Nail Polish Textures

Hi Tory,

I talk a lot about different textures when I do my nail art tutorials, and you may be wondering what I mean by that. Nail polish is surely just that sticky glossy stuff that comes in millions of different colours?

Not so. The finish of the dried polish can give different effects, and combining them makes for very interesting nail art! Here are some examples of using the finishes to make the art:

The different textures or finishes of polishes include:

• Cream: you could think of this as the generic nail polish finish - opaque and glossy with just the colour of the polish and nothing else
when you start experimenting with different nail polish textures it really opens up your eyes to the possibilities of nail art
• Metallic: as it's name suggests, this one mimics the metals like gold, silver and copper and is notoriously hard to paint on without leaving streaks!
• Glitter: from fine-milled to huge chunks, glitter polish can be stand alone or used as a top coat. Use it as the nail tip in a French manicure for an interesting twist!
• Matte: either the polish itself, or in the formk of a top coat, matte polish will have no shine whatsoever and makes a great contrast when used with glosses in nail art. Go slowly and carefully when you appy it as it does show every streak and bump.
• Gelly: made in a ratio of 25% pigment to 75% clear glossy polish, gellies have a beautiful translucency which means that you can layer polishes under them for amazing effects, sometimes known as a gelly sandwich
• There's also holographic polish which gives a fantastic 3D effect, and various chemically induced finishes like crackle, magnetic and so on

When you start experimenting with different nail polish textures it really opens up your eyes to the possibilities of nail art or adding little decorative twists here and there - glitter tips, matte stripes, metallic half moons. It's a lot of fun!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx