when in doubt, bling it out

enthusiastic to use new rhinestones and a color scheme seen by ncLA this design was created! achieve this look in three easy steps.

tools:

essie smokin' hot 

essie a cut above

pink triangle rhinestones

step 1: paint two coats of essie smokin' hot.

step 2: once the nails are completely dry, paint the top 1/3 of the nail in essie a cut above. using your fingertip blend the glitter downward toward the cuticle. this creates a gradient effect from the most glitter at the tip and least going down toward the cuticle. 

step 3: apply two light pink triangle shaped rhinestones on your ring finger to appear as a bow. finish the look with one coat of seche vite top coat. 

TIP: make sure to paint two coats of clear polish over the rhinestones so that it stays in place. 

reverse french

i finally decided to implement studs into a nail design. too impatient to wait for ebay to send my order, i purchased a stud set from kiss. also seen here was my attempt at a reverse french which is similar to a half moon but upside down.

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tools:

kiss metallic nail art studs

tweezer

essie chinchilly

essie smokin' hot

page preforators 

seche vite fast dry top coat 

step 1: paint the pinky, ring and index finger with two coats of essie- chinchilly.

step 2: paint the ring and thumb finger with two coats of essie- smokin' hot.

step 3: paint one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat on each nail. 

step 4: when the nails are completely dry, cut the page preforators in half and place a half on to each nail, oval part facing down so it looks like a "U". firmly press down the edges of the tape so there are no bubbles or gaps to avoid polish from seeping underneath the tape as you paint.

step 5: after the preferators are set in place, paint the top part of the nail in the opposite color. paint pinky, ring and index finger in smokin' hot and ring and thumb finger in chinchilly. 

step 6: paint one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat on each nail and allow 10 minutes to dry.

step 7: apply the studs of your choice using a tweezer to pick up the stud and to place onto the nail. after carefully placing the stud in the desired place, press the stud down firmly using the tweezer. 

step 8: finish it off with one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat!

purple tux and bow

im so proud of myself- i painted my first bow! i started this by using essie's lilacism as a base and essie's smoking hot for the tips, dots and bow. to make the tips i used scotch tape and for the dots and bows i used a dotting tool.