely it matches your pretzel-adorned nails! Start with a pastel background of your choosing. Then use brown polish and a striper to create the intricate twists of the pretzel, and add a few dots of white for salt.
13. Naturally, you aren't about to skip dessert.
As ice-cream season comes to an end, keep your sweet tooth alive with these colorful nails. Yellow and brown polish can be combined for a cross-hatched cone effect along your nail-bed, while multi-colored pastel swirls become the ice cream. Finish your cone off with glitter polish or a few dots for sprinkles.
14. Finally, wash it all down with a refreshing milkshake!
Technically, a milkshake is still mostly ice cream, but its a totally different look! Get this retro-feeling design by giving yourself a background of robin's egg blue, and adding an oval of white, and a dollop of pink. Finish it off by using a striper to add lines to your glass, and adding a tiny dot of the red for the cherry on top!
If these fast-food-inspired manicures left you hungry for more, please SHARE with all of your friends, and tell us about your favorite foodie nail designs!
