Newsprint Nails

A week or so ago, I tried yet another YouTube idea. Newsprint nails. I was obsessed with the look and thought I’d give it a whirl.

I gathered my supplies:

Light grey polish (I used OPI Moon Over Mumbai)

Top Coat (I used Essie Matte About You)

Rubbing alcohol

Newsprint

Now, I didn’t have a newspaper handy and wasn’t going to buy one just for this purpose, so I opted for an old paperback book. I know, I know - tearing pages out of a book is blasphemy, but I chose one that I will probably never read again.

I painted my nails with the usually two coats of polish, then waiting for them to dry completely. Once they were dried, I soaked each finger (one at a time) in the alcohol for about 20 seconds, then pressed the printed page firmly onto my nail and held it in place for another 10-15 seconds. When I released – viola! Newsprint nails! Once I was done with all 10 fingers and the alcohol has evaporated from each fully, I applied a good amount of top coat. 

The process was really, really easy and I LOVED the look but…I found that my nails were chipping within a day. The color I chose is one of my longest lasting polishes, so this surprised me. I have to wonder if soaking my nails in the alcohol messed with the integrity of the polish somehow. I read another version where they put the newsprint on the nail first, then held a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol on top, similar to a temporary tattoo. I might try it that was next time and see if the results are any better!