#31dc2014 - How to conquer the challenge!

With all the new exciting stock we have been getting in at DQN over the past few months, Jules and I have been so busy packing orders and sending goodies on their way that the 31 day nail art challenge almost snuck up on us! Luckily in the knick of time that familiar anxious feeling rolled around as if on cue to remind and make us question....seriously, are we going to take this on again? We must be bonkers! 31 days, 31 new nail designs....dear nail gods please give us the strength to be creative and may our cuticles endure! 

The challenge starts on Monday 1st September 2014 and continues for the whole month. Please check in on our social media sites to cheer us on, we will need the encouragement. This will be the third year that we have done the challenge.

Here are some REAL tips for those thinking about doing the challenge:

1. You CAN do it! Really...you can! You will be so proud of yourself when you are done, its a real achievement! 
2. It's perfectly OK to just paint one hand. Bah! Ain't NO shame in that! Match your other hand to the colour scheme of your nail art hand, or carry your design over with an accent nail on your non dominant hand. 
3. Prepare yourself. Clean up your nail art desk, put all your polishes away, clean your brushes and tools, restock your remover pads, refill your nail polish remover pump. You need to be a nail art machine so get your work space ready for the challenge.
4. Thin or Restore your top coat and refill the bottle. It just makes sense people, you need your topcoat to help you! I will be using Seche mostly. I use Zoya Anchor as a base these days. 
5. Repeat this step for your fav black and white base polish, thin or restore them so they are in prime condition, they will come in handy.
6. Using a gorgeous feature polish, think chunky glitter jellies (EDM - Cosmic Forces) or sparkly textures (Pixies/Liquid Sands) is a GREAT way to add colour elements if you are running short of time, but don't go crazy, you will need time to remove that chunky glitter the next day. Accent nail!
7. Troll through your own nail art pics, your IG likes, Tumblr likes, nail art mags, google etc to start writing a loose plan. I look for workable nail art colour combos and my stamping plates. Stamping plates are a great source of inspo. For example, see a dinosaur stamp...dinos are green....green day sorted! My list is really simple, just an idea and I draw one nail to remind myself what I was going for. 
8. Your house will be a complete disaster by the end of the challenge. Laundry piled high, dishes in the sink. Whatevs! 
9. If you start crying over failed nail art at any point throughout the challenge you are not alone. It's going to be ok. I cry on water marble day...every year!

The above pic is a little sample of our designs from last year. For the full 2013 round up, check out our 2013 attempt. And our first ever go 2012.

Some of my best work has come out of this challenge so whilst its daunting and will push you, its really rewarding, especially when you look back over the month and see all your art together and the amount you grow each year. 

To join in the challenge just follow the schedule above and post your pics to social media with the hashtag #31dc2014 Thanks again to Sarah from Chalkboard Nails who each year encourages us all and makes lovely pictures for us to share.  Best of luck to everyone joining in on the challenge xx

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