2 mins
STEP-BY-STEP: 3D flowers
KIT LIST
• Kirsty Meakin Acrygel in Pink Marshmallow
• Celina Rydén Crystals in Clear & Light Rose
• Sorting tool
• Striper brush
• Two plastic sheets
Magpie Beauty products:
• Perfect Poly Acrygel in Ice Baby
• ARTYgel Gel Paint in White
• Blooming Gel in Blooming Lovely
• Gel Colour in Come on Eileen, Hollywood, Green Jellie, Apple Sour, Strawberry Lace, Lilo-Lil and Ugly Betty
• Flake Dust in Jude and Trixiebelle
• Nail Glitter in Isla
• Build Me Up Builder GelPot in Clear
• Top It Off Top Coat
• Angle One Stroke 4 Brush
Step 1 Sculpt a nail extension or use a tip to create length. Apply pink acrygel using the reverse French method and cure. File to create a crisp smile line, and paint a French tip using white gel paint. Cure.
Step 2 Apply a blooming gel on top of the white tip, but do not cure. Place dots of four chosen green gel polish colours onto a palette and swirl them around using a dotting tool. Use an angled gel or one stroke brush to pick up sections of the swirled gel, and apply to the French tip. The blooming gel will spread the shades. Cure when you are happy with the look.
Step 3 Apply flakes and glitter to the green area on the nail and encapsulate using clear acrygel. Cure and refine the shape. Apply top coat and cure.
Step 4 To create the petals, first mix each of your chosen three pink gel polish shades with a small amount of builder gel. Place dots from light to dark onto a sheet of plastic and use a striper brush to pull into a teardrop shape. Place another piece of plastic carefully on top and cure.
Step 5 Peel each petal from the plastic and affix to the nail using builder gel. Flash cure as you create the flower shape. Apply top coat to the petals and fully cure.
Step 6 As you apply the petal layers, alter the colours of the petals so they get darker towards the centre of the flower, creating more depth.
Step 7 Using the same technique to create petals (but pinching the inner edges), craft a smaller flower underneath the first.
Step 8 Use the plastic sheet technique with green gel polish shades to create leaves. Apply to the nail in clusters, with the thin edge pointing outwards.
Step 9 Add crystals to the nail if desired. Fix with a strong gel and apply top coat to secure.
To read my blogs about my World’s Star Nail Artist competition journey, visit www.katypnailartist.com.