Hey, it's Sandi, and in today's video we're going to be talking all about special nail powders that are very trendy right now.
Juli will be showing you how to perfectly apply chrome, holo and mermaid powder on your nails,
using both regular nail polish and gel polish.
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Hi, it's Juli. Now let's get started with the tutorial.
First up, I'll be showing you how to apply chrome powder over top of regular nail polish.
Begin with clean bare nails. Next we're going to need to apply a base coat to protect our natural nails.
Now, pick a base color. I'll be using black to get a true chrome effect,
but feel free to try the chrome over any base color you'd like.
I applied two coats of the black polish for maximum opacity then let it dry for about five minutes.
After that, we're going to need to apply a top coat, to get a nice smooth surface.
Chrome powder really emphasizes bumps,
so you're going to want to make sure that you have a super smooth surface to avoid that.
I h ave heard that you need to use a special topcoat when using chrome powder with regular polish
but I found this method works just fine with any topcoat
as long as you follow this next step. Let the topcoat dry until it's dry to the touch,
but it's still in the dentible stage.
Now using your finger pick up just a little bit of the powder and carefully dab it onto the nail.
It's important to use your finger, so that you can feel how much pressure you're applying and
avoid smudging the polish that's not yet set underneath.
Once you have dabbed the powder all over the entire nail, begin to lightly buff the powder into the polish and
just keep buffing until most of the pigment is pressed into the nail.
To get a super shiny finish, make sure your fingertip has cleaned up excess powder,
then give the nail surface one more light buff.
Now repeat the process for the rest of your nails, dabbing the powder over the nail
then lightly buffing it in and don't forget to get the free edge and the sides of your nail as well.
To clean up some of the mess, next I used a flat kabuki brush and buffed away the excess,
but this powder is so finely milled it kind of just ended up spreading it everywhere,
but I did get the bulk of it off.
So, I went and wash my hands with cold water and carefully towel dried them and
as you can see, I didn't lose any pigment.
You can stop here and not apply topcoat,
but your mani will only last about a day until the powder starts to rub off.
To lock the powder in you're going to need to apply a topcoat.
However, applying a regular topcoat will for the most part get rid of the shiny chrome effect
and leave you with a glittery finish.
So to avoid that you can either apply a layer of gel topcoat, or use a water-based topcoat.
Next up, I'll be showing you how to apply holographic powder over gel polish.
Once again, I'll be starting with clean bare nails. To prep the nails for gel I next applied a nail dehydrator.
This just gets rid of any excess oils on the nail to ensure this the gel adheres properly.
Next I applied a thin layer of base coat gel and cured it in my led lamp according to the gels instructions.
After that, I'll be using a black gel polish
but again
you can use any color you'd like for your base.
Because my black gel wasn't super opaque,
I did end up doing three thin coats of black polish, curing between each layer and
if you get any gel on your skin, don't forget to remove it before you cure.
Remember that it's better to keep your gel layers thin to ensure proper curing
and don't forget to cap the free edge.
Next you'll need a no wipe topcoat gel. This is a key step to the gel application process.
Apply a thin coat to all of your nails and make sure to cover the color completely.
After your topcoat is cured, it's time for the holographic powder.
I'll be using a silver one from Whats Up Nails.
To apply the powder, I'll be using an eyeshadow sponge applicator,
but you can also use one of those cosmetic sponges, a silicone tool thing or even your finger again.
It's totally up to you. Pick up a small amount of the powder
and I mean a little bit goes a long way and just start buffing it into your nail.
Since these gel nails are cured you really don't need to be gentle about this method,
so don't be afraid to really push the powder into the nail and remember to get the sides and the free edge.
And just like with the chrome, just keep buffing until you're happy with the effect.
After that, I remove the excess with my little kabuki brush again,
and apply the layer of gel topcoat to seal in the powder.
Cure one more time and that's it.
Super shiny rainbow holographic nails.
And like with all holographic things the effect is most dramatic in hard lighting or sunlight,
so you're not getting the full effect with my soft, even lighting here. and lastly I'll show you how to apply mermaid Powder here
And lastly I'll show you how to apply mermaid powder.
Here I've already applied my base coat gel and cured. For this particular color of mermaid powder
I found that light colors look best, so I'll be using this pastel purple gel polish for my base.
I applied two coats curing in between each layer to get a nice opaque color.
Mermaid powder is a little different in consistency
compared to the chrome and holographic powder. It is much greittier and has a sugar-like texture.
So to apply the powder,
pick some up on your finger and dab the powder all over the sticky layer on your gel polish,
and by sticky layer I mean the inhibition layer you get after you've cured your nails, not wet gel.
Like with the chrome powder, just keep rubbing the powder into the sticky surface
until most of the powder is absorbed and again
be sure to get into the very edges of your nail and the free edge.
Keep buffing until the surface is smooth
and there's no longer a gritty texture. Then just brush away the excess and that's it.
Finish off with a layer of top gel to seal in the mermaid effect.
Then cure one more time and remove the final sticky layer with gel cleanser on a lint-free wipe.
This mermaid powder looks super cool in different lightings.
Sometimes it's blue and flashes a pink and sometimes it's more pink with an orange flash.
And that's it. Three ways to apply three super cool effect powders.
Let us know in the comments which powder was your favorite.
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