Water Decals Again!

I had only ever used nail tattoos (water decals) once before.  That was last fall.  I blogged about it.  I actually forgot exactly how to apply them, so I referred to that post before getting started today (http://ten-digit-design.blogspot.com/2014/09/nail-tattoos.html).  

I started out with a base coat of Sally Hansen Double Duty.  I then painted two coats of polish on each nail.  On my thumbs and ring fingers (my accent nails) I used Sinful Colors Snow Me White.  I used Essie Loophole on the rest of the nails.  I then used tweezers to apply the tiny mirrored stickers on the silver nails.

Before I even started painting my nails, I cut out pieces from the small sheets of nail tattoos I got from Walmart ("Heart 2 Art" brand).  I cut them so they were roughly the shape of my nails.  When I was ready to apply them, I filled a shot glass with water and then used tweezers to pick one up and dip it into the water for a couple seconds.  I then gently pressed the tattoo over my nail for ten seconds and then carefully slid off the paper backing.  

There was a bit of excess tattoo at the end of some of the nails, so I took a nail buffing file and lightly filed the end of the nail with the non-abrasive side until I could easily pull off the excess.  I used my tweezers and gently pressed them along my cuticles to break off any excess there.  Acetone on a nail art brush can help you to remove the tiny bits that may be left over.  I'd suggest getting as much off as you can before resorting to the acetone because it melts the excess tattoo and creates a sticky residue. 

To minimize cleanup, try to cut the tattoos as close to your nail shape as you can.  You can see on my ring finger that I accidentally wrinkled the tattoo while applying it.  You need to be very careful when sliding off the backing.  It isn't as noticeable in person, though.  Once you get the hang of these, they're actually a breeze to apply and clean up.  I would definitely recommend trying them out!  They are a lot of fun! 

I finished off with two coats of Sally Hansen Dries Instantly.

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