Warm greetings lovelies!
I'm back with the 3rd installment of Born Pretty Store's nail art accessories review, kindly provided by the online Hong Kong based retailer. To read parts 1 and 2, head on to the links below:
♥ Part I (3mm Mini Round Patterned Metallic Nail Studs)
♥ Part II (Gold 3D Blooming Flowers Patterned Nail Stickers)
BornPrettyStore.com is based in Hong Kong and has been around since 2007. The online retailer has grown from stocking nail art accessories to in-house polishes, accessories, jewellery, cosmetics, beauty tools and even cell phone accessories. They ship internationally, for free! Here's the link for more information.
In the spotlight today is a Nail Stamp, also known as water decal transfer. The design I picked out for this review is a multi-coloured neon waves motif.
Here's how the actual piece looks out of the packaging:
The actual usable size of the decal is 3.5 x 2.5cm, which is not a lot. It's probably enough to cover 1 mani (10 nails), or more if intended only for accent nails per mani.
The back of the packaging contains an illustrated instructions on using this decal.
Instead of dipping the decal in a bowl of water to remove the film, then pick and place with a tweezer, this alternative method involves sponging the decal over the nails.
HOW
1 Paint nails with the base colours and let them dry completely. I waited around 20 - 25mins.
Polishes used (over Poshe Nail Strengthening 4-in-1 Treatment base coat):
♥ OPI Can't Find My Czechbook (blue on tips)
♥ Catrice Cosmetics C02 Mermaiday Mayday, limited edition (glitter on sheer blue jelly base)
♥ OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls (off-white crème)
♥ Glam Polish We Go Together, limited edition (neon yellow with subtle holo)
I've done one on the middle finger. The rest of the tutorial is based on my ring finger.
2 Using a pair of scissors, cut the decal according to the size and/shape required.
I only needed a small strip over the white base on my nail.
The neons waves are about 80-85% in opacity, hence best paired with a light-coloured base polish. The white areas seen in the decal are transparent when separated from the white backing; something to bear in mind when planning the mani.
3 Remove the transparent protective film from the top of the neon motif.
Here, I'm illustrating with the original uncut piece, as it's pretty challenging doing it with the small strip. The protective film protects the sticky decal from damage and dirt.
4 Place the decal on the nail where the motif is supposed to sit, motif side facing down.
The stickiness of the decals will ensure the decal sits in place while you move on to the next step. If the placement is wrong, you can still lift and adjust the placement without damaging the motif (only if the base polish is completely dry).
5 Using a damp sponge or towel, dab over the white backing of the decal until the decal is completely loosened from the white backing.
Do this gently, and as many times as it takes for the decal to be fully loosened from the backing. With a sufficiently damped sponge or towel, it should only take around 5 - 7 dabs.
6 Once completely loosened, slide the backing off the decal and nail.
If completely loosened, it will slide off with ease. Trim the decal with a small scissors if any part of the decal sticks out from the nail.
7 Finish the mani by topcoating the entire nail to seal and protect the look, and to give an even finish.
On the index finger and pinky, the decals were cut into triangles.
For those who prefer a tutorial at a glance, here's a summarised view:
And that's it!
Final Thoughts
I found this method to be easier than the water bowl gig. Using tweezers to pick and place the decal can be challenging and may sometimes ruin the decal or base polish. I write from experience.
And this Nail Stamp's quality is great! The material is firm and of substantial thickness. Being thicker, the edges may be obvious on the nail, but a topcoat should fix it. Another slight downside is the small size of the decal. One has to use it frugally and with careful planning.
This Nail Stamp/ nail art water decal is available from Born Pretty Store at USD2.45 per piece. There are a total of 8 designs to choose from this listing. Not willing to pay full price? You can get 10% off using this code for readers of this blog: QFX31
Remember to follow Born Pretty Store via the following platforms for updates on new arrivals, ideas and promotions:
♥ YouTube
One last nstallment is in the works, so stay tune. Meanwhile, enjoy the Thanksgiving/ Black Friday/ Cyber Monday weekend, and I leave you with a parting shot:
To Leave a Comment: I've noted that OnSugar's Comment feature has caused a few readers frustration by not accepting their input. While OnSugar works on rectifying it, I did a trial and error and found that comments don't get red-taped if you enter your information in the "Name" field without any space, ie. "ALacqueredAffair" instead of "A Lacquered Affair". I hope this works. As much as I want to, OnSugar doesn't allow the disabling of Captcha.
Disclaimer: Products were sent for review. However, all opinions expressed are my own, and will always be.
