Saturday, December 31, 2016

Top Nail Art of 2016 by Ehmkay Nails

Partial Press Sample

While you may see a lot of Top Nail Polish lists, I couldn't do that! There's no way I could pick a favorite from each brand, let alone 16! Instead, I'm picking out some of my more successful (in my opinion) nail arts. These are ones I enjoyed doing, loved looking at, and maybe I'll re-create them in 2017. Thank you so much for sticking around Ehmkay Nails for a fourth year, whether you're a new reader, or stuck with me from the beginning. I've always done this for fun and to share the newest nail polish colors and to challenge myself to try out new techniques. I hope to see you around in 2017!


Top Nail Art of 2016 by Ehmkay Nails


 
I'll be going from January to December, in chronological order! I tried to keep it to as few as possible so this post isn't ages long, so I really tried to pick my favorites! **Note: I changed my Instagram to Ehmkay Nails halfway through the year, but didn't alter my watermarks in the old photos. My Instragram is my blog name: ehmkay nails.

I tried to get 16, but I did 19, so enjoy! I linked all of the posts before each picture and in the caption if you want more information.


 January 2016:

Teddy Bear Manicure: My bear manicure to match my ring. I thought this was a really basic nail art that required very little skills, but Pinterest blew up this one and people seemed to love it! Sometimes I'm surprised but how the simplest art is the most loved!

Teddy Bear Manicure

February 2016

Leap Year Manicure featuring Keroppi: I love Keroppi and Leap Year reminded me of leap frog, so that's why I went with it!


Leap Year Manicure featuring Keroppi

Valentine's Day Love Birds: I'm posting this because I want to re-created it! It was a cool idea, although needs some finagling in its execution. I definitely want to try this again! Even though it wasn't the cleanest, I still loved the concept. 

Valentine's Day Love Birds

March 2016: 

Bunny Bottom Nail Art: I was admittedly obsessed with these bunny bottoms! It featured some awesome cremes from Paint Box Polish (which are currently on super sale) and flocking powder. IT IS JUST SO CUTE. I will probably be doing these again for Easter.

Bunny Bottom Nail Art


April 2016:  


Sprinkles Nail Art: This was a totally impractical manicure, but would be perfect for a NYE one night only look. I loved it! It was silly and bubbly and sparkly and I'm not opposed to doing it again! Note: Lady Queen doesn't seem to exist anymore but you could easily find these at any nail art store!

Sprinkles Nail Art

May 2016: 

Neon Lisa Frank-inspired Leopard Nail Art: It's fun to go back and see my posts and apparently May was a slow month for me! It happens. But I also had one of my favorite nail arts! I love leopard on my nails and no where else haha. This neon version was fun!

Neon Lisa Frank-inspired Leopard Nail Art


June 2016: My birthday month! 

Neon Birthday Ruffles: Every year, on my blogiversary, I post my birthday manicure from the week before, since that's how my first post for my blog is every year! I'm really into neons, and pastel neons so I combined those colors with ruffles! I really loved this simple look for my birthday at the beach!

Neon Birthday Ruffles

July 2016:  

KBShimmer Take the Punny and Run with Negative Space Stamping: Obsessed with this polish, this stamp, this look! Please direct me to more negative space stamping plates! I love when the polish can shine through! I also confused a lot of people who thought I stamped with the flake polish! It's an illusion!

KBShimmer Take the Punny and Run with Negative Space Stamping

August 2016: Apparently my month of neon! And it seems my nail art really kicked up from August to December! I'm really proud of the work I did the latter half of the year.

Neon Stained Glass Nail Art featuring KB Shimmer: This is actually what I wore to Cosmoprof NA and got so many compliments. The line work took a while, but I was happy with the results. I'm a huge fan of neon with neutral colors. It literally glowed in the day time!

Neon Stained Glass Nail Art featuring KB Shimmer

Neon Graffiti Nail Art: Another neon favorite was this look featuring the Morgan Taylor Street Beat collection. They had looks done by professionals for their look book, so I took one of them and made it my own. Holy cow, how cool are these colors matte? I love this collection. Definitely one of my favorites for the year.

Neon Graffiti Nail Art

Neon Bubbles with Lou It Yourself: Another neon with a neutral base! I used all the colors in the Lou It Yourself Neon collection to have a fun bubbly neon manicure. With the matte, it tons it down a bit, but it's still bright and fun!

Neon Bubbles with Lou It Yourself

September 2016:
 

Autumn Leaves: This look was daring for me since I let my nails show! I loved how the iridescent glitter gave a little pop to my nails as the base and the cremes did their jobs with sticking out against the base.

Autumn Leaves

Autumn Floral Nail Art: I'm a big fan of florals and I wore this to my dad's surprise birthday party! Sometimes, I love a nail art with the memory it is attached to. This is one of them. I also like the art too! This Morgan Taylor collection was another big winner for me!


Autumn Floral Nail Art

October 2016:  

Candy Corn Nail Art: Wow, my nails got so long! I don't think I'll let grow them this long again, haha! In photos, it's WHOA. Anywas, I was obsessed (still am) with Paint Box Axe Fight, so I used that gorgeous polish as a base for the most iconic Halloween candy, candy corn! Simple, but festive!


Candy Corn Nail Art

Halloween Owls Nail Art: This is yet another special nail art that I wore on Halloween! My boyfriend bought me the cutest Halloween scarf and every time I wore it, people grabbed it and asked me where I got it! I knew I had to do coordinating nail art! You can see the scarf in my post!

Halloween Owls Nail Art

November 2016:
 

Flannel Nail Art: I had to do flannel nails with the China Glaze Rebel collection because it was 90s inspired, and flannel is life haha. I've been wearing a lot of flannel this season, so I did a basic look on my nails! Matte, of course!
 
Flannel Nail Art

December 2016: Even though I've just posted these, I wanted to include my December looks, which had a lot of nail art!

Christmas Tree Dotticure: The simplest art, yet again, is my favorite. This features the Girly Bits December CotM, and I think today is the last day to get it! I just love the simplicity. 

 
Christmas Tree Dotticure

Snowy Fields and a Christmas Tree: Honestly, remove the colorful dots, and this is just a snowy field with trees. I loved how this came out. It was subtle but festive. And it was SO easy! 
 
Snowy Fields and a Christmas Tree

Mensch on a Bench Nail Art: Last but not least, my Mensch on a Bench from last night. Tonight is the last night of Chanukah, so I'm happy to light all the candles on the menorah as we ring in the new year! I'm very happy with how my mensch came out.
 
Mensch on a Bench Nail Art

I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite nail arts of 2016. I look forward to posting more art, more collections, and overall, continuing my love for nail polish and nail art! Let me know what you want to see more of in 2017!  

Some of the products in the post were provided for honest review. Please head to each individual post for more details. 

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28 comments:

  1. I'm with you - I can't pick favorite polishes! It's too hard, it's like picking a favorite pet/child. :) I really love your teddy bears, bunnies, dotticures and candy corn manis! So adorable.

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    1. Yea, and when I thought about it, I always do nail art with polishes too, so it made more sense. I do a lot of cutesy manis haha

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  2. I forgot about some of these, like the Teddy Bears and the KBShimmer splat! You did some really fantastic art in 2016, can't wait to see what you come up with in 2017.

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    1. Me too! It's fun to go back to January 2016 and see what I did over the year. I have fun doing these each year!

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  3. I really love the Neon Stained Glass Nail Art you did!

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    1. That was a big hit at Cosmoprof. I love how those came out

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  4. How did I miss that teddy bear one?! These are all so fun and well done. I love your nail art!

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    1. Because it's from exactly a year ago! But Pinterest loved my Bears haha. Thank you!

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  5. Your manicures are so cute, I love them all! My favorite has to be the teddy bear ones! :-D

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    1. I guess I do a lot of cute manicures! The teddy bears are cute

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  6. You've had so many cute nail art looks this year that I don't know how you even narrowed those down. I can't wait to see what you come up with this year!

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    1. That's why I did 19 instead of 16 haha. It was hard to narrow it down!

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  7. The neon bubbles are my favourites! So simple but packs a punch.

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  8. I am always in awe of your skills! I think that my fave may have to be your Autumn Floral Nail Art :)

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  9. Your free-handing is nothing short of spectacular! Autumn Leaves might be my favorite because it is so unique.

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  10. That flannel nail are is so warm and cozy! Those teddy bears are too cute too. So many beautiful designs from you this year!

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  11. I loved so many of these, but the candy corn nails are still my favorite. Halloween 4-EVR! Ha!

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  12. What a great recap. I love those little teddy bears!

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  13. So pretty! My favorites have to be that Morgan Taylor Street Graffiti mani and that negative space with Take the Punny and Run! Fantastic work in 2016!

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  14. These are all so great! Cant even pick a fav!

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  15. You did so many amazing nail art manis! Can't wait to see what you'll do this year!

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  16. I love posts like this as it's so good to look back especially how fast a years goes! X

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  17. your september choice is my favourite for sure!!

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  18. So many fantastic looks!! I love the plaid especially!

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  19. These are all absolutely fun and fantastic nail looks. I think it's great that you have so many designs. I love them all.

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  20. Great job on your designs... The turkey ones are funny! My personal fave is the teddy bear.

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