Happy Chinese New Year! It's the first day of the Lunar calander this coming Sunday. Traditionally, we'll have a reunion dinner on new year's eve followed by 15 days worth of celebrations!

During Chinese New Year, we often great each other with auspicious words such as 新年快乐 Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year), 万事如意 Wan Shi Ru Yi (May things go as you wish), 恭喜发财 Gong Xi Fa Cai (Congratulations and be prosperous)。

For my Chinese New Year nail art, I've used 2 coats of  Colour Club - Jewel Tone Blue, topped up with lots of sliver flakes. Using three different colours of  3D Gel, I've created a gold fish on each of the ring finger. Some lighter coloured flakes were also used on the fish's body to represent fish scales.

You might be wondering why I'm drawing Fish for Chinese New Year when it's the year of the Tiger. Well, there is a popular auspicious saying during Chinese New Year called 年年有鱼 (Nian Nian You Yu). It literally means 'Every Year There's Fish'. The word 鱼 Yu (Fish) sounds phonetically similar to the word 余 Yu (Surplus and bountiful)!

 

 I've added silver flakes near to the cuiticle on the ring finger instead of at the nail edge. It makes the fish look as if it's blowing air bubbles!

  




By the way, I was getting tired of square nails and changed it to oval instead. It's so much harder to shape them, but oval nails seem to make some of my curled nails less obvious.

Comments (13)

On February 12, 2010 at 11:17 PM , yardsticks 4 lunatics said...

I can hear the fireworks now! Great mani!

 
On February 12, 2010 at 11:26 PM , Jin said...

Thank You! I hope to catch some fire crackers in China Town. Back home in Singapore it's banned so I've never seen much of it except on TV.

 
On February 14, 2010 at 12:06 PM , The Lims said...

Hi Jx4!

This is Xin! Your family's over at our place now. And we're all checking out your nails :) Happy happy Chinese New Year!!!!! And Valentine's Day too :)

Love,
All of us at home :)

 
On February 14, 2010 at 1:23 PM , Jin said...

Hi Xin Xin, thank you! Happy Chinese New Year to you and family too! Miss you all so much.

 
On February 14, 2010 at 2:44 PM , Anonymous said...

I'm late but Happy New Year Jin! Beautiful nails to celebrate with! Love the Koi!

 
On February 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM , Jin said...

Hi Danielle thank you! I'm glad that the fish turned out ok. I'm always a little bit worried when drawing animals ;)

 
On February 15, 2010 at 3:59 PM , ThRiSzHa said...

as always.. ur nails are awesome...love it

 
On February 15, 2010 at 9:25 PM , Jin said...

Thank you Thriszha!

 
On February 19, 2010 at 9:28 AM , Anonymous said...

Your fish is so cute! Wow, I'm impressed. I love the scale effect too!

 
On February 19, 2010 at 3:33 PM , Jin said...

Thanks Asami! I was really tired after drawing the fish. I wanted to leave it as it is without the scales. Luckily I added them cos they really made a huge difference!

 
On February 19, 2010 at 11:16 PM , Shanghainese Dumpling said...

Hi Jin

I'm sorry that I didn't drop by earlier, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! :) such cute fishy nails hehe :)

 
On February 20, 2010 at 11:25 AM , Jin said...

Hi Ena! Happy Chinese New Year to you too! I've been wearing this for 2 weeks now. Just took then out last night. It was so sad to say goodbye to the fish! Hehe

 
On February 21, 2010 at 3:38 AM , Anonymous said...

Yeah, it definitely seems like the scales were the perfect finishing touch, I'm glad you added them too! :)