Clean Nail Tips

The inspiration, via http://whitebison.wordpress.com

I've been putting a lot of work into learning how to make super clean lines when doing nail tips.  Recently, I've decided to use binder hole reinforcers to keep things straight and clean.  I got the idea from all the blogs suggesting use of the reinforcers for half moon manis.  I've never had good luck using just tape for tape manicures, and I was hoping using the reinforcers would keep things a little simpler.


The results:

First attempt (top), using Zoya Austine and Zoya Freja. 

Second attempt (bottom), using Confetti Belle of the Ball and Confetti Purple Reigns. 

Overall, this technique seems to work in theory, but it certainly isn't as simple as it looks.  First, your base color absolutely needs to be dry.  I would recommend letting it dry for at least 20 minutes.  Second, I recommend first sticking the reinforcer to the skin on your hand before sticking it to your nail, which makes it slightly less sticky and less likely to pull your polish off.

The tricky part is getting the sticker to lay totally flat.  As you can tell from my pictures, if the sticker is even slightly sticking up, it results in lumps and bumps.  But I do think this is totally doable for the average person, with some practice.