Festive Nail Styles – Get Ready with Me!

Thank you to everyone who took the time out to tune in to our Facebook LIVE! At 8pm on the 6th of December I jumped onto Facebook LIVE to discuss and demonstrate some of the popular techniques we Nail Professionals can utilise in creating beautiful, stunning festive nails, quickly, easily and with flare and panache! If you missed the broadcast, you can check it out here…

 

In this blog I’ve posted some close up’s of the looks and info about the techniques discussed and shown.

Sugaring

This technique consists of embedding loose glitter into a curable professional nail coating and leaving it uncovered.

There are a few things to consider when choosing this look for your clients. It feels quite different to the touch compared to the way we normally apply glitter, sealed under top coat, so how will your client feel about that? Are they a picker? Do they do a lot of heavy work without gloves? If so, this is probably not the best option for all ten nails, but a couple of accent pinky nails can be very effective and totally workable. I have found the type of client who this is really good for are those who want drama and beauty at all costs! Those who’s priority is ‘the look’. The kind of client who wears super long nails all the time and is accustomed to a routine around them is going to love this look and have no problem at all working with it.

My preference is to complete the Shellac service right through to Top Coat (I’d recommend Shellac XPRESS5 Top Coat here), then apply Lecenté Layer It, either over the whole nail surface or in one area or pattern. I recommend Layer It because it cures with no sticky top film.

Glitter Hygiene

Glitter can really get around, and I know many find our top coat bottles becoming contaminated with all sorts of glitter particles. It’s common to keep a separate bottle of Top Coat, just for using with Glitter. Another option is to use a bottle of Shellac Clearly Pink just for this job.

The additional thin layer of Clearly Pink prior to Top Coat has the added benefit of ensuring a super smooth surface to the finished nails. I spoke to a Nail Pro the other day who uses glitter on almost everyone so she keeps one special separate Top Coat JUST for the people who DON’T get glitter.

Personally, I don’t keep a separate bottle. I have gotten into some habits that appear to prevent the glitter contamination altogether.

• When applying glitter I brush off excess very thoroughly so it’s only glitter that’s actually stuck down that remains there on the nail.
• I take a generous portion of Top Coat on the brush and float it across the nail at a parallel angle, this prevents the brush from grabbing glitter as you go.
• Look at the brush before I put it back in the bottle and if there is anything stuck to it, wipe it on a pad with d.sperse/IPA.

 

Hand Painting Characters

This can seem very daunting if you haven’t done it before! But I PROMISE, it’s no where near as hard as it might appear. Or rather, it doesn’t NEED to be. Now, it might seem a bit cheesy to the more fashionably refined members of our community, but come on folks, it’s Christmas! Again, I’m going to use that great British motivational statement, ‘COME OOOOOON!’

Find a picture you want to use as inspiration. A quick google image search will bring up loads of options. Try search terms like; ‘cute cartoon santa’ or ‘simple Rudolph drawing’. If you are creating your character nail art as part of a Shellac manicure, I recommend you do the larger areas using Shellac, such as the base for Rudolph’s face, then add in detail with an air drying polish such as CND Creative Play.

 

Stamping Fine Detail

Snowflakes look so great as part of a festive themed nail look. Cute, but still elegant. Not every client wants a big santa face, but even the most somber or refined client can find it hard to resist a cute little snowflake, even just on one or two nails.

I have found the key to getting a crisp, even pick on on your stamper is all down to pressure. Now, different stampers perform in different ways, but for the :YOURS Halo Stamper, my own stamper of preference, it’s all about going gently when picking the design up off the plate. Apply very light pressure, as light as you can while still making contact with the plate. And I find it far more foolproof to ROLL, and not to press when picking up the design.

Thanks to you for checking out the blog! I’d love to know what you think right here in the comments, or come join in the discussion over on Facebook!

Thanks to the wonderful Nicola Badmus for ace hand modelling, question handling and moral support. And thanks to Rachel Horrocks, our beloved go-to Digital Marketing Exec at Sweet Squared HQ!

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Where to Buy

To buy CND™ SHELLAC™ & VINYLUX™ in the UK & Ireland visit http://www.sweetsquared.com

For a list of Lecenté distributors world-wide, visit here: http://www.lecente.com/distributors/

Check out CND’s List of international distributors to find a distributor near you.

For :YOURS Stamping products around the world, check out the list of :YOURS international distributors. If you don’t see your country on the list you can buy direct from the :YOURS WEBSHOP, they ship worldwide!