Here it is March and I’m posting about Christmas. But I’m so happy with how this mani turned out, I wanted to give it proper recognition that would be too detailed for Instagram. 🎄
I totally missed all the festivities during Christmas 2016 since I was in the process of relocating and all of my nails broke off during the move. My last holiday manicure was in 2015 and at that time I used nail charms sparingly.
In November, I did a Chanel nail design using gems and since then I’ve really been into creating nail art with that element. It is very time consuming compared to using polish, but so delightful to see the final result. It has so much dimension and sparkle. It’s hypnotic!
But the problem most of us face when making these intricate designs is the inevitability of losing gems as we use our hands. And the dilemma is always: do I put polish over the gem to secure it better & lose the sparkle or just adhere the flat end so that the facets stay exposed & risk it popping off with the first hand wash?
Neither one is ideal. I started to fully encapsulate the gems in builder gel to address both of those issues, but it make for a nail with too much height. And no one really likes bubble nails, despite that trend a few years ago. Thank Goodness that’s over!! Plus it takes too long to sand and soak off those layers and it risks weakening the nail bed. Hello, peeling and brittle nails.
I stumbled upon this YouTube tutorial that really gives you the best of both worlds: Secured gems with exposed facets. Gummy Jelly and Shine E no wipe topcoat by Exclusive Nail Couture are products that REALLY deliver.
I use my hands at work and wash them multiple times a day, so by the time a gem falls off using this method, it’s usually when I was intending to change the manicure!
So to have my detailed design truly last 7-10 days has been a delight! And I’ll likely have more accent nails with Swarovski crystals on them in the future.
But I digress…
To make up for missing out on Christmas last year I did three Holiday manicures, but this one is my favorite.
It took 3 episodes of Showtime’s The Tudors to complete…thats quite a lot of treason and beheadings if you watch that show! 🏰⚔🛡💀
I used 10 polishes for this design as well as stamping, smoosh technique, sponged gradient, vinyls, painting on the transferred image before stamping and of course gems. WTH?😳
The polishes starting with the front row:
Fun Lacquer – 24 Karat Diamond, Diamond holo top coat
Back Row:
Daily Hues- Christmas Magic (a red, gold and green glitter polish that I had purchased two years ago and JUST USED!)
OPI color paints- Magenta muse, Landscape Artist
OPI- Sending you Holiday Hugs, Adam Said It New Year’s Eve, Jade is the New Black
China Glaze- I’m with the Lifeguard
Moyou London- White Night (for stamping)
So let’s go nail by nail!!
Index finger – sponged gradient base then stamped the candy canes (in white) onto it. To make the red and white alternating colors of the candy cane, I painted red (OPI color paint) with a detailing brush in the empty spaces directly onto the stamper. I did let the red polish dry long enough to paint white polish over it the so that the red would be true to color against a green background. Stamping after the polish is dry is risky since the image may not adhere to the nail, but I lucked out. I wish I hadn’t put the holo top coat over this because it lost some of the detail.
Middle finger- smoosh technique then added a stripe of metallic red guided by vinyls to keep the lines straight. The gems and craft beads completed the look of a present.
Ring finger- my pride and joy. Christmas tree created entirely with Swarovski crystals.
Pinky- the underachiever (see above). Red base with glitter polish over it! 😆
Thumb- red base with green Christmas tree vinyls. First I lightly sponged with white so that the green would be true to color against the red. The vinyls are by Polished Vino . I love that the tiny details show through since the vinyl adheres so well to the nail. You can find them on IG: polishedvino and at http://polishedvino.com
Okay hope you haven’t passed out!
I’m right handed so the right hand was simpler.
Pinky, and index- stamping. I got tired, which you can tell if you look closely at the “crushed” candy cane at my cuticle.
Middle- red base with a green polish over Christmas lights vinyl and a light dusting of glitter polish.
Thumb- A stylized Christmas tree guided by vinyls. Started with a holo silver glitter base. Smoosh technique for the “tree” and painted the red (Opi color paints) over the holo base. In order to get the contrasting colors this close to each other and keep sharp lines, I would protect the completed and dried “workspace” with peel off latex. I won’t be going through all these changes for a nub nail ever again.
Ring finger- just the most exquisite Christmas wreath with red berries over a sponged gradient base. I did a reverse gradient using lighter and darker green Swarovski crystals.
So there you have it! My marathon Christmas design to make up for lost time. The overall look did not stand out since every nail was different, but I needed to get all of these ideas out of my head!
Thanks for getting this far!
Cheers! 💕
