Beauty, Bakes and Blah

 Ultimate Nail Art Hack

I have something really cool and exciting to share today, it is the ultimate nail art hack!   

(It also happens to be a saving grace for those who lack a steady hand!)

There is so much going on with Nail fashion these days, and yes, I call it nail fashion because gone are the days where a solid colour is good enough, these days, over the top nails have become a statement on its own! And the design possibilities are endless!

However, if like me, the thought of the “clean up” afterwards really just puts you off, then ladies I have the answer to your prayers!

Don’t get me wrong I have a pretty steady hand, but it’s almost impossible to get good polish coverage while avoiding painting and flooding your cuticles! But that’s not an issue anymore, thanks to the miracle that is, “Liquid Palisade”

 “Liquid Palisade is a liquid, paint-on barrier that covers and protects fingernail cuticles from polish mishaps. (You peel it off after you polish!) Liquid Palisade provides an easy-to-apply protective barrier that covers the cuticles during nail polish application. It keeps the cuticle free of nail polish color.”

Now, that I have your attention, I may as well mention that Liquid Palisade retails at $22.00 for a 10ml Bottle, that’s R272.14 for a bottle the size of a standard mascara or lip-gloss! I know, that’s completely ridiculous, but don’t close this article just yet! Cheaper versions are available. They go by the names of “mini mani moo” and “peel off”, cheaper, yes but still over the R100.00 mark for a 10ml bottle.

 Have no fear though, because there still is hope! Hope in the form of Liquid Latex! Now, this is what I’m talking about! It works just the same as it more expensive counterparts and it is definitely cheaper! I managed to buy a 500ml bottle for R105!!!

Liquid Latex is the same as kids craft glue, basically, if it’s liquid and drys to form a sort of rubber that can be removed by peeling, it can be used as a liquid palisade alternative! Think of the peel off nail polish our mom’s use to buy us when we were little girls, the type you paint on and peel away when you got bored! It’s the exact same thing!

Okay, so It may not be packaged as pretty as the real stuff, but why waste all that money on barrier glue when you can spend it on nail polish instead! Lol

Now you can get creative and do all sort of funky nail art stuff, like sponging and marble art without the mess. No more accidental removal or damage to your painted nails when trying to clean up the mishaps, because cleaning up now is as simple as peeling it away!

If your going to go searching for it then here are some tips, search by names such as “Liquid tape, Liquid latex, casting rubber”.

The product I purchased is called “Casting Rubber” from a brand called “DALA” ,they can be found on bid or buy in various sizes, alternatively you can check at any craft or stationary shops. I found that mine turns to rubber then slides off when it comes in contact with water, so it is super easy to remove any how you want.

Here are some Pictures I took while doing Ombre Nails. Ombre nails are a type of manicure in which a gradient effect is created with different colours of nail polish so it basically looks like its fading into each other, normally I would not do this because of the clean-up, but now it has become such a pleasure! All you require is a small brush, (I used an old makeup brush with a small tip) and your good to go!!!

ALLERGY ALERT!! IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO LATEX, THIS PRODUCT WILL NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOU...

 

 

Begin by painting the liquid around your nails, ensure your cuticles are completely covered, whether your doing regular polish or nail art work that will be messy, you apply the latex wherever you need coverage.

 

 

 The liquid is fast drying, you see it turn clear as it begins to dry. when the glue is completely dried, your ready to start.

 

 

for Ombre nails, you require different shades of polish and makeup sponges or wedges. Since this is a basic tutorial, I've selected just 2 colours. You could use a regular sponge but I prefer these white makeup wedges as they do not absorb too much polish so there is minimal wastage.  

 

 

Apply the nail polish to the sponge, painting the different colours parallel to each other like I've done above. allow the colours to overlap just a little, this will give it a good fading effect. Once your polish is on the sponge start to roll the sponge across your finger from left to right and in the direction you want the nail polish to go. I wanted the darker colour at the base to fade into the lighter colour on the top.  

 

You will notice the colour is a bit light, that is normal, you have to keep applying polish to the sponge and to your nail, until the colour on your nail is dark enough and to your liking, see the difference between the first picture above and the second? the colour is much stronger as you begin to apply the nail polish a few times.

 

 

Eventually you end up with this, a very pretty Ombre effect.

(If you've ever wondered how people do a solid colour with glitter ombre effect, its the exact same principle, the easiest way to achieve the look, is to apply your glitter polish to your sponge and roll over the nail, multiple times, until you get enough glitter on one end and it looks like it starts to fade. Above you see what the glitter effect will look like when you do your first application)  



 And at last, your Ombre nails are complete! All you do is now smooth it over with a protecting layer of Clear nail Polish and of course, peel away the mess!!

The end result looks much more refined, these pictures where taken before I did a final top coat of clear polish

I hope you've found this helpful! Now go get your Ombre on!!!

Enjoy ♥