Wondering how to apply OPI Chrome Effects using Gelish gel polish and Top It Off?
The trick is to leave the inhibition layer intact. Check out a quick video demo of how to apply Chrome Effects successfully over Gelish on the Smoke & Mirrors YouTube channel!
On these nails I used Gelish Olé My Way from the Fall 2017 Matadora collection, with mermaid pearl powder from Born Pretty on a couple of the nails. This deep blue color turned out beautifully in just two coats!
Unfortunately I can’t recommend the pearl powder, as I’ve tried it two times with different top coats and haven’t had good results. For these nails I used the inhibition layer to adhere the powder, then top coated with Top It Off from Gelish. When I didn’t get the result I wanted after the first coat, I cleaned the inhibition layer off the index finger nail and applied some OPI Top Coat. Once that dried I added another layer of powder.
This time around I also used one of the silicone nail art brushes from a five piece set that I ordered from Born Pretty to press in the powder. Even then I wasn’t satisfied with the finish – it still seemed uneven – and so I went back to using the applicator sponge provided with the kit for the second layer on the pinky nail. I can, however, recommend the silicone brush set. The brushes seemed like good quality for the price.
I’ve also found that Born Pretty now has an Amazon store. Buying from them through Amazon seems safer and slightly faster – rather than waiting 4-6 weeks like usual for order delivery, I waited only 25 days for the brushes to come in. Have you bought any items from Born Pretty through Amazon? What did you think?
These two lovely pinks are from the Gelish Beauty and the Beast Collection. The lighter pink is Plumette with Excitement, and the darker is Be Our Guest. I love these colors! They pair together well, and application was so smooth. If you have clients that like Gelish Pink Smoothie, I highly recommend you purchase Plumette with Excitement, as anyone who liked one will probably like the other. Plumette… is a a bit lighter, but a similar shade of pink.
The glitter is actually Born Pretty silver chrome powder. I haven’t yet achieved the look I want with this powder, which is pretty frustrating. But here it looks very good with these two lovely pink polishes. I hand-painted the white designs on top using acrylic paint.
Have you used any colors from the Beauty and the Beast collection? Which ones are your favorite?
This is Gelish B-Girl Style, which is a beautiful pink that reminds me of bubble gum. On the two middle fingers I used Born Pretty Store Mirror Powder in silver. It was supposed to have a mirror-like finish, but it didn’t really work for me. As you can see, it looks like packed glitter rather than chrome, and it left pigment in my Top It Off brush which then transferred to other nails.
This photo was taken a few days after application and you can see it’s already beginning to chip. I was ready for a new manicure by this point.
With all that said, I do plan to give it another try. I only paid $2 for the powder, so it is worth it even if it only lasts for a couple days. I also need to practice getting the chrome finish and cleaning off the leftover pigment before top-coating.
On a side note – are you like me, wondering what “B-Girl” even means? I guess I’m old, but I had to look it up. In this case the B stands for “break”, as in break dancing. I kinda assumed that’s what it meant, but needed confirmation from the ultimate authority (the internet).
For this design I used Minx nail apps in Silver Lightning:
As you can see, my nails are very short but I still had problems with the apps bunching and wrinkling. I heated the apps on a lamp before apply and I found that it helped during application, but about three hours later new wrinkles had appeared.
Bottom line: I was very disappointed by this professional product. I’m sure I’d have to use acrylic or gel to “flatten out” my nails in order for them to look any better.
I’ll try to remember to post an update later about how long they stayed on and how well the apps held up.
UPDATE: After three days the nails looked terrible and I simply peeled off the app. The edges were worn away and tattered. Yuck!
Smoke & Mirrors nail art blog 