How to use nail gel polish stickers?
In search of the best ideas for manicure, more and more often modern women began to resort to alternative methods of painting nails - stickers. And if to unenlightened women the stickers seem to be something complicated, those who have already met them successfully use this material to effectively complete different sets. The material of this article will tell you about the features of manicure stickers, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as how to work with them.
Peculiarities
Stickers for gel polish are transfer prints of various shapes and sizes, which are transferred from the existing substrate to the surface of the prepared and painted nail. Depending on the variety, the material has its own nuances of use. At the same time, a distinctive feature of this decor is the fact that it is located under the sealing coating.
Therefore, the sticker is reliably protected from external factors and does not deteriorate while wearing a manicure.
Household chemicals do not harm him, ultraviolet rays, cold, as well as accidental mechanical touches are not terrible.
The picture can be printed with one or several layers of special hybrid materials. Depending on this, the stickers can be used in a wide variety of manicure techniques. For example, the multi-layered sealant allows you to create an aquarium design in which even simple stickers look three-dimensional.
In general, the use of various stickers allows you to significantly diversify any technique of manicure, from classic and jacket to a combined design using three techniques. The stickers themselves are a thin film with a specific pattern. Depending on the shape and size, they are glued to a part of the nail, and sometimes they fill the entire area of the nail plate. Moreover, in the second case, the film itself is a kind of nail hardener.
Advantages and disadvantages
Nail stickers for gel polish have many advantages. Almost all varieties are easy to work with, which cannot but rejoice those who perform manicure on their own at home. Moreover, the products have a fairly affordable price, and therefore each of us can buy them. The images themselves are distinguished by the clarity of the lines and the brightness of the shades. This is also true for manicure, since clear lines give the design a neatness.
Considering the richest thematic and color range, choosing the right options will not be difficult. Today, the list of prints of all kinds of nail stickers is so diverse that even the most discerning woman can find suitable ones, say, for her purse, neckerchief, jewelry or shoes. In addition, the desired print can have several color shades. Due to this, you can choose a product both in a range related to the accessory, and in tone.
Stickers are also good in that they save the general time of the manicure. Moreover, some varieties can be disguised as art painting, thereby increasing the status of manicure. This technique is used by nail service professionals when their clients are late but ask to make an artistic design on accent nails. Moreover, some stickers can be combined with each other, creating interesting compositions.
It should be noted that working with stickers does not require special knowledge and hard-to-find materials.
Today, the nail sphere is trying to simplify any work of the master, and therefore we have the opportunity to purchase auxiliary substances that allow us to correct minor flaws in the process. For example, with the same primer, you can dissolve the folds, and close the protruding elements with the top. For the rest, a minimum of tools is required for translation.
As for the shortcomings, they can all be associated with the nuances of the work and the quality of the stickers themselves. For example, this can be the quality of the film itself and its thickness. There are cases when it simply breaks apart in the process of spreading on the nails. It cannot be said unequivocally that all budget options are bad, because the main part of the quality of work depends on the accuracy of the master. And the thin sticker can be glued well without rush.
If we talk about nuances, then we rarely listen to the recommendations of specialists. And therefore, in the case of detachment, we attribute the blemish to the shortcomings of the material. It is important to understand that when working with stickers there are a number of rules that must be followed.
At the same time, the technology should not be violated by insufficient drying or carelessness.
The second nuance leads to the formation of folds, which significantly spoil the visual perception of the design.
Views
Stickers on nails for gel polish are different both in the material of manufacture and in the form of release. In addition, they may differ in thickness, which is the reason for the dissatisfaction of non-professionals who learn to work with such a decor. However, if the master comes across an elastic film, there are no problems with the work. Such a sticker can be pulled up to the desired area of the nail to cover the selected part.
In general terms, stickers can be monochrome, black or white, as well as colored. In addition, in different lines you can purchase metallized options for gold, silver or even bronze, which today is considered a rather fashionable nail decoration.In total, we can conditionally distinguish several types of nail stickers that are used under gel polish.
Slider design
In fact, these stickers are analogous to the once popular water-type decals. This is a film on a paper backing that must be removed by soaking. These pictures are insular (for a part of the nail) or whole (occupying the entire area of the nail). As a rule, sliders are sold in sets in a certain color scheme with similar motives.
Varieties of one-piece type for hands can include from 10 elements or more. The analogs for the feet consist of two stickers on the thumbnails. Depending on the brand of the manufacturer, the pictures may have an approximate shape that makes them easier to cut. If they are rectangular, they will have to be carefully adjusted to the size of the specific nail plates to be decorated. In addition, a set can contain many tiny pictures.
Self-adhesive
These stickers today can have a different backing. In addition to paper, it can be made of thick transparent film. Pictures of this type themselves are often voluminous, which can complicate their sealing. Some of them are three-dimensional, creating the illusion of volume. Other features include the appearance of the stickers themselves, it can be either applied or presented in the form of a strip, which is cut to the size of the nail.
These products have a slightly sticky backing, and therefore they are easily separated from the base and do not need to be soaked.
To some, such stickers seem difficult to work with, although in this case, detachment can appear only in two cases: when applied to an unfinished gel polish and if the technology is not followed. At the same time, you can stick qualitatively not only a small picture, but also a variant on the main part of the nail.
ribbon
Such a transfer material appeared on the horizon of nail art not so long ago, but it has already been highly appreciated by the masters of nail service. Depending on the variety, it can be a foil four centimeters wide, reaching a length of 1 meter. They sell it cut or rolled, packing it in plastic containers with twist-off lids. In addition, the line includes types: sheet, embossed, compressed, each of which has its own characteristics.
For example, the transfer material requires the use of special glue, the sheet variety is used in the form of a casting layer or small fragments in the form of some figures.
The compressed material resembles gold leaf and is often used for aqua design. The embossed version is used for complex structured nail design. Foil strips are easy to work with, they are used over gel polish on a dry base.
Thermal Stickers
These stickers need to be heated before being applied to the painted substrate. In fact, these are metallized varieties that are somewhat similar to water decals, only the fixation process requires heating. For this, a lamp is used in the work; without heating, the decor will be characterized by stains. The sticker gets its shape after activating the sticky base.
These stickers must be adjusted to the desired shape in advance, and try to select the size as accurately as possible, since any inaccuracy will affect the result.
There cannot be any folds or air pockets. It is not difficult to glue such material, but some practice is desirable for a quality result. The texture of thermal stickers can be matte and glossy, which significantly enriches the design possibilities, allowing you to combine decor with one or another texture of gel polish in the form of a contrast reception.
How to glue?
Today, you can decorate your nails using various stickers yourself at home. It is not difficult to do this step by step, but you need to apply various decorative materials correctly.This is possible with full compliance with the standard instructions used by professionals. Let us briefly outline the main methods of work.
Preparation of the base
The preliminary phase of work will be a hygienic manicure, which can be edged or European (unedged). In the first case, the nails are soaked, the cuticle and pterygium are cleaned, the excess skin around the nail is cut off. European manicure is performed using a special cuticle remover gel. At the same time, they do not use cutting tools at all, the cuticle is not cut, but pushed back.
The second stage of working with gel polish stickers is the preparation of nails. As a rule, they are buffed before applying the first coat. This process is nothing more than light grinding, which is performed with a soft grinder (buff). It does not polish, but removes the gloss that interferes with the strong adhesion of the varnish to the nail itself. You cannot use a regular file for this, as it will raise the scales and create grooves on the surface of the nail plate.
The third step is to create the desired underlay. It usually starts with a coat of primer, which can be primed.
It will strengthen the nails and increase the level of adhesion of the nail with subsequent applied layers.
It is applied in a thin layer, then dried in a special lamp for the required time (depending on the type of lamp and can range from half a minute to two minutes). Further, the process will depend on the type of decorative material used.
Water Stickers
To glue such a decor, they are determined with its variety. If it is a picture with a transparent background, a colored background is required. A base coat is applied to the dried primer and dried in a lamp. After that, the nail is painted with the desired color, the gel polish is dried. In case of insufficient pigmentation of the varnish, the stage with nail painting and drying is repeated. Next, they start working with the sticker.
The picture is cut out according to the approximate shape of the nail, the protective film is removed from above and placed face up on a napkinsoaked in cold water. Apply a base (top, ultrabond) to the nail in a thin layer, do not dry it, remove the sticker from the paper backing with tweezers and spread it on the nail. After that, the design is dried in a lamp, slightly increasing the polymerization time. The excess length is cut off, then the sticker is sealed with a layer of base and top. Each of them is dried after application.
When the picture has sufficient thickness, you can skip the substrate under it. You can glue it directly onto the base, applied over the dried primer. If wrinkles appear in the process, they can be dissolved by lightly touching the primer brush. You can also seal the design with one top.
On a sticky backing
Self-adhesive pictures are easy to glue, but you can't do without basic steps here. First, the nail is stained, for which the base is applied and dried, then the step with the pigment is repeated in a similar pattern.
It is important to dry the nail well in the lamp, otherwise the sticky backing will not be able to fix securely.
After the nail dries, take a pre-prepared sticker, cut to the desired size, and stick it to the nail.
Now you need to give him at least two or three minutes so that the material has time to take the rounded shape of the nail. If you do not wait a while, the sticker will very quickly come off the base, despite the sticky layer. After the time has passed, you can fix the design with one or two layers of topcoat. Residual stickiness must be removed without fail.
We glue the foil
With regard to fixing the foil material, everything will depend on the type of foil. If it is a tape-like transfer foil, a special white glue is applied to the pigmented nails. When dry, it becomes transparent. As soon as this happens, start drawing. For this, a piece of tape is prepared in advance, cutting it off to approximately the desired size (preferably with a small margin).
Noticing that the glue has become transparent, the print is pressed to the nail quite tightly and pressed down. In this case, you can walk on it with your fingertips, but not with your nails, so as not to damage the coating.
Correcting the print will not work, and therefore you need to work carefully right away.
Tear-off foil is glued according to this principle. The strips are cut and glued onto the dried pigment, trimming off the excess with tweezers.
Thermo
Stickers that need to be heated are also impossible to adhere to untreated nails. To begin with, a high-quality hygienic manicure is performed with the processing of the nail plates, leveling their length and giving the desired shape. After the marigolds are filed, buffed, they are degreased, thereby increasing the percentage of adhesion of the nail with all applied varnish materials. Next, proceed to the preparation of the stickers themselves.
To do this, they are heated by sending them under the light of an ultraviolet lamp, in which the gel polish is dried.
After that, each sticker is laid out on the nail and straightened as carefully as possible, avoiding the formation of folds. All excess has to be folded, so you need to adjust the size in advance. Next, the nail is dried in a lamp, the shape is corrected and the design is sealed with a layer of topcoat.
Design ideas
Ideas for decorating nails with stickers can be very diverse. As a rule, the design depends on the wishes of the client and the professionalism of the master. For example, all nails are not painted with stickers, as this destroys even the high status of a manicure. Despite the fact that the client can independently choose certain pictures, they will be dosed so that they look effective and expressive in the design.
The master determines the type of manicure and thinks about how best to use the option chosen by the woman.
For example, if it seems to you that you can apply stickers on all French nails, then a French salon design can have no more than three or four such accents.
From the stickers, you can create a fancy jacket pattern (for example, in the form of lace, monograms). And also with stickers, you can create a design with holes: you can stick geometric shapes at the base.
A design with a 3D effect will look beautiful, while you can seal a sticker with a pattern not only with a modeling agent, but also with several layers of top, creating a semblance of an aquarium effect. You can complement the design with sand, sparkles, multi-colored confetti, dried flowers. This design will look especially beautiful on long extended nails using the French technique.
You can design the entire area of the accent nail, and then decorate it with a rhinestone or crystal.
However, for inlay, it is better to choose pictures that have places for the location of sparkling decor.
For example, you can decorate a slider with a picture of a cobweb, flower, branch with small pebbles. Rhinestones that imitate dew drops on a leaf will look beautiful.
If you want to make the sticker look like an artistic painting, you should choose an image in watercolor technique. To create the desired illusion, a few strokes or even contours created with acrylic paints or gel directly on top of the slider will be enough. They take a thin brush and paint on the contours with it. By the way, you can add glitter to the watercolor slider, creating the effect of silver or gold dust.
In other cases, it can be used for decorating broth. A design with a print in the form of an ear can look beautiful if you add an ear, instead of grains, with crystals. Rhinestones can be used for a picture of a cat, decorating the eyes of the animal. By the way, sparkling decor can mask the flaws of the work. For example, the same rhinestones can be used to hide the resulting fold or tear on the film.
Beautiful examples
Evaluate the possibilities of decorating nails with stickers stylish examples of a photo gallery will help:
- a chic option for decorating an evening dress;
- stylish solution for bright personalities;
- an option for a vacation or a trip to the sea;
- gentle summer design for a romantic nature;
- original design to complete the summer bow;
- spectacular ethnic design;
- bright manicure with a slider design;
- the use of seasonal themes in manicure design;
- beautiful nail decor using floral prints;
- option using openwork lace on accent nails.
How to make a nail design with sliders for gel polish, see the next video.