I like to trim my nails short before I wear a full-image Konad pattern because I think it looks better when my nails are completely covered by the design. To illustrate the difference, below is the same houndstooth pattern with my nails a bit longer.
As you can see the pattern doesn't cover as well near my tips and cuticles. This may not bother you, but it's something to to keep in mind before you stamp if you'd prefer full coverage from your Konad patterns.
For this classic houndstooth pattern I used OPI's "Alpine Snow" and Konad's black stamping polish.
44 comments:
very pretty i love it
That is a really pretty mani; I wish that the images for the full coverage ones were bigger!
I love the colours you have chosen, subtle and gorgeous! By the way - your jewellery is stunning, love your engagement ring!!
That is very pretty!
They look great even though they don't go all the way out on the tip :)Gorgeous ring you have btw. :D
Your nails are right on trend. I opened a magazine the other day, and there were pictures of models in houndstooth going down the runway. I love both styles, but the Espresso/Richelle combo is really neat. I like how it looks like plain old dark polish from afar, but you see the print close up.
I agree, the full image plates are the best! I like this houndstooth, it's really adorable!
Skye, thank you!
gildedangel, gah, me too! My thumb barely gets covered by the full-image plates, even when I trim my nails short. I don't even have large thumbs so surely this is a common issue? They should make double sized full-images; I'd totally buy them. :D
Danielle, thank you very much! :D
Camy and rijaH, thank you! I appreciate the compliments. :)
Deb, really?? Hooray! I don't have any magazines so I'm pleased to hear that houndstooth is being spotted. And I'm really enjoying the brown version I have on now for the same reason you described; my regular Starbucks girl didn't even notice the pattern until I handed her my card and then she got all excited. (She always checks out my nails.) :)
Danica, thank you! I have a much harder time deciding how to place the free-floating Konad images; full-image plates are so much easier. Plus, they tend to look the coolest. :D
Hello dear!
I just got the stamping set, without the nail polishes...
I find it so hard to make a deep black leopard print effect (using the m57 plate) with my regular black nail polish...
Are the Konad nail polishes the only ones that work?
xxxx
tina_mbc, Konad stamping polishes are much thicker than regular polishes so they show up more opaque when used for stamping. You can however, use regular polishes for stamping as well. Just avoid sheers or heavy glitters. Chromes and cremes work best, especially ones that can be worn in one to two coats; then you know they're opaque enough to show up.
Long story short, you don't need to buy Konad stamping polishes to use your new supplies. Tell me, when you press the stamper onto your image plate, does it look like the full picture is being picked up onto the rubber stamp? Is it pressing it onto your nail the part that's not showing up or is it picking up the image onto your stamper the issue?
I have a few suggestions depending on your response, so don't worry; we'll get this figured out. :)
Yes, the full picture is being transferred, but the image on the stamp and consequently on my nails is not as opaque as I 'd like it to be, it's more of a watery black if that makes sense...
I 'm using a black creme, that goes opaque in 2 coats, but apparently it's not pigmented enough to create the effect I want (come to think of it, the layer of colour that we stamp on the nail is more like half a coat, lol)....
Let me know if there's any way around this!
Thanx for all your help!
xxxxx
tina_mbc, it's good to hear that you're not experiencing any issues in picking up your image! Your issue is a simple one to fix; you just need a new black creme. I've tried a few, a Rimmel one wasn't showing up dark enough and a Revlon one was terrible. I have stamped with OPI's "Black Onyx" and that worked wonderfully, so after Konad's black stamping polish it is what I'd recommend.
Also, the lighter your background polish the better your black will show up. I think all you need is a thicker black creme. I've heard of some people actually leaving a polish uncapped for about 20 minutes to thicken it up, therefore making it more suited to stamping. If you don't wish to keep your current black for regular use, you could try that and see if it makes it thick like a Konad stamping polish. If it's still too runny, leave it uncapped for another 20 minutes. Please let me know how your situation works out! :)
I love love love the brown houndstooth pattern on your nails! And I think your nails look great short! Nice design :)
http://caitlinbananas.blogspot.com/
I love both designs! I've seen a hand drawn houndstooth design before and it looks so time consuming to draw. I think I should invest in some Konad stamps. My mom got me another brand before but it was no good at all. It put me off stamping for a while. It seems like Konad is the best one out there at the moment.
Thanx for all your help!
Yes, that was my guess too, that I just need a more intense black nail polish.
The one I have I use it for my regular black manicure, so I guess I need a new one anyways!
Might try "Black Onyx" or get the black and white Konad ones!
Thanx again sweetie, will let you know when I get them how I get on with them!
<3333
xoxoxo
I like it with full coverage also! But having long nails is also lovely. As for you, long or short, your nails still looks great!
woww i like the dark combo on top!! it's gorgeous... something you can wear to work without getting too much attention andddd good for a night out too!
<3
hellaaa cute
I love your blog, and this mani is awesome!
Have you considered doing a houndstooth/french combo, to make up for the gapping?
Also, I hope this is okay to suggest here since it's not related to this mani, but I collect vintage kimono and I would love to see some kind of kimono-themed nail art, maybe using traditional motifs like plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, stylized pine trees, etc?
aw.. they should make the stencils a bit longer to compensate for longer nails huh..
your stamping skills are superb though! :P
Sometimes it takes a while for the designs to come up all perfect on my stamp :P
love the lolita...feel alienated already just looking at it
Both manicures are so pretty. You could do a black French on the longer nails.
One of my favorites!!
Just curious - do you still post on asami.choseit.com? I visited it today and there was a new post that said it was posted today - the 10th.
Love the tutorials/design ideas u post!
I'm houndstooth obsessed -- seriously. I love both houndstooth combos, especially the traditional black and white. So fabulous!
Caitlin, thank you! I like them short too. :)
Jin, oh my gosh, I can't even imagine handpainting houndstooth! Konad is really great, I love it. They make really small sets for people who just want to try it out, and they're only about $10. That might be a good way to sample it if you're not sure that you'd like it.
Nail Fanatic, thank you! Prints definitely look more professional as full coverage, but when I remove it and want to wear French tips I wish I had length again, haha. :)
LOLanne, yay! Yes, that sounds great. The subtle prints are fun but not too loud either. :)
OliviaRENEE, thanks!
Diane, a black tip would have been the perfect solution! I wish I had thought of that when I wore this on longer nails. Seriously, that's a great idea and a good way for me too keep length while still wearing my favorite prints. Thanks! :)
I'm half Japanese and your idea of Kimono prints or traditional motifs is very interesting to me. I'll take it! Thanks for a great suggestion and expect to see a classic Japanese themed manicure up very soon.
*~kAy~*, I would LOVE Konad to make some bigger stamping images! My thumb is always just barely covered, even when I trim my nails short. Thank you for the compliments. Do you have any Konad stamping polish? I always get better results with those since they're so thick.
Crescent, haha, thank you. Didn't mean to make you feel alienated but I'm glad you like the look. :)
Lucy, yeah! That is a great idea. Definitely the next time I wear this look I will add black tips so I can keep length.
ashley nicole, thank you! I love hearing which designs reader's favorites are! :)
bananajuice, I no longer have any control over the old choseit blog. They took my site away from me and have ignored my e-mails asking for an explanation. They keep updating old posts to make it look like I'm still blogging but I'm not. They added tons of ads in the sidebar to make money off of my hard work, so I deleted all my photo links so people would stop going there.
I post exclusively here now. :)
Brooke, thank you! I'm glad I posted a pattern that you're a fan of. :)
Awesome, I'm glad you liked my suggestion. I can't wait to see, and I will definitely share pictures if I attempt your tutorial once it's up :D
Diane, I hope you do give it a try once it's posted! Hopefully it's to your tastes. I've settled on which sort of Kimono pattern I'll be working with, (Kanoko Shibori) because it will not be too hard of a design for most readers to try. I realize it may not be what you had in mind since you mentioned prints like cherry blossoms or plum blossoms, so I will also be posting a separate cherry blossom design as well. This one will be a much more difficult tutorial but it might be closer to what you were imagining. Both posts coming soon! Thanks again for the great ideas. :)
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