French tips and a review (sort of)

For these nails I started by applying Star Nail Deep Smile Well Less Tips, which I’ve had sitting around for a couple years and never used. I wasn’t sure I would like the deep smile line.  They applied nicely, though it took some finesse to get the tip to lay flat (parallel to my short free edges).  Then I shortened the length and filed the shine off so I could apply the Gelish Pink Builder Gel.  I have enjoyed using my ASP Form-A-Nail nail forms in the past, so I decided to give those a try again.  As you can see, they did a great job forming the nail over the tips.  It takes a bit of practice when using these with gel because you have to press and hold them still on the nail while they cure to prevent air bubbles.  It’s a bit of a pain, but less so than sculpting and filing.

Side note: I don’t have a photo of it, but a few days later I did a fill using the nail forms.  First I filed in the cuticle area that needed to be filled, and removed the shine. Then, I used the nail forms to do the fill, this time using Gelish Clear Builder Gel, since I planned to paint over them with Gelish gel polish.

So there you have it – a quick and easy, perfect French manicure.  Honestly, it might have been too easy using these products!  I felt lazy not having to sculpt the pink and whites!

French fade

This is two coats of Gelish Ivory Coast with Snow Bunny sponged on the tips to create the fade effect.  On the top half of the nail I also added a coat of A Moment of Magic from the Gelish Cinderella collection.  After I did this set I got really busy and didn’t take a picture. This is after 8 days!

My nail art was published again!

A couple months ago I submitted some nail art photos to Nail Art Gallery Magazine, and it was accepted and published in the September issue!  Check out pages 13, 53, and 61.

If you aren’t already a subscriber, you can get a free subscription to this digital only magazine for nail art enthusiasts. It provides plenty of inspiration for nail artists at all levels.

Geometric French

 

1 coat of OPI Pink of Hearts with 1 coat of China Glaze White on White + striping tape

 

 

Art Deco nails

For this design I used Gelish Lust at First Sight from the Under Her Spell collection on the tips over a Gelish Vanilla Silk base.  The design was done with a striping brush using Gelish Meet the King.  I applied the black rhinestone in the Top It Off and cured.

French Feathers

 Natural nails with fiberglass wrap and gel on them.  I stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM-214 and the Konad special white stamping polish.