Let’s Talk Soak-off Gel Nail Polish

Last February I had my first experience with what is now becoming a major trend in nails; Soak-off UV Gel Nail Polish.  You see my pal Heather Park from SeoulDiva had been raving for months about this NYC salon Sakura and showing off her wicked cool nail art designs using the CalGel brand of soak-off polish.  Heather has managed to get more than a few of her friends hooked on Sakura including MAC Artist Keri B. who has posted some her designs on Twitter. You can read about my experience and see some more CalGel designs HERE. Since that time Fanatics have emailed asking about CalGel and the other brands of soak-off polish on the market, including OPI’s new Axxium product so I’m giving you the 411 on the whole soak-off phenomenon after the jump.

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A Lace Nail Tutorial

I’m sure you remember seeing these amazing lace nails created by Celebrity Manicurist Elle.  I posted about the lace nail trend back in September when Blake Lively and Jennifer Lopez were spotted wearing the look.  Scratch Magazine loved it so much, they featured it on their December cover. Since then I’ve seen various tutorials pop up on YouTube but none of them have looked as good or been as detailed as this one by LovelyInstinct so I thought I’d share. She uses a different method than Elle in that she applies a base coat of color underneath the lace and a lot more products. Those of you that aren’t a fan of seeing your natural nail through the lace, this is a great alternative. To recap, these are Elle’s instructions: 1. Start with a clean nail  2. Brush on Gel Resin  3. Pick a thin Parisian piece of lace and attach   4. Spray with Glue Dry  5. Cut and shape using an embroidery scissor   6. Re-Resin  7. To remove, soak in acetone

Have any of you tried lace nails yet? Do you have any application tricks or tips? If you’re not a DIY gal, would you request this look from your manicurist?

“What’s On Your Nails?” with SeoulDiva Heather Park

What’s On Your Nails? is a series focusing on my fellow beauty bloggers and industry insiders, their favorite nail polish and other hot nail topics. Fanatics, I’m so excited to have multi-talented Heather Park as this week’s WOYN subject.  She’s seriously one of the coolest ladies I’ve ever met.  Without gushing too much, she’s beautiful, has an amazing singing voice, a fun, edgy sense of style and is probably one of the biggest Twitter fanatics I know.  She is responsible for saving me from being a wandering fool backstage at my first fashion show, introducing me to the world of CalGel and connecting me with some of my favorite nail world people like Jin Soon. On top of all that, she’s a total nail fanatic posting her latest CalGel designs on Twitter and her blog SeoulDiva.  Being the proponent of natural nails that I am, it was Heather’s constant raves and CalGel posts that got me to dive head first into the world of Soak-off Gel nails. Check out some of Heather’s favorite designs and learn about the inspiration behind them, after the jump!

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“What’s On Your Nails?” with Marina from Makeup Loves Me

What’s On Your Nails? is a series focusing on my fellow beauty bloggers and industry insiders, their favorite nail polish and other hot nail topics.

Hey Fanatics, I’m back and it’s time to kick off the week with another installment of WOYN?  This week I want you to meet Marina from Makeup Loves Me.  I met Marina at my very first NY Fashion Week as we stood in a torturous, long line for a show only to be rebuffed at the last minute because they invited everyone and their mother.  Regardless, we had a blast gabbing throughout the wait and I always look forward to running into her when I’m in the city.

The last time I saw Marina not only did I not recognize my own polish on her nails (I’m so oblivious!) but she had on the most gorgeous eyelash extensions I have ever seen.  I was jealous on the spot.  To find out that they only cost her $7 from some hole of a salon in one of the boroughs made me even more green. $7??? I can’t even!  It’s Marina’s ability to discover the beauty world’s diamonds in the rough that makes Makeup Loves Me a unique and fun read.

Learn more about Marina, find out what green polish she’s loving and check out her fave CalGel manicure after the jump!
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A Twist on the Ombre or Gradation Manicure

Have you seen the ombre manicure that was featured in InStyle Magazine? In my post on multi-colored nails we saw CND’s version for the Kai Kuhne runway last February that they called a gradation. Either way I think it’s a fun play on the concept of a gradated manicure and much easier to replicate at home. You may remember that I wore a gradated CalGel manicure at NY Fashion Week last season and while I loved the style, it’s not exactly DIY friendly. So I put my twist on ombre multi-colored nails with, what else, a green version. Check it out!

The idea here is to custom blend varying shades of the same color, working across your hand from lightest to darkest. However I went a different route than the method suggested by InStyle. Rather than combine pure white polish into a dark lacquer, having to create 4 separate mixes, I chose a light green and a dark green with similar color traits and blended them to create the mid-tone hues. I selected Illamasqua Milf and RBL Orbis Non Suficit because they both have a slightly grayed, dusty quality to them and I wanted a muted look. Products and Tools: Illamasqua Milf Nail Lacquer Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Suficit Acrylic pigment jars (easily found on eBay or at craft stores) Toothpicks (for mixing) Clean nail polish brush. I used one from an empty polish bottle I bought for frankening.

Tips:
*Have your nails prepped with base coat applied before beginning.
*Apply the polish as soon as it is mixed. Exposure to air will cause it to thicken quickly and dry shortly after.
*Mix the lightest color first and apply immediately before moving on.
*Clean your brush with remover between colors to avoid streaks from previously mixed polishes.
*Regarding my formulas below, I remove the brush from the bottle without wiping it against the sides and the amount that drips off equals one drop.

Note: Because this is a demo I only mixed colors for my middle and ring fingers and left my thumb out. You will want to mix three shades for a full manicure.

Ring finger mix: Start with 7 drops of Milf and add 1 drop of Orbis Non Suficit. For me, the color was darker than I wanted so I added one more drop of Milf.

Middle finger mix: Use an equal amount of both lacquers. 4 drops each of Milf and Orbis Non Suficit.

The Finished Result!What I love about this look is that it’s much softer than the “Skittles Nails” I’ve worn in the past. It’s not as bright and in your face. In fact you could make the variations much more subtle by choosing polishes that are even closer in tone. Or if you follow the InStyle method, adding white polish, your nails could vary by a single drop.

So what do you think of this look? Is this something you’d be willing to try at home? If you’ve done a similar manicure, what shades did you use? I actually received a message from a reader, Sarah, who blended a gorgeous grayed purple version using OPI Siberian Nights and China Glaze Agent Lavendar. Share your creations in the comments!