gold leaf manicure Archives | peanut butteredpeanut buttered

this week’s tuesday talons is dedicated to my friend vanessa, who asked me recently if i could do a gold leaf manicure tutorial on the blog. i didn’t have anything else particularly exciting lined up for this week, so here it is! we are ever so obliging here at pb.

there are a number of gold leaf tutorials floating around that do a smooth, flat, entire nail covering gold leaf. but personally, i preferred this gold leaf-flecked look. two reasons: i had a little pot of crumpled gold leaf handy rather than a flat sheet, and attempting to smooth out a crumpled gold leaf is like trying to cram your sleeping bag into that little sack after camping. it will end in tears.

also, gold leaf is so delicate that no matter how good your top coat, little pieces will inevitably peel off within a day of application. this look is far more forgiving, allows for a few mistakes and if anything looks nicer as it gets more ‘flecked’ due to wear. if you want a smoother gold leaf look, the beauty department do a tutorial here.

i opted for a clean clear base and gold flecked tips. paint on your clear base coat and wait about five to ten seconds for it to become tacky. using tweezers, apply a piece of gold leaf to the end of the nail and gently pat down with a dry finger. wait a minute and apply two clear top coats to lock in the gold leaf. when dry, file down the excess gold leaf.

i had lots of little bits of excess gold leaf, so decided to make the thumb nails accents with a smattering of gold leaf over the entire nail. again, the look improves with wear, i think.

i adore the antique feel of the flecked gold leaf and how the design changes within hours of application as you go about your business. it’s one of those forgiving manicures where you’re not aiming for perfection – my favourite kind.

do you have a manicure in mind that you’d like to see on pb? let us know! i’m always open to suggestions and requests so if you have something in mind, tell me in the comment section, on twitter: @peanut_buttered or @andreamagrath, or on facebook.

p.s. peanut buttered were featured on the blogger spotlight on one of our favourite nail brands, mavala, this month! you can read our interview here.

p.p.s have you entered our giveaway yet? to win a gorgeous ppq shangri-la palette, either:

follow peanut buttered on twitter, and mention us in a tweet with ‘i love ppq and peanut buttered’
like us on facebook and write ‘i love ppq and peanut buttered’ on our wall

i have been impatiently awaiting the arrival of some nail art stamps purchased online for a good week now. dozens of designs will soon be at my fingertips. unfortunately, they didn’t arrive in time for this week’s post, but in my excitement for all the pattern-y fun to come, i was determined to bring you something just as artistic this week.

just like the gradient design using sponges we did a fortnight ago (speaking of, apologies for last week’s blip, DIY and decorating do not a good manicure make, and these hands were not fit to be seen in public) – stamps, sponges and the like really do create the best nail art for the dexterously challenged. if you don’t have the steady hand to draw on stripes and spots, you don’t have to miss out, as dabbing on a pretty pattern is just so dang easy.

stone effect manicure, tuesday talons, gold leaf manicure, the beauty department, peanut buttered blog, peanutbuttered.com

inspiration from my travels

during one of my daily scours of the net for inspiration for new designs and styles, i came across this idea for a stone effect manicure on my old favourite, the beauty department. ‘ooh!’ i thought, ‘so whimsical, so pretty! my two favourite things!’ this look reminds me of the unique stone rings i fell in love with in the little jewellery stores of santorini.

start with a base coat of turquoise or mint (i had mavala blue mint 181 to hand) – paint on two coats and allow to dry completely. next, you need some cling film (glad wrap). scrunch up a piece and paint on your next colour – gold, silver or bronze. i adore the metallic shade from topshop i used, it changes colour from different angles.stamp the cling film lightly on some paper to get rid of the excess, and dab on your nail bed lightly. you can be pretty haphazard, it will look great no matter what! you’ll need to re-apply the polish onto the cling film about two or three times to get all ten nails done. just ensure there is only a light layer of the polish on the cling film, or it will be thick and gloopy and won’t create the effect you’re after.

allow to dry, finish with a top coat and clean up the edges. the manicure is so easy, but looks so beautiful and like it took a lot of hard work. shhh, we won’t tell if you won’t! you could try this look with purple, amber, even black – send us your pictures of your results on twitter or facebook!

we’d love to hear from you – tweet us @peanut_buttered or @andreamagrath or you can follow us on facebook here

share the love

share the love