My First Attempt
The kit came with 5 plates, a plate holder, a double ended stamper and a scraper. The directions in the kit weren't great. Enter my fellow bloggers. I did a search for nail stamping tutorials. I found lots of great tips on blogs like Nouveau Cheap, Nailcicles, and Swatch and Learn. Because of their tutorials and tips, I didn't have as many errors as I thought I might. I followed their suggestions for tools and set up and lots of other tips.
My impatience got the best of me. I was so excited to open the kit that I didn't think to get a photo before I opened it and pulled everything out. This is the package and as I mentioned, I got it at CVS. The list price was $9.99. The beauty of CVS is that I could use Extra Care Bucks for this purchase and I only paid $1.99 for it!
To stamp I also needed polish remover, a nail file, cotton pads, paper towels, a old gift card and something to use as a table cover (newspaper). I also should have used some plain white paper to test stamp. I didn't do that but I will in the future.
I didn't love the whole nail plates that came in the kit. Also, I think that I need more practice and better color combinations to make them look great. The fan design I tried first looked okay but I didn't love it enough to do every nail. The designs I like best a small and allow lots of the base color to show through. I've heard that the kits sold at Sally Beauty and Rite Aid come with different plates. I might get one of those.
The nail polish you use is a key factor. It doesn't have to be expensive or a specific type but it needs to be thicker that most polishes. Trying them out is important. That's where the paper comes in handy.
Base color - Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and Heart - Essie in Foot Loose
I decided to just do one accent nail instead of my whole hand. I like the single heart. It's pretty.
Best Tips from Bloggers
- Set up your area and supplies before you start stamping.
- Paint your base color and then a clear top coat. If you make a mistake you can clean off your nail with a quick swipe and you won't mess up your base color.
- Buff your stamper with a fine grained nail file before you stamp. Just a few strokes. It will help the polish adhere better.
- Use nail polish that is thick. You can use special stamping polish, older polish or polish with a thicker consistency.
- Use a plastic scraper or an old credit or gift card. It will keep you from scratching your image plate and give you a cleaner swipe.Which leads to a cleaner stamp on your nail. Test out the pressure you use. This will take practice.
- When pulling the design from the plate, stamp straight down onto the plate and use firm pressure.
- When stamping onto your nail, use a rolling motion to transfer the design.
- Let your design(s) dry for a while before painting a top coat.
- Only do one stroke of top coat over each design area. This will create a shield but will help keep the design from smearing.
- After the first layer of top coat dries, you can add another.
Have you tried nail stamping before? If you haven't, will you?