Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year to those who celebrate! I don’t really get into the festivities that much other than wearing something red and getting some lucky money, but it’s still a holiday of note in my family.
2016 is the year of the monkey, so of course I wanted to paint monkeys on my nails. I decided to do a red base color (of course) with gold glitter on top for luck.

My choices for a lucky Chinese New Year manicure: American as Apple Pie by Nicole by OPI and Rich Gold by Sephora + Pantone Universe.

American as Apple Pie has a slightly opalescent sheen to it by itself.

The glitter in Rich Gold is holographic when it hits the light. This picture doesn’t do it justice.
I would have liked to use nail polish to paint the monkeys, but I didn’t have time to let the coats of polish dry completely in between steps, so I used acrylic paint instead.

craft smart Acrylic Paint in Black, Brown, and Golden Brown.

Using brown paint, I colored in the heads of the monkeys at varying angles around my nails. I wanted them to be peeking out of the corners of my nails because they can be mischievous animals.

I filled in the ears and the faces with golden brown paint.

Using a detail brush, I painted their mouths and noses. A dotting tool was used to paint their eyes.
After some top coat, I was done! It didn’t even take that long to do- maybe an hour or less if you don’t count the time I spent taking pictures of the steps. Lucky me!

Monkey madness!
Hope this year brings you luck and fortune as well! Happy polishing!