I created these smokey beauties for one of my favourite clients on her birthday. This was a new technique for me. My inspiration came from beautiful nails and tutorials I’d seen by @allthingsbeauty_jellybayn and @beautyworksbyamy.
My client loves this kind of look where the bottom potion of the nail, nearest the cuticle line, is left clear and free of colour. This way as her nails grow out, the growth area is disguised.
My client’s nails were all over the place when she came to see me. She had attended a training and been used as a model 2 weeks earlier. She had some amazing work on there, but it was definitely time for a full cohesive set!
We got her nails back to a thin clear layer of gel over her natural nails, and proceeded to start fresh, extending the length using LE Natural Fiber Gel and building the structure of the nail with LE Natural Pink Fiber Gel.
The goal was to create a set of enhancements that looked ultra natural, then add the art on top in a final layer. This means that when the client returns for her next appointment, the service will be quick and easy to complete, without having to remove a ton of perfectly good product unnecessarily. Personally, I never use an electric file so this aspect is of huge importance to me.
Now for the fun part!
Check out the art for the final look step by step here.
The following products were used to create this look:
- Nevermore ButterCream
- Confident Coral ButterCream
- Midsummers Night ButterCream
- LE Gel Paint Pastel Green
- Clear 1 Step Gel
- No. 4 Flat Bling Brush
- Dotting Tool
- LE Pro Cleansing Wipes
- Lecenté Rose Gold Nail Art Foil
- Shellac XPRESS5 Top Coat
Q: Why did we use Shellac XPRESS5 Top Coat rather than LE Super Shiny?
A: When using foil as part of a design applied as a final layer in this way, I have found that hard gel top coat sometimes separates and pools over foil (or stamping completed with stamping polish). The simplest way to solve this problem is to use a gel polish top coat to finish, rather than a hard gel top coat. My favourite gel polish Top Coat is shellac XPRESS5.
Q: Can we create a similar look using CND Shellac?
A: Yes it’s possible! Have a play with some different colours and find what works well for you. I recommend avoiding the colours that are more prone to wrinkling if applied too thickly. Check out this tutorial from Jemma for some inspiration!
Thanks for checking out the blog! I’d love to know what you think of this look here in the comments, or join the discussion over on Facebook.
Fee Wallace Online 