Vitrage patterns always catch my attention, both in art and home deco. For a long time I was wondering about the possibility to incorporate mosaic elements into a nail design, and unexpectedly a solution was found - nail water decals by KKCenterHk.
The decals I was using are actually not separate pieces or nail strips, it's a single decal sheet which you can cut in whichever shapes you like. Probably that's why it's called DIY water decals. By the way, KKCenterHk has a great variety of decals and patterns, check their web-site to see the whole range. Actually, I was expecting the size of the decal to be larger than it is, in reality it's around 5x7cm, so it's only enough for 1 full manicure if you decide to cut into full nail strips.
So, how was I using it? Firstly, I painted my nails with good old China Glaze Secret Peri-winkle, and then the fun began :)
What you should know about these water decals is:
- you have to remove the protection film! Very important.
- you have to cut the desired shape before dipping the decal into water.
- you have to soak these decals longer than usual: 10 to 15 mins according to the KKCenterHk web-site, I'd say you better wait up to 15 and then gently try to remove the paperback. If it slides - then the decal is ready to be placed on your nails.
- you have to be gentle and careful all the time, these decals are very thin, especially without the paperback.
- you have to use the top coat over the decals, 2 coats are even better than one.
To be honest, I had to practise a bit before I managed to place the nail stripes accurately and seal them. While wet, the decal slides over your nail, which is good cuz you can reposition it at any time, but also tricky when you try to keep it on place. Working with smaller pieces (i.e. not full nail) is much easier, and next time I will rather cut just parts of the patterns.
Overall, I liked the experience of playing around with these decals - it was also quite new for me. Still way to go to reach the perfect application but I'm looking forward to further practising! :)
*The water decals were kindly provided by KKCenterHk PR team for my consideration. In this post I expressed my honest and unbiased opinion about the product.
