St. Patrick's Day Manicure Round-Up (pic heavy)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, my lovelies! Last week I asked for reader photos of your St. Patrick's Day manicures and boy, you did NOT disappoint! In fact, the response was so overwhelming (200+ submissions!) that I'm unable to feature every photo I received in this post. After many hours of going over your submissions, I narrowed it down to 42 photos (please trust me when I say that this was more difficult to do than you can possibly imagine), but please know that I truly loved each and every photo sent to me, and I wish I could have featured them all.

I used a lot of different criteria for narrowing down this list. Of course artistic skill and creativity were important, but I also selected some designs that were executed in a way that is not only beautiful, but accessible for those of us who are not "hardcore nail people". I wanted this post to be full of "oohs" and "aahs" but also I wanted it to be about inspiration, so I deliberately chose some photos of manicures that might make you say, "Hey, I can do that!" and send the message that anyone can have pretty nails, even without the skill that comes with years and years of practice.

There's a little bit of everything here, from simple layering to intricate nail art to water marbling to stamping to frakening and everything in between, so I hope there's something here to inspire newbies, polish addicts, seasoned nail artists and anyone else who loves nail polish!

PLEASE NOTE: these photos are not in any sort of order. I love each and every one of these manicures and I would never try to "rank" anyone's skill or creativity!

That said, let's start with Mr. G's personal favorite (he didn't help me narrow down the list, but he did watch me look at all the photos and offered his "two cents" about the ones he loved). This first photo is the one that actually made him say, "WOW, that is AMAZING" so congrats, Sarah at Chalkboard Nails! My boyfriend's in love with your nails!

 Sarah at Chalkboard Nails blog submitted this free-hand white clover mani:

Sarah of Chalkboard Nails used:

Orly Fresh

Konad Special Polish White (but this design is not stamped)

Reader Kari of Once Bitten Blog submitted this "Pints of Guinness" manicure:

 Kari of Once Bitten used: 

Essie Little Brown Dress

Essie Marshmallow

Reader Julia submitted this sparkly manicure:

Julia used:

3 coats Sinful Colors "Happy Ending" 

1 coat Sinful Colors "Call You Later"

Reader Elizabeth submitted this emerald and glitter accent mani:

Elizabeth used:
Wet N wild 446C Carribbean Frost

on accent nail Party of Five Glitters 238C

Reader Lekiliana submitted this magnetic polish mani:

 Lekiliana used:

Icing's MagnetiX-Gold

Rush 60 Second High Speed Top Coat

Reader  Teresa of ChaChaCakes submitted this Leprechaun nail art mani:

 Teresa of ChaChaCakes used:

On all but the ring finger:

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Going Green with Sinful Colors Green Ocean on top

For the Leprechaun on the ring finger:

Wet n Wild fastdry in SaGreena the Teenage Witch

Opi Chopsticking to my Story

China Glaze Orange Marmalade

Sally Hansen nail art pen in White

Opi Lucky Lucky Lavender

Zoya Pandora

Jordana Pop Art in Express in Yellow

Art Deco stripers in Black and Gold Glitter

Reader Vicky from Pish Posh Avenue submitted this green ombre mani:

Vicky used:

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint

essence You Belong To Me

Wet n Wild I Need a Refresh-Mint

Etude House V.V.I.P. Girl GR605

Sally Hansen Fairy Teal topped with Essie As Gold As It Gets

Reader SayAnythingBrooke submitted this clover-stamped mani:

SayAnythingBrooke used:
Mac Peppermint Patti
Konad Special Princess Polish in "Deep Jungle" for stamping

Reader Hebridean Sprite submitted this glowy mani:

Hebridean Sprite used:

 Sephora OPI's Caught with my Kahki's down

Sinful Colors Green Ocean flakie polish

Reader starlesssky386 submitted this green, orange and white water marble mani:

starlesssky386 used:

Beauty Secrets Base Coat & Ridge Filler
Sally Hansen Insta Dri Whirlwind White
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Going Green
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On

the clovers are Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Going Green

Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta Dri

Reader Natalie Hua of Natalie's Creations submitted this asymmetrical french mani:

Natalie Hua used:

Sally Hansen's Hard as Nail Extreme wear in Mint Sorbet

Wet n Wild's Wild shine in Caribbean

Reader Winnie @ RRRawr//NAILed submitted this navy, mint and gold nail art mani:

Winnie @ RRRawr//NAILed used:

Revlon’s Fashionista for base

Revlon’s Copper Penny for the gold dots

“Magic Nail” Nail art polish in Lime Green for the shamrocks and stripe on thumb (it has no name)

“Magic Nail” Nail art polish in Gold for the stripe on the thumb 

Reader Crested Dog Mom submitted this green holo manicure:

 Crested Dog Mom used:

Sally Hansen Age Correct Growth base coat (one coat)

Milani Hi-Tech (holographic) (three coats)

Seche Vite top coat (one coat)

Reader TrueBeautyU of TrueBeautyU blog submitted this green & silver crackle mani:

TrueBeautyU used:

Revlon Top Speed in Emerald
LA Girls Cracked in Shattered

Reader Jessica of BeautyGnome submitted this polka dot & nail art manicure:
 

Jessica of BeautyGnome used:

Revlon Colorstay in Rainforest

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Grass Slipper

Essie Licorice

L'Oreal Amazon's Flash

Revlon Posh

Orly Charged Up

Wet n' Wild Wild Shine in Red Red

Wet n' Wild Wild Shine in Sunny Side Up

Wet n' Wild Wild Craze in Art Crime

 Seche Vite top coat

Reader Krissy submitted this green & gold water marble mani:

Krissy used:

a coat of Sally Hansen White On

 Water marble: Sally Hansen Ivy League, Sally Hansen Going Green and Sally Hansen Golden-I

Reader Lindsey of Lindsey's Lacquer blog submitted this glitter & stamp accent mani:

Lindsey of Lindsey's Lacquer blog used:

 China Glaze Four Leaf Clover
China Glaze Medallion
Born Pretty Plate M71
Soulstice Spa Venice

Reader ChiChi submitted this holo & clover nail art mani: 

ChiChi used:

Sinful Colors Irish Green

Milani 3D Holographic Hi-Tech

Color Club Artsy Craft for the clovers

Reader Sarah from All This Polish submitted this plaid and clover stamped mani:

Sarah used:

Butter London Bossy Boots as base

Konad Special Polish in brown and in white for the plaid pattern (Konad plate m60)

Konad Special Polish in green for the shamrock (Red Angel plate RA-116)

Base coat Orly Bonder

top coat Seche Vite

Reader Jess of Tarten Hearts blog submitted this glittery franken mani: 

Jess used:

Martha Stewart 'Emerald' and 'Peridot' glitters added to Wet N Wild 'Kaleidoscope'  (plus "a whole lot of shaking")

Two coats of Sally Hansen No Chip top coat 

Reader Pauline of omgnoodles blog submitted this mint green stamped mani:

Pauline used:

Seche Base

Zoya Purity

China Glaze Four Leaf Clover

M71 Plate

Seche Vite

Warpaint Beauty Mattify

Reader The Lacquered Lady from The Lacquered Lady blog submitted a green & white stamped accent mani:  

The Lacquered Lady used:

OPI Don't Mess with OPI

China Glaze White on White for the stamping

The plate used was from the Salon Express stamping kit - plate SE12

Reader Katie submitted this polka dot accent mani:

 Katie used:

Base-Orly Green Apple
Dots- China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint and China Glaze Four Leaf Clover

Reader Helen of Ooh Cute Nails blog submitted this green & gold accent mani:

Helen of Ooh Cute Nails used:

base cost Seche Clear

Sinful Colors Envy

Milani Jewel FX Gold

top coat Sech Vite

Reader Stephanie Louise of All Thing Beautiful blog submitted this rainbow mani:

Stephanie Louise used:

Sally Hansen xtreme Wear in "Cherry Red"

Essie "Vermillionaire"

Color Club "Almost Famous"

Spoiled "I Only Eat Salads"
Sinful Colors "Why Not"

Color Club "Pucci-licious"
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in "Whirlwind White"

Top Coat- Seche Vite

 Reader Sephiria submitted this gold & green manicure:

Sephiria used: 

Rimmel Base Coat Top Coat PRO

Revlon Emerald City

Revlon Scented Parfume in Beach

Unnamed gold glitter polish from Wet n Wild's 9-pc Little Luxuries Gift Set

nails inc. special effects electric lane holographic glitter topcoat

Reader Janell of Janails blog submitted this flakie layered mani: 

Janell used:

Base is Orly Bonder

two coats of China Glaze Four Leaf Clover

one coat of Sinful Colors Green Ocean

Two coats of Seche Vite on top

Reader Cindy-y of Square Polish blog submitted this white with green accent mani:

Cindy-y used:

Orly Lucky Duck

Wet n Wild French White Creme

Reader Kitten Mittens from Painted blog submitted this glittery green manicure:

Kitten Mittens used:
3 coats of Nerd Lacquer's Don't Panic

2 coats of Revlon quick dry top coat #960

Reader Katie N. of Glam Grammar blog submitted this glitter gradient mani:

Katie N. used:

China Glaze Gussied-Up Green
China Glaze Mistletoe Kisses
Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe

Reader JenMonica7 submitted this lively green & gold  glitter mani:

JenMonica7 used: 

Base of Revlon Rain Forest

Crackle: China Glaze Oxidized Aqua

Then with a dotting tool she just randomly dotted with China Glaze Tarnished Gold Crackle and Sally Hansen Daredevil Frost 

Reader aly7 of Seven Things Beauty blog created this springtime polka dot mani:

aly7 used: 

Sally Hansen Insta Dri in Minta Sprint all over the nails
a dotting tool for the polka dots with Wet n Wild Megalast in I Need a RefreshMint and OPI Who the Shrek are You?

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Crystal Clear top coat

Reader May submitted this sparkly water marble mani:

 May used:

Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet

Sally Hansen Going Green

a thin layer of Milani Hi-Tech holographic nail polish

Reader Kimberly from Libby's Pink Vanity blog submitted this emerald french mani:

Kimberly used:

Pure Ice #311CP on the tips

Sinful Colors 'Social Ladder' for the rest of the nail

I used Color Club's Vivid Top Coat

Reader Niki submitted this green and gold accent mani:

 Niki used:

Maybelline's Go-Getter Green

Milani's jewel fx in Gold for the accent nail

Reader Ladyothelake submitted a green glitter jelly mani:

 Ladyothelake used:

 Kleancolor Leaves Jingle

a layer of La Girls Purge on top 

Reader Glitter She Wrote of Glitter She Wrote blog submitted this "Pot of Gold" nail art mani:

 Glitter She Wrote used:

Sally Hansen xTreme Wear White On

Essie Silken Cord

Mattese Elite Neon Explosive

Mattese Elite Almost Famous

Essie Going Incognito

Mattese Elite Lapis

Mattese Elite Pucci Licious

China Glaze Passion

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Copperhead

Reader Kaydi Kat submitted this glowy flakie mani:

Kaydi Kat used:

Sinful Colors Green Ocean layered over Dior Waterlily 

Reader Michelle K. submited this pot o' gold nail art mani:

 Michelle K. used:

Green background: Sally Hansen Going Green
Orange glitter: Lynnderella Cauldron Drippings
Rainbow: Zoya Sookie, Piggy Polish Easy Tiger, Ulta Sun-Sational, Ulta LimeLight, Color Club Wicked Sweet, Zoya Mira
Gold Coins: Lynnderella Change
Pot: Color Club Revvvoultion
Shamrock: Sinful Colors Olympia with Milani Hi-Tech accents 

Reader misshillary submitted this glittery half-moon mani:

misshillary used:

Revlon Posh
Revlon Sassy
Nail Art Deco in an un named green glitter
Nabi Green Land glitter to top it off!
And a thick coat of Seche Vite

And last but certainly not least, we have a MOTHER &DAUGHTER submission!

The first pic is from reader Stephanie:

Stephanie used:

China Glaze Refresh-Mint stamped with Sally Hansen Jumpin' Jade 

top coat Seche Vite

And the second pic is from Stephanie's daughter Madeline:

 Madeline used:

OPI Alpine Snow

Sally Hansen Lickety-Split Lime for the plaid stamp

 Sally Hansen Jumpin' Jade for the clover

top coat of Seche Vite

A HUGE thanks to everyone who submitted pics for this post. I had an amazing time looking at all of your submissions and I'm absolutely overwhelmed with the abundance of beauty and creativity I saw in your works of (nail) art! 

This was such a success that I'm DEFINITELY going to do it for future holidays. So get your thinking caps on because I'll be asking for your 4th of July manicures this summer (or maybe even sooner--would you be interested in submitting manicures for Easter? Let me know in the comments!).