I must admit that I recently have been favoring red nail polish over any other color. Red is eye-catching, helps my hands look nice and is striking when paired with some white nail art. This oriental lace nail design has definitely been my favorite so far this year! Let me show you how to achieve this same look . . .
Note: I will be providing instructions on how to achieve this look with plain polish, along with Gel Polish.
Step 1: Prep Nails
View my post on Nail Polish Prep.
Step 2: Paint Color onto Nails
Paint all of the nails with two coats of red polish. I used the Shellac color called, Wildfire. {I LOVE this red!}
Gel Polish: Apply two coats of polish. Cure 2 minutes in the UV light, or 1 minute in an LED light.
Step 3: Lace Flower
Follow the step-by-step picture tutorial below . . . (1-2) Paint three white dots and drag them down to the cuticle. (3) Now fill in the white area. (4-5) Add dots around the entire top of the white “lace flower”. (6-7) Add three red dots and drag to the cuticle are. (8) Paint three thin white lines on top of the red area.
Note: When hand painting images on your nails use acrylic craft paints, not polish. You will get crisper lines and much more “pop” than you would with polish. Some polishes can sometimes dry almost transparent which makes the image hazy and you won’t get the wow factor you are going for.
This is what I mean by “drag” the paint down to the cuticle.
Step 4: Accent Dots
Paint two dots, next to the cuticle, on all of the other nails. This will help accent the dots around the “lace flower”. Notice how I did the two dots by looking at the picture below.
Step 5: Apply Final Top Coat
Now apply your top coat. Make sure the paint is completely dry before adding top coat to help avoid smearing.
Gel Polish: Apply top coat and cure in UV light for 2 minutes or 1 minute in an LED light.
Step 6: Allow to Dry and Apply Cuticle Oil
Allow your polish and paint to dry completely. Apply a cuticle oil just around your nails on the cuticle and rub into the skin.
Gel Polish: Remove sticky residue on top of nails with a little alcohol or polish remover and apply cuticle oil.
