manager_1 Is there anything more satisfying than the freshness of a salon manicure? Or, what is worse than staring at your grown-out nail polish? After a gorgeous fresh gel set, I felt lazy and accidentally (on purpose), removed my soft gels. I felt like I had been left naked for the first time since a while and was inspired to do a DIY project that I saw on TikTok.
My friend had sent me earlier in the week a video showing a makeup artist using a silicone sponge to create a French manicure. You can use the bouncy blending tool to make a nail stamper. Once you have painted your polish, apply your polish. My inspo video used electric blue. I chose a cream-white. Finally, press your fingertip into the sponge and release it. Voila!
I started by clipping and filing my nails to salvage them from the damage caused by gels. JinSoon Pixie was my base. it’s one of my go-to sheer pinks, very your-nails-but-flushed vibe. After it dried, I grabbed CND Mover & Shaker, an opaque white linen white, to apply a thick coat of CND Mover & my $4 e.l.f. Silicone sponge. I started pressing my fingers into the sponge while the polish was still damp. Working from thumb to pinkie and making sure to use even pressure to get a clean sweep.
After all my nails had been French-tipped and pressed, I applied an Essie top coat. It was amazing! Although it’s not perfect, some tips are thicker than others. The curvature isn’t uniform. But this was my first attempt. It’s adorable from an arm’s reach and is so much more than any striping brush I could use with my left hand, non-dominant. I also saved $30 and at least 2 hours by skipping the salon this week.
