Left to Right- O.P.I nail lacquer in "So many clowns, so little time", Jelly nails gel polish in "true onyx", Nobility gel polish in the colour Gold

These are the colours I used in my design, I also used jelly nails' top coat but I did not capture it in the photo above.

First coat of polish using O.P.I

Second coat for the base

Third and last coat for the beige base

Transferred it to the finger mould so that it is easier to work with. It's my second time working with  this O.P.I polish, and I'm quite satisfied with it. I bought the polish for the sheer colour, so I had no issues with applying numerous coats for a more opaque design. It goes on smoothly and dries pretty fast. However, if you are looking for a more opaque colour, you can always try other brands like Essie or The Face Shop for a more opaque colour or simply pick another shades from O.P.I. 

TIPS: When choosing nail polishes, do open up the bottle (if the shop allows) to see the consistency of the polish and the colour instead of just relying on the colour chart or the colour on the bottles. Generally for regular polishes, the thicker the consistency, the more opaque the colour but it also takes longer to dry. If you are looking for a sheer polish, the brush of the nail polish should be peeking through the colour like this:

This can be done using a regular art brush like what I've done here if you do not have those nail art brushes. Nail art brushes are definitely more precise and are much thinner and easier to work with, but a small regular art brush will do.

Cure the design for 1-2 mins

This is my most recent nail related purchases. Finally got a UV lamp to cure gel polishes! I'm glad that it works pretty well! :) I got mine from an online store because they are much cheaper, but the curing effect is equally good. However, I'm not sure if there are any detrimental side effects if we use the cheaper ones.

Second coat of black

Cure it again

This black gel polish has a good consistency and it goes on well, starts off a little sheer, but by the second coat, it is a beautiful deep black. 

TIPS: For pot polishes, remember to stir them well before using as the colour tends to sink to the bottom, leaving the clear gel or oil at the top.

Golden flowers design #1

Basically, all the black scallop designs are done using the same method, they are different only in the placing of the black scallop and the flowers and leaves. After you are satisfied with the nail art, seal in the design with a gel top coat of your choice. If there is a sticky residue after curing the nails, wipe it off with a bit of gel cleanser on lint-free wipes. 

TIPS: Lint-free wipes are quite important when working with gel polishes, because gel polishes tend to be sticky and the wool from regular cotton wipes tend to get stuck on the nail. So investing in some lint-free wipes would be a good choice and they are not that pricey anyway.

Ombre design, #2

Next step would be the ombre effect. First, I applied 3 coats of O.P.I polish as a base and after it has dried, I went over the nails with the golden gel polish and a sponge. Any sponge would do and I layered the colour.

TIPS: To get a nice ombre effect, you have to layer the colours slowly, don't rush it, if not the colour gradient will be subtle. Instead you will get harsh lines and it will be obvious where the 2 colours meet. Using a sponge makes it easier too :)

Third application

Rusian nail art sticker

This is the Russian nail art sticker that I bought together with Carmen. We were really excited about it and bought A LOT of them, because they were all so pretty and we just couldn't resist it, but in the end, we didn't use them as often or as much as we would like to. hahaha. They are really thin and not as effortless to work with as compared to other regular stickers or decals because they tear easily.

TIPS: Use a good pair of tweezers when working with stickers, especially thin stickers, as it really makes removing the stickers easier. It also reduces the need for you to touch the stickers, so there will be no oil transfer from your fingers to the stickers which can reduce the stickiness of the stickers. So use a pair of tweezers to maximise the stickiness of the stickers, allowing the stickers to adhere to the nails better and for a longer time.

Added a black ring around the sticker and sealed it in top coat.

The design on the thumb is done using the same ombre effect that I used on the ring finger. The rose is hand drawn using the black gel polish first, then the gold polish to bring out the design.

The gold polish has a wonderful shine to it, but the pictures are not doing it justice :( The gold polish comes in the regular bottle and is more watery than the pot polishes, so it is more sheer than the pot polish and needs about 3 coats to get the colour it has now.

There you have it, this nail art is complete. This design goes well with black or gold dresses, so give it a try :) You can switch up the design to have it all with roses or just the ombre colour to keep it simple, but do share with us your designs because we would like to see your take on this :)

♥,

Si Ying