31 Day Nail Art Challenge | Day 1–Red with Lycopene Molecular Puzzle Nails

I have done this challenge in 2012, 2013 and now 2014! As usual, I will be going at my own pace and not doing a new set of nails every day, but I am aiming for a new design every 3-4 days. The theme for Day 1 is red so I chose to go back to my “roots” and do some molecular-themed nail art all about LYCOPENE! Lycopene is a bright red, antioxidant, carotene pigment that is found in tomatoes, watermelons and a few other red fruits and vegetables and among other health benefits, has been shown to be preventative against cardiovascular disease by protecting the blood vessels around the heart (How Stuff Works, Sept. 2014).

I started with two coats of Julep-Martha, a creme baby pink, and actually created the VERY LONG lycopene molecule by making a sandwich baggie decal, peeling it off, then cutting at the appropriate carbons and applying the molecule to each nail. The tomatoes and hearts were all drawn with acrylic paint and sealed in with top coat. The red dots represent CH3 groups.

This was not one of my neater jobs as I had some massive bubbling issues with applying the decal and then actually fitting it onto my nails. Let’s just say I went through A LOT of top coat, but overall I’m happy with the look from far away. See you in the next few days for ORANGE!