Reverse French Tip Using SmArt Nails Stencil

Hello Loves!  I have been craving a silver and blue manicure lately, and I need a reason to use the SmArt Nails Stencils I have had since before Christmas.  This is what I created...

I apologize for the picture being slightly out of focus but the silver that I used made it difficult to get clear pictures.  As you can see I did what I'm calling a reverse French tip on all but my ring fingers, on which I did a normal French tip.  I feel that doing a decorative French tip on my nails makes them look even shorter than they are so I normally avoid doing them.  That is why I decide to reverse the design and created the decorative area near my cuticle.

I started out with one coat each of Ciate 'Knee High,' and Revlon 'Metallic.'  I used these two colors in particular because they are very opaque with one coat, since I will be doing a couple layers this keeps it from getting too thick.  It also gives better coverage when applying one shade over the other.  This silver is also my go to silver because I love it so much.  After applying my base colors I did apply a quick drying top coat, because I am too impatient to let my base colors dry on their own.

With my base polishes dry I used my SmArt Nails Nail Art Stencils.  I won these back in December, on Facebook.  They often do Facebook giveaways, but if you don't want to wait for lady luck to shine favor on you, you can purchase them on their site http://www.smart-nails.com/.  They are running a 25% off sale right now until February 28th and their prices are already phenomenal so check them out.  The stencil that I used for this design is P050, but they have many other designs to choose from.

Using these stencils are no different than using any other nail stencil, tape, or vinyl.  After your base polish is dry, apply the stencil.  Be sure to smooth out the stencil and press it firmly to ensure air pockets don't occur near the edge of the design.  Use your finger or a cuticle pusher to push it firmly down along the edge of the nail bed and cuticle area.  Apply your secondary color, and then immediately remove the vinyl.  It's just that simple!

Some of you might be asking, if these are just like other stencils and vinyls why would I purchase these SmArt Nails Stencils.  Even though they are just as easy to use, SmArt Nails Stencils are very high quality and you can get a couple of uses out of them unlike other products that are one time use.  I used four out of the ten stencils provided in the pack to do both of my hands.  Additionally, there are so many different designs to choose from, whether you like classic, funky, pretty, or romantic designs they have something for everyone.  And did I mention their prices are phenomenal!  If you would like to see another mani I created using SmArt Stencils check it out here.

Back to my design...for my completed look, I applied the design just as seen in the pictorial above on my thumb, pointer, and mid finger.  On my ring finger (silver finger), I flipped the stencil around so that the tip of the nail was exposed and applied my secondary color.  This is the way the packaging shows the stencil being used.  On my pinky I only used the flower part of the design because I felt my pinky was too small for the entire design.  I did a little clean up, applied a top coat and added rhinestones to the center of my flowers.  I'm not sure why, but rhinestones are my thing right now.  I did a macro shoot of this design on my ring finger, to give you a better look at it...

This silver and blue combo satiated my craving for a silver and blue mani, and the SmArt Stencils made it quick and easy to create.  I hope you enjoyed this nail art design, thank you for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,



SmArt Nails - Nail Art Stencil Product Review

I discovered SmArt Nails on Facebook and had been admiring the beautiful nail designs artist were creating with their product for a while. Just before the Holidays they held a Facebook giveaway and I was one of the lucky winners. I got to choose three designs, which was very challenging because they have so many unique and lovely designs to choose from.  I received these a few weeks ago and I finally had some time to try them out.

My first impression when I received the stencils was, these are professional. The packaging, the presentation folder are all professionally printed. On the back of the packaging has very clear direction that anyone can follow. Each set comes with ten stencils enough for a design on each finger. I decided to try out the heart design (P044) first. 

I started with a base color of Lucky Lacquer in 'Alpine Phlox,' & 'Lavender.' I then applied a quick drying top coat because I'm impatient. Just like with any other nail vinyls, stickers, or tapes your base polish needs to be completely dry before applying the SmArt Stencils.

When your base color is dry, place the vinyls, paint your second color and immediately remove the stencils.  This process is the same as any other vinyl or tape.

I wanted to see how well the stencil held up over multiple applications so I used the same stencil on all my fingers on my left hand. Between applications I patted the surface of the stencil with a paper towel to remove excess polish. By the third nail the stencil was beginning to soften. However, it never actually fell apart or lost its shape. It also stuck relatively well on all my fingers.

My final thoughts on the SmArt Nail Stencils are, they are really well made, they are a professional product, and though I didn't purchase these ones I feel the price they ask is very reasonable ($1.99/set). Some of you might be thinking, "okay, another nail vinyl supplier, so what?"  I suggestion you checkout their online catalog. Unlike most other vinyls that offer mostly geometric patterns, chevrons, and straights, SmArt Stencils have a wide variety of designs and patterns that are so much more detailed than most vinyls, offering many more options than most other vinyl suppliers.

SmArt Stencils are a great way to dress up a manicure. They are easy enough to use that anybody that can paint their nails can use them. If you don't have a lot of time but want to do a little something more with your nails SmArt Stencils can help you do just that.  I'll definitely be buying more of these in the future.

I hope you like this nail art and found this product review helpful. Thanks for stopping by, see you next time. 

Your Fellow Plebe,