I name this mani A Pink Spark and A Studded Flower – today’s mani is Gel Nail Art using the Manhattan Spark gel polish from Opallac that I swatched the other day. You can read about it all here in this post. I also take a look at No Smudge Top Coat. Shall we?
This gel polish has a range of looks. In the shadows it appears dark, but in the sun and brighter light you can see the brightness of the pink. So I wanted to do something that let the sparkle shine through. I opted for a quick charm placement technique for the accent nail and some stamping for the other four fingers. All topped off with a No Wipe Gel Top Coat – which is what I use when adhering gel items to avoid the sticky layer from affecting my crystals/charms and having to clean it out of crevices.
I was able to shape the ‘flower petal’ charm to suit my rather strong C-curve nails with a tool I have to show you in a review, it’s Item Number: 27749 from BornPrettyStore.com and will be shown in a separate post (and hopefully video depending on time) shortly. I’ve been having trouble with internet and unable to post videos (ugh! frustrating) so was unable to post it earlier.
I have however used a different item in this as shown below – Born Pretty’s No Smudge Top Coat. OMG! This stuff is awesome! I didn’t really have too many expectations on this item, but it really works. It is a thin liquid that you apply over stamping or painted art to stop the top coat smudging it. I tried to smudge it with the brush and then the top coat brush and it didn’t smudge the stamping at all! This too should be in a video at some point.
So colour me surprised but it worked really well to preserve the stamping integrity without being destroyed by top coat, brushes, or other things. The smell it has fades fast. For the current price of $3, it’s a life-saver and I recommend this. Who wants to spend ages on a design that gets ruined by accidental brush-marks when you are tired or use a top coat that doesn’t cooperate even if you float it?
Instructions on how to use it:
- Apply your stamping, hand painting or nail art
- Paint on the No Smudge Top Coat thinly
- Wait a few seconds
- Apply desired regular top coat as usual
I’m yet to try it but it apparently also works on protecting nail foils, and those pesky mirror finished chrome/holo powders. I’ll have to try it on these and see, but I usually have other methods of protecting those finishes.
Here is the promo shot of this bottle so you can see a demo:
…and finally here’s a video tutorial and review product demonstration, as voted for unanimously in the poll on Instagram.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE – I plan to be hanging out there a lot more since I’m completely frustrated with the shitty engagement on Instagram and would really love to see you there!
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SUPPLIES USED FOR THIS NAIL ART:
Polishes:
- Manhattan Spark – Opallac: @opallacgelpolish #opallac
- Moonshine – Hit The Bottle: @hit_the_bottle #hitthebottle
Other:
- Pro XL 27 – MoYou London: @moyou_london #moyoulondon
- Born Pretty’s No Smudge Top Coat – ITEM NO: 27749
Use my code BUFFQ10 for 10% off full priced items in your Born Pretty Store order 😁