Broken Hearts Pond Mani

Hello Lovelies!  For this week's Weekly Nail Art Challenge (WNAC) prompt the theme is a love/hate pond mani.  Around this time last year I created a Valentine's Day heart pond manicure, at the time I referred to it as Jelly Sandwich Hearts because I was unaware that the technique was actually referred to as a pond manicure.  So, this year I decided to do more of an anti-Valentine's Day design and went with a broken heart pond manicure instead...

Materials I used:
Base coat: Dream Polish 'Smooth Gem'
Sally Hansen's 'Big Smokey Topcoat'
China Glaze 'Seeing Red,' 'Strike a Rose,' & 'Spring in My Step'
Small dotting tool
Small detail brush
Topcoat - Sweet & Sour Lacquer 'Gloss Sauce'

After applying 'Smooth Gem' base coat, currently my favorite ridge filler base, I applied random small dots in a red, medium and pale pink using a dotting tool.  I followed that with a layer of 'Big Smokey Topcoat'.  Then using a small detail brush I painted a heart torn in half.  I followed that with another layer of smokey topcoat.  Then painted more broken hearts over top of this layer.  You can repeat this process for as many layers as you choose, but I recommend 2-3 otherwise you lose your pattern and it can become very busy and messy.

As usual perform any necessary cleanup with gentle acetone and a brush, and apply your favorite topcoat.

I like pond manis because they are not overly complicated.  The most difficult part of a pond mani, is choosing colors that won't wash into each other.  I recommend when creating a pond mani choose highly contrasting tones between your gelly polish and your opaque polish, like black and white, or pale pastels with darker hues.  The contrast in tone will allow you to be able to see you design easier through the gelly layers.

I hope you enjoyed this anti-Valentine's day nail art design, and found the tutorial and tips useful.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,