Valesha of PeachyPolish.com is a guest contributor to the Cirque Colors blog. Read on for an ikat nail art tutorial using the "decal" technique featuring our Vice 2016 Collection.
Hi lovely people! Thanks for stopping by my blog again today! If you came by earlier in July, you probably saw my swatches of Cirque Colors’ new Vice Collection and maybe even a little of the color block nails I created using the collection. Well today I’m back with more nail art using this amazing collection of neon cremes. It’s even a design I’ve never done before! I was nervous and excited all at once to try a design that I couldn’t quite grasp in the past and in the end, I’m so happy with the outcome! If you’d like to find out how to do these Ikat nails using Cirque Colors’ 2016 Vice Collection, keep on reading!
Step 1
As always, start off with clean, manicured nails. Push back your cuticles, shape your nails using a nail file, like the Cirque Colors Crystal Nail File, finish off with some of Cirque Colors' Tea Tree Cuticle Oil and let it soak into your skin, leaving your cuticles nice and hydrated. Don’t forget to wipe the excess oil off your nail bed with isopropyl alcohol or 100% acetone before you start painting.
Step 2
Apply a coat of Cirque Colors’ Hold Fast Base Coat to a silicone mat and allow it to dry.
(If you aren’t familiar with silicone nail art mats, you can buy them from a lot of brands, there are even people who use silicone baking mats! The mats are made of a flimsy silicone material and you can use them to create decals, swatch nail polish, drop puddles of polish on to create nail art, etc. You don’t even need any nail outlines, like I use here. The silicone mat does the work and the outlines are just an added bonus. I like using a silicone mat for the more complicated nail art designs such as this because it helps me have a clearer view of the area I’m working on and I get more precise lines since it’s a flat surface and my nail has a strong C-curve.)
Step 3
Next, put on a layer of your base color. I used Cirque Colors High Roller for the base but you could use any color from the Vice Collection.
Step 4
Apply a second coat of High Roller. Allow this to dry.
Step 5
Take a very thin nail art brush, and use Cirque Colors Carpe Diem to paint uneven lines in a diamond or triangle shape. Depending on your nail size and shape, you might only need to do triangle shapes since more than one full diamond won’t fit on your nail. I chose to go with 2 offset triangle shapes since my nails are really short right now. Allow Carpe Diem to dry.
Step 6
Using the same technique in Step 5, use Rehab, Electric Daisy, Plastik or Sin City to do a smaller diamond shape or triangle on top of the white shapes. Allow it to dry.
Step 7
Again, using the same technique in the previous 2 steps, create an even smaller diamond or triangle shape on top of the colorful shapes using Memento Mori and then do the same along the outside of the white diamond or triangle shape. Wait for the entire design to dry.
Step 8
Time to get this design on your nails! Apply a layer of Hold Fast Base Coat to your first nail. While the base coat is still tacky (not completely wet or completely dry) quickly proceed to the next step.
Step 9
Peel up the decal and then attach it to your nail (do one at a time) Use your finger to press down the decal and push out any bubbles. Use the edge of a cuticle pusher or cuticle scissors to remove the excess edges of the decal and a nail file to file off the excess on the free edge of the nail.
Step 10
Clean up any excess left on the edges using a brush and acetone.
Step 11
Repeat steps 8 – 10 for the rest of your nails. Once you are finished, apply Cirque Colors’ Liquid Laminate Top Coat to finish off your design and give it a nice shine.
And just like magic, you are finished!
I should note, you can always do this directly on your nails of course! Whichever way you are more comfortable with, you can do it that way. You can also use just a couple of the colors from this collection and still get an amazing look! It’s really up for interpretation. Any way you go about it, it’s going to look fabulous!
I hope you had fun reading this! I know I had fun creating my very first Ikat mani which frankly was long overdue! Once again, if you choose to recreate the design, make sure you tag me and Cirque Colors on social media! :)
You can find all the polishes you need to create this look on Cirque Colors' website.
You can also follow Cirque Colors on social media here
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About:
Valesha is the blogger behind PeachyPolish.com. Her work has been featured by Deborah Lippmann, Zoya, China Glaze, Sally Hansen and Nail It! magazine. She's collaborated with brands such as KBShimmer and Rescue Beauty Lounge to create polishes that convey her love for everything colorful and sparkly. When she's isn't polishing her nails, she's spending time with family and friends, cuddling with her two Siamese kitties, furthering her Graphic Design skills, binge-watching all of her favorite TV shows and enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband.
