Stained Glass Twin Nails

Today I have a fun twin mani that I did with Tracey, also known as @missbellatracey on Instagram.

She suggested we do a neon stained glass mani, so I picked a few neon shades from my collection that would somewhat match her OPI neon set (that I totally covet! Even though they're not technically neon...they're so pretty!) I can't speak for her, but mine are WAY brighter in person, as is often the case with neons. Even with that, I think they both turned out really great!

Image property of @just1nail

As soon as Tracey mentioned stained glass, I knew I wanted to recreate this adorable design by @just1nail on Instagram. I've had a screenshot of this mani in my "to recreate" folder since she first did it! I was surprised when I went back to her account grab a shot to share here, and saw that it was originally posted 24 weeks ago! Man, I really took my time with this one. But it was worth the wait.

For this mani, I started with a base of Essie - Grow Stronger, which gives a somewhat milky, sheer base, ideal for negative space. I then used one of my Winstonia brushes in a black polish to outline the "shards," and filled in random bits in white. Then, I filled the white parts in using, alternatively, Sinful Colors - Dream On (purple), China Glaze - Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and China Glaze - Peonies & Park Ave (pink). Once the colors were filled in, I went back over the black lines to make them a bit sharper. I topped everything with a coat of Seche Vite to make sure everything was dry, then two coats of Sally Hansen Big Matte Topcoat. If your'e applying any matte top coat to a detailed design like this one, I highly recommend starting with a coat of quick dry topcoat first--matte topcoats are notorious for smearing.

Ironically, I told Tracey that I wished I had made my "shards" a little bigger, and she said she wished she had made hers smaller. Just goes to show you that we're always our  own worst critics. This whole process took me FOREVER, but I absolutely love the turn out! I hope you like them, too. Be sure to check out my partner in crime on Instagram for more fabulous designs on her perfect nail beds!