I’ve received so many wonderful comments and compliments via the Photo Wall from various BR Ladies, so when Nat asked me to consider writing a nail art tutorial for BR, I didn’t even hesitate … the only problem was (as usual), trying to decide what I was going to put on my nails next!
I chose to go for something fairly simple that most of you should be able to recreate at home with traditional nail polish, even though I did this using gel. I’ll do the steps for both types of polish.
You’ll need the following:
- Nail polish remover
- Lint-free wipes or cotton pads
- an Orangewood cuticle stick or cuticle pusher
- 180-grit buffer or a buffing block (the ones with 4 different sides)
- a nail file
- Base coat
- Two contrasting nail polish colours of your choice
- Gold Leaf foil
- Top coat
- a mini striping brush (small paintbrush or clean eyeliner brush)
- a pair of tweezers
- Cuticle oil
- Hand cream.
When painting your nails, the correct preparation of your nails is key to getting perfect polish. Begin by removing any old nail polish and then cleanse your nails well with a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover to remove any natural oils on the nail plate. Don’t soak your nails in water before painting them, as they will absorb water and this will compromise your polish and cause it to crack once they start to dry out.
Shape your nails to the desired shape with a nail file and brush away any excess dust. Gently push back your cuticles using a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick (orangewood sticks are available from Dollar stores or in beauty section of your local department store) and use the sharp or pointy end to gently remove any cuticle residue left over on the nail.
Lightly buff the entire nail surface with a 180 grit buffer (this is usually the rough side on a buffing block). Do not use a nail file as its too rough and it will damage your nail. Brush away any dust.
If you’re using gel polish, skip this step. A smooth, shiny surface is the perfect canvas for traditional nail polish, so use the other sides of the buffing block and buff your nails to a shine.
Cleanse your nails again with nail polish remover to remove natural oils that will have come to the surface of the nail. Apply a thin layer of base coat and cure it according to the instructions on your lamp (for gel) or wait for it to dry.
Apply a thin coat of your chosen base colour (I’m using grey) and make sure to cap the free edge (paint along the very tip of your nails - see pic below). Cure or wait for it to dry.
Apply a second, thin coat of your chosen base colour and cure or wait for it to dry.
Using a mini striping brush, small paintbrush or clean eyeliner brush, dip the brush into your second, contrasting nail polish colour (I chose to use white) and paint thin, random squiggly lines across your feature nails. Cure or wait for it to dry.
Make sure all the doors and windows are closed and slowly open the pot of gold leaf foil. The slightest hint of a breeze will send this stuff flying everywhere! (I learnt this the hard way!) Take the tweezers and gently pull out small pieces of foil and stick them randomly into the sticky inhibition layer (gel polish). If you’re using traditional polish, you’ll need to apply a very thin layer of top coat and stick the foil onto that while it’s still tacky.
Apply your top coat over the foil (capping the free edges) and cure or wait for it to dry. Finish off your manicure by rubbing cuticle oil onto your nails, cuticles and skin around your nails. Cuticle oil applied daily will nourish your nails and help your polish to last longer by keeping it flexible. Apply hand cream and you’re done!
Thanks, BR, for letting me send in a tutorial. If anyone recreates this, I'd love to see the pics!
Thank you so much Debbie - we can't wait for the next one ;)
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Awesome! I wouldn't have the time or patience to do it haha