Acetone Files: Pure Ice Calypso + Squares
Acetone Files
November 7, 2012
Pure Ice Calypso + Nina Blue La La
This manicure is so easy and fun to do I couldn't believe it. Once I figured out the pearl finish layer (see below), the squares look really crisp and awesome, and by the far the easiest tape manicure I've tried.
How I did it: This is an instance where address labels are actually better for this design than that super-thin styling tape. The advantage is address labels, or other square stickers, come cut in perfect 90-degree angles, which you can cut to any size. (I know I sure can't cut straight to save my life!) You could do it with striping tape, but you'd have to line up two pieces to make a square yourself - this saves you a step. Anyway, all you have to do is cut out small squares, making sure to use the machine-cut angles, and carefully - carefully - line them up with the points facing each other, as close as you can get to perfect squares in the positive (tape) and negative (nail) space. Especially be sure the points are just touching, not overlapping, leaving a space between, or sliding horizontally against each other. It takes some eyeballing, but it's worth it. While you're repositioning, try not to touch the sticky bottom of the points you're trying to line up - it makes them lose their sticky after a while, and you want those points razer crisp! I highly recommend also that you tape the squares horizontally, as shown in the picture, not vertically, because it's super easy to stay in the lines when you're painting over your cuticle and tip, versus the sides that tend to touch the nail - so plan your base and top colors accordingly. So then all you have to do is paint over - make sure to get the edges! - and peel off right away. Now, the catch here is you CANNOT patch this design, whether you smudged it or didn't get the tips right. I tried, believe me, it doesn't work. If you mess up a nail, redo the whole thing.
Pure Ice Calypso
Review: This stuff rocks. I lemminged this color from some manicure I saw on TV, even though aqua is usually really not my thing - nor is pearl finish! But this has this luminous quality that attracts me, plus it's more blue than green. Pure Ice, incidentally, is without a doubt the best value nail polish out there. This formula is worth at least $8 but sells for $2. Every Pure Ice I've ever bought, despite different finishes and styles, has been stellar.
(I accidentally planted a kiss on myself. :) I had already done [and fucked up] some squares with the Blue La La in this picture, and I got this huge smudge of it on my hand. I didn't notice until I half wiped it off with a cutip that it looked just like a kiss! Plus, the smearing off with the polish remover made it look even more like a lip print. Cheers.)
Two tries later, I have figured out the pearl finish. My first attempt came out very bubbly - actually lumpy, because of improper application of multiple coats rolling up little bits of the previous coat. Luckily, I fucked up a lot of my Blue La La squares, so I redid most of my fingers, and got the finish almost perfect.
Come to find, when I experimented with other pearl finish polishes I had (but untried), Pure Ice is the absolute best. It is almost a metallic but for the texture; it dries with a sort of matte metallic shine, but it doesn't come out of the bottle like that, you have to build it up from a couple coats, which is normally a pearl thing. (At least, the gold and silver metallics I have don't require more than one coat! Perhaps they're just awesome that way.) However, the matte metal shine only happened with Pure Ice. I tried Orly, China Glaze (both $6) and Wet & Wild ($2), and Pure Ice beat them squarely! The problem with all three was that the formula was too slick. It dries with high shine, but the gelly it's in makes the shiny pearl element streak really bad. You can see it in the toe pictures I finally settled on (Wet & Wild Grey's Anatomy). You CAN smooth it, but you can see the raking lines clearly, whereas they all but disappear with Pure Ice. Perhaps this is a third sort of finish I don't know about? Metallic pearl? Anyway, it's awesome. A+
November 7, 2012
Pure Ice Calypso + Nina Blue La La
This manicure is so easy and fun to do I couldn't believe it. Once I figured out the pearl finish layer (see below), the squares look really crisp and awesome, and by the far the easiest tape manicure I've tried.
How I did it: This is an instance where address labels are actually better for this design than that super-thin styling tape. The advantage is address labels, or other square stickers, come cut in perfect 90-degree angles, which you can cut to any size. (I know I sure can't cut straight to save my life!) You could do it with striping tape, but you'd have to line up two pieces to make a square yourself - this saves you a step. Anyway, all you have to do is cut out small squares, making sure to use the machine-cut angles, and carefully - carefully - line them up with the points facing each other, as close as you can get to perfect squares in the positive (tape) and negative (nail) space. Especially be sure the points are just touching, not overlapping, leaving a space between, or sliding horizontally against each other. It takes some eyeballing, but it's worth it. While you're repositioning, try not to touch the sticky bottom of the points you're trying to line up - it makes them lose their sticky after a while, and you want those points razer crisp! I highly recommend also that you tape the squares horizontally, as shown in the picture, not vertically, because it's super easy to stay in the lines when you're painting over your cuticle and tip, versus the sides that tend to touch the nail - so plan your base and top colors accordingly. So then all you have to do is paint over - make sure to get the edges! - and peel off right away. Now, the catch here is you CANNOT patch this design, whether you smudged it or didn't get the tips right. I tried, believe me, it doesn't work. If you mess up a nail, redo the whole thing.
Pure Ice Calypso
Review: This stuff rocks. I lemminged this color from some manicure I saw on TV, even though aqua is usually really not my thing - nor is pearl finish! But this has this luminous quality that attracts me, plus it's more blue than green. Pure Ice, incidentally, is without a doubt the best value nail polish out there. This formula is worth at least $8 but sells for $2. Every Pure Ice I've ever bought, despite different finishes and styles, has been stellar.
(I accidentally planted a kiss on myself. :) I had already done [and fucked up] some squares with the Blue La La in this picture, and I got this huge smudge of it on my hand. I didn't notice until I half wiped it off with a cutip that it looked just like a kiss! Plus, the smearing off with the polish remover made it look even more like a lip print. Cheers.)
Two tries later, I have figured out the pearl finish. My first attempt came out very bubbly - actually lumpy, because of improper application of multiple coats rolling up little bits of the previous coat. Luckily, I fucked up a lot of my Blue La La squares, so I redid most of my fingers, and got the finish almost perfect.
Come to find, when I experimented with other pearl finish polishes I had (but untried), Pure Ice is the absolute best. It is almost a metallic but for the texture; it dries with a sort of matte metallic shine, but it doesn't come out of the bottle like that, you have to build it up from a couple coats, which is normally a pearl thing. (At least, the gold and silver metallics I have don't require more than one coat! Perhaps they're just awesome that way.) However, the matte metal shine only happened with Pure Ice. I tried Orly, China Glaze (both $6) and Wet & Wild ($2), and Pure Ice beat them squarely! The problem with all three was that the formula was too slick. It dries with high shine, but the gelly it's in makes the shiny pearl element streak really bad. You can see it in the toe pictures I finally settled on (Wet & Wild Grey's Anatomy). You CAN smooth it, but you can see the raking lines clearly, whereas they all but disappear with Pure Ice. Perhaps this is a third sort of finish I don't know about? Metallic pearl? Anyway, it's awesome. A+