Let’s talk about the Midas touch.

What it is: a gold-tipped French manicure that makes you look like everything you touch will turn to gold.

What you need: Essie nail polish in Good As Gold and Mambo, Butter London nail polish in West End Wonderland and Hen Party. (Any mauve pink, gold metallic, and gold glitter will do, but you’ll want to stick with Hen Party), circular stickers

The ULTA ladies are always happy to see me walk in.

Steps:

1. Paint nails with one or two layers of Mambo; let dry.

2. Paint one layer of Hen Party. This gives the iridescent sheen. (This color looks like an orangey creamy color and doesn’t really stand on its own at all, but looks antique-y when layered on anything.)

3. Let dry for a while — ideally a day. You’ll put stickers on your nails next, so you need bone-dry nails.

4. Put happy face smiley stickers on your nails, leaving space to paint the  top gold.

I could have bought a French manicure kit. Instead I spent $2.50 on 200 happy face stickers that smelled like black licorice.

5. Paint one layer of Good as Gold; let dry.

6. Paint JUST ONE LAYER of the gold sparkly polish. If you paint more than one, it won’t dry for like ever, and you’ll wake up in the morning with chunks of gold glitter hanging off your nails. True story, you guys.

7. Delight in your magical manicure!