Tip of the day..use a staple remover to spread keyrings to add or remove keys. NEVER use your nails to pry things open...no no no no!
Showing posts with label Tutorials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tutorials. Show all posts
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Yellow Stopper as a Peel-off Basecoat
Today Im going to attempt to answer all the questions about using Yellow Stopper as a peel-off basecoat.
When I first started seeing this being called a peel-off basecoat, I was very skeptical. You all know the old saying.."If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I started doing alot of research online trying to find out all the details about how to use it, number of coats, drying time, etc. Everything I found was kinda vague on details, only saying that it works, soo I decided to do my own research. I went to my local Sallys Beauty Supply and purchased the big bottle of American Classics Yellow Stopper.
It was $6.99 for a 2.5 oz bottle. I thought that was a really good price for a bottle of clear polish even if it didnt work so what did I have to lose?
Okay, first test. I applied two normal coats of yellow stopper on clean nails. Then, wanting to REALLY test it out, I applied one coat of texture polish and one coat of glitter. I also used one coat of top coat. I waited until later on the next evening and tried to peel the glitter off. It was a disaster.
It did not peel off at all! I managed to get the polish on one finger to come off in pieces, but I could've done that without a special basecoat! I was really disappointed. I wasn't ready to give up though. I was going to test till I ran out of options. Second test...I applied two thick coats of yellow stopper on clean nails, then two coats of glitter with no topcoat. The next day, same results. I actually peeled off pieces of my nail trying to pick off the polish! I was getting really aggravated at this point! I went back online and started asking alot of questions. I found pics that women had posted saying it working and started sending out messages...alot of messages. To say the least I was determined. The two best answers I got came from @tikaramel971 and @abigailspolish on Instagram. Thank you so very much ladies for saving my sanity!! One of them said to use 4 coats of yellow stopper and another said she had used 3 coats before and it worked really well. Here we go again. I decided to try both suggestions. On one hand I used 3 coats of yellow stopper, letting each coat dry completely. Then I applied two coats of regular polish and did a glitter gradient on top of that. It was actually one of my manis for #depressionawareness. On the other hand I used 4 coats of yellow stopper, again letting each coat dry before the next. I then applied two coats of a really dense glitter, OPI More Than A Glimmer. I was really excited when I awoke the next morning and my polish was already peeling on its own!!
It was on the hand that I only used three coats on and was able to peel off two nails rather quickly.
I tried one of the nails that had 4 coats of the yellow stopper and it peeled off even easier!! Sooo excitng! I then started thinking if it works this well on my fingernails, what about toenails?? I love using glitter on my toes just HATE taking it off. Guess what? Works just as well! I did use 4 coats of yellow stopper on my toes.
Now, I was sharing all this with my sissy during all the research and testing so she decided to give it a try as well. She used three coats and that same night two nails had completely popped off on their own! I'm not sure why it worked even better on her nails. I suspect its just the nails themselves. The level of dryness or oil in the nails may have an effect on how well it works.
Whatever the reason, I hope this helps anyone who is still on the fence about whether or not to invest in this little miracle.
As a side note, even if you don't decide to use this as a peel off basecoat, this stuff makes nails look fantastic!! It has a UV protectant in it which gives it its slightly purple tint. When applied to the nail, even just one coat, it makes the nail bed look pinker and the tips looks whiter. Its like a french tip in a bottle. To me, that alone makes it worth it.
If you have any tips and/or suggestions on using this or would like to share your experience with it, please leave me a comment. Thank you!
When I first started seeing this being called a peel-off basecoat, I was very skeptical. You all know the old saying.."If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I started doing alot of research online trying to find out all the details about how to use it, number of coats, drying time, etc. Everything I found was kinda vague on details, only saying that it works, soo I decided to do my own research. I went to my local Sallys Beauty Supply and purchased the big bottle of American Classics Yellow Stopper.
Okay, first test. I applied two normal coats of yellow stopper on clean nails. Then, wanting to REALLY test it out, I applied one coat of texture polish and one coat of glitter. I also used one coat of top coat. I waited until later on the next evening and tried to peel the glitter off. It was a disaster.
Now, I was sharing all this with my sissy during all the research and testing so she decided to give it a try as well. She used three coats and that same night two nails had completely popped off on their own! I'm not sure why it worked even better on her nails. I suspect its just the nails themselves. The level of dryness or oil in the nails may have an effect on how well it works.
Whatever the reason, I hope this helps anyone who is still on the fence about whether or not to invest in this little miracle.
As a side note, even if you don't decide to use this as a peel off basecoat, this stuff makes nails look fantastic!! It has a UV protectant in it which gives it its slightly purple tint. When applied to the nail, even just one coat, it makes the nail bed look pinker and the tips looks whiter. Its like a french tip in a bottle. To me, that alone makes it worth it.
If you have any tips and/or suggestions on using this or would like to share your experience with it, please leave me a comment. Thank you!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Reverse Stamping Technique
Today I'll be showing you a neat little trick with stamping, reverse stamping.
These are the things you will need plus a basecoat and a polish color of your choice. I use black here to stamp with then different colors depending on what you are coloring in.
Such a simple Idea. First paint squares on the baggie with your basecoat And let that dry.
Next, stamp the mage you want onto the basecoat and let that dry. Once Its dry just Use a dotting tool or even a toothpick and color In the mages you want colored.
Let that dry and just peel it off the baggie.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Nail Vinyls DIY
Just discovered a neat little DIY for nail art..nail vinyls!!
I've been wanting to do chevrons on my nails forever but my freehand isn't even close to being good. I tried using scotch tape but it always pulled polish off with it, so aggravating! The more I looked at buying nail vinyls, the more determined I was to make my own. Now, I don't know if anyone else has done this before but it worked for me.
Electrical tape!! Thats right..regular black electrical tape. My husband was an electrician for years so we have tons of this stuff laying around. I found a roll, got out my scrapbooking scissors and started playing. To my surprise it worked perfectly. They stick really well and come off without bringing your basecoat up with it. You can cut alot at once and just stick them to wax paper for later use. The possibilities are endless!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Nail Foil Application
I ordered a big bunch of nail foils from Amazon then had no idea how to apply them...lol. Hope this helps someone in the same predicament :)
The most important thing to getting this to work is nail foil adhesive. The foil will not stick without this. I actually tried other things to get it to work....almost-dry topcoat, school glue, etc. None if it worked, at all!
When you order your nail foil, it will come in small plastic containers with the foil rolled up inside. The foil itself is fairly delicate. Scratching the back of it will remove part of the design, so be careful with it.
Before you apply your foil, choose a basecoat that closely matches the color of the foil. Sometimes during transfer to the nail, a small spot or two might not transfer but it wont be visible if the nail underneath is the same color. I learned this lesson the hard way. Usually, even with thin polishes or jellies, one coat will be enough.
Apply the foil adhesive just as you would polish. One coat is all you need. When it first goes on, it will have a hazy look to it. Be careful to only put it where you want the foil to stick, trying to avoid the cuticles. It will be slightly runny so wipe your brush on the bottle opening a couple of times before applying to nails. When the adhesive is ready, it will be completely clear like on my index finger here. It will still be tacky to the touch but that is exactly what you want.
The foil will come in strips like this one. Its usually about 2" wide and 60" long. Enough for alot of manis!
Its easiest to cut it into smaller pieces before you start.
Start by placing the foil over the nail, design side up, and lightly pressing it down.
Rub over the foil with a qtip, cotton ball, or anything else that will press it onto the nail all the way around, paying close attention to the edges around the cuticle and the very tip of your nail.
You will see the plastic backing start to pull off the nail. Once it does this, go ahead and gently pull the backing all the way off.
This is what the foil will look like after you've gotten them all done. You can see, if you place it right on the nail, theres very little waste so this stuff will go a long way.
If you do end up with a larger spot where the foil doesn't transfer, just reapply a drop or two of the adhesive over that spot, wait on it to turn clear then stick the foil onto that spot and rub gently. It should stick just as if you were doing the whole nail. There is a special topcoat available for foils but I dont have it. I change my manis so often that it didnt make sense to buy it. It can be found wherever you buy the foils and adhesive. I have tried to use regular topcoats but this will definitely ruin the foil. It causes it to crinkle and dull.
Good luck with all your future manicures and mail art and just let me know if you have any questions :)
The most important thing to getting this to work is nail foil adhesive. The foil will not stick without this. I actually tried other things to get it to work....almost-dry topcoat, school glue, etc. None if it worked, at all!
When you order your nail foil, it will come in small plastic containers with the foil rolled up inside. The foil itself is fairly delicate. Scratching the back of it will remove part of the design, so be careful with it.
Before you apply your foil, choose a basecoat that closely matches the color of the foil. Sometimes during transfer to the nail, a small spot or two might not transfer but it wont be visible if the nail underneath is the same color. I learned this lesson the hard way. Usually, even with thin polishes or jellies, one coat will be enough.
Apply the foil adhesive just as you would polish. One coat is all you need. When it first goes on, it will have a hazy look to it. Be careful to only put it where you want the foil to stick, trying to avoid the cuticles. It will be slightly runny so wipe your brush on the bottle opening a couple of times before applying to nails. When the adhesive is ready, it will be completely clear like on my index finger here. It will still be tacky to the touch but that is exactly what you want.
The foil will come in strips like this one. Its usually about 2" wide and 60" long. Enough for alot of manis!
Its easiest to cut it into smaller pieces before you start.
Start by placing the foil over the nail, design side up, and lightly pressing it down.
Rub over the foil with a qtip, cotton ball, or anything else that will press it onto the nail all the way around, paying close attention to the edges around the cuticle and the very tip of your nail.
You will see the plastic backing start to pull off the nail. Once it does this, go ahead and gently pull the backing all the way off.
This is what the foil will look like after you've gotten them all done. You can see, if you place it right on the nail, theres very little waste so this stuff will go a long way.
If you do end up with a larger spot where the foil doesn't transfer, just reapply a drop or two of the adhesive over that spot, wait on it to turn clear then stick the foil onto that spot and rub gently. It should stick just as if you were doing the whole nail. There is a special topcoat available for foils but I dont have it. I change my manis so often that it didnt make sense to buy it. It can be found wherever you buy the foils and adhesive. I have tried to use regular topcoats but this will definitely ruin the foil. It causes it to crinkle and dull.
Good luck with all your future manicures and mail art and just let me know if you have any questions :)
Monday, July 28, 2014
Watermarble Tutorial
Since recently discovering everything I was doing wrong when attempting to watermarble, I decided to do a tutorial on how to do it right. I finally got it to work after watching Young Wild And Polished's video here
Before starting any watermarble design, no matter what colors you are using, its best to start with a good white basecoat. It makes the colors pop more than just the colors alone. My favorite white polish has always been Wet N Wild Megalast Whipped Topping. It applies opaque in one coat.
The next, and I think the most important, thing is the water you use. I watched and read so many tutorials and it seemed no one really went into any great detail about what type of water to use. Some say that simple tap water will work but, think about this....all tap water is different. It all has different chemical makeups therefore it won't work for everyone. In the video I watched, that was right, you need to use bottled water. It can be any brand, I use store brands, but it can't be refrigerated first then warmed. It must be kept in the room where you normally do your nails. This is the only thing I have found that works. You can try your tap water, if it works great but if not, try this.
Next thing you will need is tape. I always use scotch tape, like pictured, but just for the purpose of visibility, I will be using narrow masking tape.
Wrap one piece of tape around finger under nail then another piece up one side of the nail, under nail edge, and down the other side. It should cover essentially everything around the nail.
Now to the fun part! You can use any number of polishes you wish but I like using 2 or 3 at most. Loosen the lids of all colors and place them close to the side of your water bowl. Speed is the biggest factor in getting this to work. Holding the brush just barely above the surface of the water, drop in your first color, just one drop.it should start to spread as soon as it hits the water.
Immediately drop your next color in, trying to keep all drops centered in the one before it.
Continue until you have the number of rings you want. Just remember, work fast!
On to the design!! Using a toothpick or needle, start at the second circle from the outside and barely drag across the surface of the water.
Drag toward the center, working from opposite sides with each drag. Be sure to wipe the tip of your toothpick off each time you pull it out of the water.
Continue until you have the design you want to put on your nails.
Position your finger over the part of the design you want on your nail. Ever so slowly, dip your finger in on a slight angle. Dont dip it straight in or straight down. This will cause poor transfer of the design.
Dip your nail all the way under the surface and hold it there. Take a qtip and remove the rest of the polish from the water's surface.
Make sure the surface is clean before removing your finger. Anything left on the water will end up on your design.
Gently pull your finger back out of the water on an angle so your design stays put.
Cut the strip of tape on the back of your finger
Peel the tape off slowly. Sometimes the design may stick to edge of tape so go slow.
All done except for cleanup!
Use acetone and a cleanup brush to clean up the small amountofpolish that may have found its way around the tape.
I usually do all my nails before removing the tape. Gives it a few minutes to dry before adding topcoat.
And heres my finished design. Occasionally you may have some white polish show through the color, as it did here on a couple of nails. Notice the silver? Its a coverup. You can add a few stripes of another color or even dots or rhinestones to hide the "oops".
I really hope this helps some of you out there that may be struggling to get it right. I tried to do this for two years before finally getting it to work. Don't give up. Feel free to contact me (see contact tab) if you have any questions or suggestions for future posts or tutorials. Thank you so much if you actually read all the way through this. I didnt want to leave anything out.
Before starting any watermarble design, no matter what colors you are using, its best to start with a good white basecoat. It makes the colors pop more than just the colors alone. My favorite white polish has always been Wet N Wild Megalast Whipped Topping. It applies opaque in one coat.
The next, and I think the most important, thing is the water you use. I watched and read so many tutorials and it seemed no one really went into any great detail about what type of water to use. Some say that simple tap water will work but, think about this....all tap water is different. It all has different chemical makeups therefore it won't work for everyone. In the video I watched, that was right, you need to use bottled water. It can be any brand, I use store brands, but it can't be refrigerated first then warmed. It must be kept in the room where you normally do your nails. This is the only thing I have found that works. You can try your tap water, if it works great but if not, try this.
Next thing you will need is tape. I always use scotch tape, like pictured, but just for the purpose of visibility, I will be using narrow masking tape.
Wrap one piece of tape around finger under nail then another piece up one side of the nail, under nail edge, and down the other side. It should cover essentially everything around the nail.
Now to the fun part! You can use any number of polishes you wish but I like using 2 or 3 at most. Loosen the lids of all colors and place them close to the side of your water bowl. Speed is the biggest factor in getting this to work. Holding the brush just barely above the surface of the water, drop in your first color, just one drop.it should start to spread as soon as it hits the water.
Immediately drop your next color in, trying to keep all drops centered in the one before it.
Continue until you have the number of rings you want. Just remember, work fast!
On to the design!! Using a toothpick or needle, start at the second circle from the outside and barely drag across the surface of the water.
Drag toward the center, working from opposite sides with each drag. Be sure to wipe the tip of your toothpick off each time you pull it out of the water.
Continue until you have the design you want to put on your nails.
Position your finger over the part of the design you want on your nail. Ever so slowly, dip your finger in on a slight angle. Dont dip it straight in or straight down. This will cause poor transfer of the design.
Dip your nail all the way under the surface and hold it there. Take a qtip and remove the rest of the polish from the water's surface.
Make sure the surface is clean before removing your finger. Anything left on the water will end up on your design.
Gently pull your finger back out of the water on an angle so your design stays put.
Cut the strip of tape on the back of your finger
Peel the tape off slowly. Sometimes the design may stick to edge of tape so go slow.
All done except for cleanup!
Use acetone and a cleanup brush to clean up the small amountofpolish that may have found its way around the tape.
I usually do all my nails before removing the tape. Gives it a few minutes to dry before adding topcoat.
And heres my finished design. Occasionally you may have some white polish show through the color, as it did here on a couple of nails. Notice the silver? Its a coverup. You can add a few stripes of another color or even dots or rhinestones to hide the "oops".
I really hope this helps some of you out there that may be struggling to get it right. I tried to do this for two years before finally getting it to work. Don't give up. Feel free to contact me (see contact tab) if you have any questions or suggestions for future posts or tutorials. Thank you so much if you actually read all the way through this. I didnt want to leave anything out.
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