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In case you haven't checked Twitter and/or a calendar today, it's Cinco de Mayo! If you're looking for some nail art to celebrate, you're in the right place. We teamed up with COVERGIRL on a papel picado nail art tutorial that you'll want on your nails until at least May 15. Papel picado, for those who don't know, is a Mexican decorative craft made from cutout pieces of paper. They often feature birds, skeletons, and floral designs—we opted to include the latter. Check out the tutorial below and get your nails #covermoment ready!
STEP ONE
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You'll want to start to a blank canvas, so you should paint your nails a neutral color. Paint all of your nails using COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polish in Forever Fawn.
STEP TWO
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You'll need strips of striping tape for the grid design, about three per finger. You'll want to apply them all at the same time so you don't mess up your polish while putting them on.
STEP THREE
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Paint over the strips using a color like COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polish in Out of the Blue.
STEP FOUR
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After you've let your nails dry for a few minutes, slowly remove the tape. Ta da! You have vertical stripes on your nails, but you are not done yet.
STEP FIVE
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Cut more strips of tape for your nails. Once again you'll need about three per finger, so cutting in advance is a good idea. Lay them horizontally across your nails.
STEP SIX
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Using the same color, paint over the tape. You probably only need one coat (that's all we used), but if you want the color to be as bright as possible, use two.
STEP SEVEN
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Once again slowly remove the tape, being careful not to get the paint on the tape on your fingers or painting surface. A nail with a perfect grid on it! If you're really into math you could also use this technique for graph paper nail art (JK, but really you could).
STEP EIGHT
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For your floral design you'll need the same Out Of The Blue color and a thin-tipped paint brush. You can really do flowers wherever you want, but since your middle and ring nails tend to be bigger, they give you more space to paint.
STEP NINE
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Once you're done with your flowers, finish the look with a coat of COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polish in Crystal Clear.
Share your #covermoment with us on Twitter and Instagram for a chance to see it featured on covermoment.com. Stick with us and COVERGIRL for the latest in fashion, makeup tutorials, nail art, and more!
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