Dripping in Diamonds...

I was feeling in a very girly, glittery, pink mood when I came up with this new design. The beautiful blue skies and sun across London today also adds that extra sparkle. The pictures really do not do the glitz any justice at all.

 

  

I also used some techniques I haven't used before and I am very pleased with the results. Instead of using polish for my base coat, I used an array of different dazzle dusts by Barry M to create my desired colour. I used different shades of pink and added a touch of silver and bronze to add the extra sparkle.

 

 

 

 

I mixed the dusts together in a glass pot and kept adding colours until I got the shade I wanted.  Before applying the dust to my nails, I diluted PVA glue (mixed with water) and began to draw grass-like stands from the base of the nail to the tips. With a light feather brush, I gently dabbed on the sparkly pink dazzle dust. I then allowed to dry to complete the next step.

 

I then reapplied some diluted PVA glue to the dips of the fingernails, and packed on the powder to add impact and a pop of colour, which is quite like a gradient effect. I topped this off with Seche Vite's top coat.

 

 

Whilst the top coat is still wet, you need to add your rhinestones. I did one nail at a time, as Seche Vite dries VERY fast, and by doing it individually it allowed me to stick the rhinestones on without having to reapply wet polish, which would result in wasting the product. I used a selection of rhinestones from Cheeky-Beauty, which I received as gifts for Christmas. I opted to use diamond coloured stars and circular 2mm rhinestones in the same colour to complete the look.

 

 

I wanted a starburst effect, so I placed the stars in their desired place then added sporadic circular rhinestones to give that effect. I placed some close to the star shape to give the vision of a cluster, and then spaced them out to resemble a bursting effect. Make sure you do not place rhinestones too near the edge of the nail, as these will just pop right off with the slightest of touches.

 

Once all the rhinestones were in place, I then gave all my nails another coat of SV to seal them onto the nails and avoid them pinging off.

 

With all nails complete they look very nice together and they really do dazzle in the sunshine, giving the manicure an eye-catching look. To me, they also feel really nice to touch, as it has a bumpy feel to them and I can't help but touch them. I often catch myself doing this whilst daydreaming, and then have to remember not to or my manicure would be ruined.

 

 

 

What do you think? Let me know in the comment box below.

 

Have you used any alternative materials to create a manicure other than nail polish?

 

Until next time...

 

Laura-Jane