Nails of the Week

These nails took longer than I had hoped, so much so that I was able to take all of the outfit pictures for this set, and could have posted them last week, had my nails been ready for last Manicure Monday. (This is why, in my outfit pictures you will be seeing my metallic lavender base color instead of these.)

Earlier this month I decided to try nail foiling, a technique that takes quite a bit of practice to do right. I have not mastered this skill yet, but still liked how my nails turned out well enough to post.

I first tried using all my different top coats to adhere the foil. I learned that quick dry and matte top coats do not work. My basic OPI top coat worked best, but I was only ending up with half my nail covered. I did some research before I bought my foil, and thought I got the kind that works with top coat, and maybe I did, but I don’t have the best brand. When I was doing my research, I heard about how some prefer to use scrapbooking glue called Best Glue Ever. So, after a number of failed attempts, I bought the glue.

When using Best Glue Ever on your nails, you HAVE TO have a base coat. (When nail foiling in general, it is best to have a base coat of something that matches the foil because even the best results can still have some gaps or cracks.) Because the glue is not designed to adhere to nails it needs to stick to something that is, or it will peel right off.(Any of you remember using Elmer’s glue as a kid, and once it was dry on your hands, you could just peel it off? It’s just like that.)

Since I don’t have silver polish, I chose to use my metallic lavender for a base. Once my nails were completely dry, I put some glue on an old plastic lid. Then, I used a small paint brush to paint on the glue. I did one hand at a time, since the glue needs to dry to where it’s tacky, and not super sticky. The glue also dries clear, so it should be clear when applying the foil. I put the back side of my foil down, the duller side, and pushed down from the middle to the edges. I think I must have used too thin of a coat of glue because I could see my paint brush lines once I was done, or maybe I need a different brush.

Now you are done, do NOT use a top coat. The reason why is because, I learned that most top coats have a chemical reaction to the foil. This reaction causes it to crack and deteriorate. I think there are some topcoats out there that work, I just need to find them. Bad news is, when you don’t have a top coat it will only last a few hours. Luckily for me, I was at the point where I just needed a picture for the blog and I was done.

PS: It took so long to get a good picture of this holographic foil! I kept trying a new angle, changed settings, and finally I just had to manually focus and take the picture all with one hand. Holo’s don’t like their picture taken. 😅