31 DAY CHALLENGE - DAY 15: DELICATE PRINT!

It's Day 15 of the 31 Day Nail Challenge and that means we're whipping up "delicate print" manis.

Delicate prints conjure up memories of my glamorous cousin Diana's très elegant teenage bedroom, with its plush carpeting, white French Provincial furniture, and English Country style wallcovering.  Same was of a fine woven paper, printed with the repeated renderings of small and delicate (there's that word again) vines and flowers, the kind of prints that would later make Laura Ashley a household name.

So it was that I took to this challenge with an eye toward vintage wallpaper, and began hunting through my collection of image plates, until I found just what I was looking for:  the floral-paisley pattern on Konad's M-64 plate.

Next up, I selected two colors from Nina Ultra Pro's (available online at Sally's Beauty Supply) line of polishes, and then pulled together the rest of my supplies....

1. Palladio Moisture Surge base coat
2. Nina Ultra Pro - Blue La La, a cerulean cream
3. Nina Ultra Pro - Big Spender, a gold foil-metallic
4. NYC Long Wear Extra Shine Top Coat
5. Seche Vite
6. Konad m-64 plate
7. scraper (I use the smooth edge of an old cut-up credit card)
8. Konad stamper

I primed my nails with base coat, and then polished up with two coats of Blue La La, followed by a layer of Seche Vite.

True:  Seche Vite is a fast-dry top coat, but in light of the several Nail Fails I'd had earlier in the day, I decided to let the Seche Vite "cure" for five minutes.

Please forgive the messy cutes....we'll clean up later!

FYI, the Nina polish formula scored points for highly pigmented color and smooth application. Best part:  the brush on this newly-revamped line is fan-freaking-tastic.  Until today, I'd been a die-hard complainer about the wide "pro brush" nail polish trend.  Now?  Having used two polishes out of this line, both with these insanely wide brushes, I'm SOLD!!!!!

"So, Lisa...just how wide IS this brush," you ask.

The brush is SO wide that I could apply one coat of polish with one brush stroke.  Granted, after that coat dried, I went back for a second coat, but the thing is...this brush is wide enough, that as the polish is being pulled from the cuticle, on down to the free edge....with a bit of pressure, the bristles will fan out to cover the entirety of the widening nail bed.  Without making a mess of the cuticles.

That's music to this polish fiend's ears, I tell you.

But back to "delicate prints"....

After the blue base color was bone-dry, I stamped up Big Spender, and applied a layer of NYC Long Wearing Extra Shine Top Coat.  While still wet, I then gingerly applied Seche Vite top coat.

Why did I apply two top coats?

Well, I've noticed that Seche Vite, when applied to dried polish, will "shrink" back the edges.  I've also seen stamped images "bleed" when Seche Vite is run across.

To prevent that from happening, I gently press the image down onto the nail with my index finger (stamped images are dry, when you lift stamper from nail), and then apply a glossy non-shrinking top coat.  THEN, while the top coat is still wet, I slip on the Seche Vite.  The benefits are worth the extra step.  No shrinkage. No bleeding. Long-lasting mani.  Gloriously glossy.  Dries near-instantly.  In other words:  it works like a charm.

Sounds like it all came together, right?

Actually, no.

Here's the problem...
 
Big Spender, stamped over Blue La La, is barely visible....

Fail La La

I'd hoped for more contrast between the blue and gold, and suspect my results would have improved by going with a darker base color, or a less "delicate" stamp.

But, being as the clock  is running down, there won't be another do-over for this here blogger, and this mani is my contribution to the challenge...

a delicate print

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope you have yourself a Great Monday (oxymoron, I know), and that we'll see you, later in the week, for Day 16:  Tribal Print.

In the meantime, be sure to check out what our friends have been up to...

Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Mari at Nailista
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints 
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance 
-Me, Myself, and Polish 

Thanks for stopping by!